John Oliver Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is John Oliver’s Net Worth and Salary?

A British comedian, actor, and satirist, John Oliver boasts a net worth of $80 million. He rose to national fame as a correspondent on “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” In 2014, he initiated “Last Week Tonight” on HBO, which has since achieved tremendous success, garnering numerous awards and establishing John as one of the highest-paid television hosts. Until now, Oliver has earned 14 Emmy awards.

Appearing as a correspondent in 356 episodes of “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart,” he also contributed as a writer for 962 episodes. When Jon took a break in 2013 to work on a film, John stepped in as the host for 32 episodes.

Besides his television hosting roles, Oliver has featured in several hit films and series, including 2019’s “The Lion King,” 2011’s “The Smurfs,” and 19 episodes of “Community.”

“Last Week Tonight” Salary

John’s initial contract with HBO was a two-year agreement with an annual salary of $8 million for the hosting role on “Last Week Tonight.” In September 2017, he signed a 3-year extension worth $45 million, which effectively doubled his salary to $15 million per year, maintaining his presence at HBO until 2020. Subsequently, this contract was followed by another 3-year deal, once again doubling his salary to $30 million per 30-episode season, equating to $1 million per episode. At the end of 2023, he agreed to another 3-year extension with no pay raise, securing his $30 million salary that will remain in place through the 2027 season.

Early Life

Born John William Oliver on April 23, 1977, in Erdington, Birmingham, England, John is the son of Carole and Jim Oliver. His mother worked as a music teacher while his father was a school headmaster and social worker. John completed his education at Christ’s College in Cambridge, earning a degree in English. During his time in college, he held the position of vice president of the renowned amateur theatre group, the Cambridge Footlights.

Early Career

Commencing his journey with stand-up comedy, Oliver made his stage debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2001 as a participant in “The Comedy Zone,” a showcase for emerging acts, portraying the role of an “oleaginous journalist.” He frequently collaborated with a group of comedians known as the Chocolate Milk Gang. His first solo performance took place in 2002. Between 2004 and 2005, he collaborated with others on “Political Animal,” a radio show featuring a variety of acts centered around political content. Additionally, he made appearances on British television, serving as a panelist on the satirical news quiz “Mock the Week.”

The Daily Show

In the summer of 2006, Jon Stewart was advised by comedian Ricky Gervais to consider Oliver, who Gervais had come to know through his stand-up. Traveling to New York City for the first time to interview, Oliver was hired shortly after and moved to the city in July 2006 to take on the role of Senior British Correspondent for “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.” While working on the program, he continued

around the city, he began performing stand-up in small clubs, eventually headlining shows at larger venues. His inaugural stand-up special, “John Oliver: Terrifying Times,” debuted on Comedy Central in 2008.

In 2013, John stepped in as guest host for “The Daily Show” for two months during Stewart’s absence while he was filming “Rosewater.” This stint garnered overwhelmingly positive reviews, prompting discussions about whether Oliver should receive his own show immediately. CBS even contemplated Oliver as Craig Ferguson’s replacement on “The Late Show.” Just three months following his guest hosting on “The Daily Show,” HBO announced plans to give him his own program. Oliver was awarded Emmy Awards for outstanding writing for “The Daily Show” in 2009, 2011, and 2012.

Last Week Tonight

On April 27, 2014, Oliver began his tenure as host of “Last Week Tonight with John Oliver” on HBO. Originally signed on for a two-year contract, he extended it in September 2017 to run through 2020. With complete creative freedom and the ability to critique corporations due to HBO’s ad-free format, Oliver’s work has been met with critical acclaim, earning him a Peabody Award in 2018 and a spot on “Time’s” 100 Most Influential People list in 2015. His segment featuring Donald Trump in 2016 attracted over 85 million views.

Other Work

Apart from his contributions to “The Daily Show,” John also co-hosted the podcast “The Bugle” from 2005 until 2016. He portrayed Ian Duncan in a recurring role on “Community.” Over the years, Oliver has lent his voice to numerous animated series, including “Gravity Falls” as Sherlock Holmes, “Rick and Morty,” “People Like Us,” “Randy Cunningham: 9th Grade Ninja,” “My Hero,” “Green Wing,” and “Bob’s Burgers.” He made a guest appearance as Booth Wilkes-John in the “Pay Pal” episode of “The Simpsons.” In 2008, he marked his film debut in “The Love Guru.” Furthermore, since 2018, Oliver has served as an executive producer for HBO’s documentary series “Wyatt Cenac’s Problem Areas.”

Influence

The influence of “Last Week Tonight” has been acknowledged for its impact on legislation, court rulings, regulations, and various facets of political culture in the United States. The term “The John Oliver Effect” comes from the show’s fifth episode, which focused on net neutrality. Oliver highlighted the issues at hand and argued that the FCC could address concerns related to forthcoming changes in internet regulation. He urged his audience to submit public comments via the FCC’s website, resulting in the site crashing after it received 3.7 million comments. Ultimately, the FCC implemented strong net neutrality rules, classifying broadband internet service as a public utility, with Oliver playing a key role in reshaping this debate.

Although John asserts he is a comedian rather than a journalist, experts contend that his show engages significantly in constructive investigative journalism. He has also been praised for investigating the Miss America organization, which claims to be “the world’s largest provider of scholarships for women.” Oliver’s team collected evidence on the subject.

Tax forms and claims regarding the organization’s scholarship program were examined and found to only allocate a small percentage of its asserted “$45 million funds for scholarships made annually for women.” Over 15 million views have been tallied for the segment’s YouTube video.

In August 2015, John established and legally incorporated a church named Our Lady of Perpetual Exemption to illustrate how simple it is in the U.S. to gain church status and achieve tax exemption.

Among his personal inspirations, he cites comedians like Armando Iannucci, David Letterman, Monty Python, Peter Cook, Richard Pryor, and notably, Jon Stewart, as his comedic icons.

Personal Life

In October 2011, Oliver wed Kate Norley, an Iraq War veteran. The couple has two sons, born in 2015 and 2018. On December 13, 2019, John became a U.S. citizen. His philanthropic efforts include memorable on-air giveaways, with the highlight being the forgiveness of over $15 million in medical debt owed by more than 9,000 individuals. He purchased this debt for $60,000, which was absolved during a show broadcasted in June 2016.

Real Estate

In May 2017, John and Kate acquired a penthouse apartment in New York City for just under $10 million. They financed roughly 50% in cash and secured the rest through J.P Morgan bank. This residence, perched atop a 40-story building, encompasses just over 3,000 square feet with 8 rooms (including 4 bedrooms), along with a monthly HOA fee of $3,700. It features a private terrace showcasing views of the skyline and Hudson River. The building offers a 40,000-square-foot athletic club, a 75-foot indoor pool, a 40-foot indoor rock climbing wall, a bowling alley, basketball courts, and additional amenities.

It is widely known that John has been highly critical of President Donald Trump and the tax loopholes favoring the wealthy. For instance, during a segment in July 2014, he criticized these loopholes, commenting:

“The rich are essentially running up the score at this point… What differentiates America is that we are actively crafting policies that disproportionately advantage the affluent.“

Ironically, John and Kate capitalized on one of these loopholes in the acquisition of their apartment. Utilizing the “421-a” tax exemption, they managed to significantly decrease their annual property tax rate. Due to this exemption, the assessed value of their property for tax purposes was reported at $1.3 million instead of $9.5 million. Consequently, their annual property tax bill was reduced from $66,390 to $27,343 once the process was finalized.