Late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, John Oliver and Seth Meyers rallied around Stephen Colbert ahead of his final episode of “The Late Show.”
The five reunited on May 11th for an episode of the exclusive podcast Strike Force Five. The podcast was launched in August 2023 during the Writers Guild strike in honor of Colbert’s last few episodes.
After 33 years on the air, it was announced that “The Late Show” would be canceled, ending Colbert’s nearly 11-year run on the air.
The show took over the popular late-night show in September 2015 after David Letterman retired, and its final episode aired on May 21st.
Even though the men have been hosting their respective talk shows for at least a decade, they all receive vastly different salaries.
We analyze their net worth and reveal the richest hosts.
john stewart
Although not included in the podcast, Jon Stewart is the richest late-night host with a whopping net worth of $120 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
The outlet also reported that he currently earns a whopping $25 million a year from Comedy Central’s “The Daily Show,” which he hosts once a week.
In November 2025, CBS and Comedy Central owner Paramount confirmed that Stewart’s contract would be extended through December 2026, months after CBS announced the cancellation of Late Night with Stephen Colbert.
Stewart started out as a stand-up comedian, but made his way into television in the early ’90s as host of Comedy Central’s “Short Attention Span Theater.”
He hosted “The Jon Stewart Show” on MTV from 1993 to 1995 until it went into syndication.
Stewart became the host of “The Daily Show” in 1999, which increased the show’s popularity and critical acclaim. During his tenure, the show won numerous Emmy Awards.
After hosting the show for 16 years, he stepped down in August 2015, but returned in February 2024 to host Monday nights and serve as an executive producer.
John Oliver
John Oliver is the second richest person, with a reported net worth of $80 million.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, he earns $30 million as host of “Last Week Tonight.”
The British comedian began his career doing stand-up work in the UK, and got his big break in 2006 as a correspondent on The Daily Show alongside Stewart.
He held the correspondent position until 2013, during which time he won three Primetime Emmy Awards and served as guest host for eight weeks.
He began hosting “Last Week Tonight” in 2014 and has since won 20 Emmy Awards for his work on the HBO show.
The show’s influence on American culture, law, and policy-making has been dubbed the “John Oliver Effect.”
In October 2025, he exclusively revealed to Page Six whether he was worried about his job after Colbert’s show was cancelled.
“So the beauty of living with an ax to your head…every day is a gift,” he told us. “I act like everything is fine, and I act that way until the moment it’s not.”
stephen colbert
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Stephen Colbert ranks third with a net worth of $75 million.
The outlet also said his salary for “The Late Show” was $15 million.
Colbert, who earned $6 million a year in the early days of “The Late Show,” received a huge raise in October 2019.
According to Forbes, his contract extension with CBS guarantees his presence on the network through 2023 and bumps his annual salary to $15 million.
Like Oliver, Colbert also became known as a correspondent for “The Daily Show” from June 1997 to September 2005.
He left “The Daily Show” to host “The Colbert Report,” a parody of the independent political opinion shows of the time, where he satirized conservative political commentators.
After appearing as the featured entertainer at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner in 2006, his series became one of Comedy Central’s highest-rated series.
He was hired in 2015 to replace Letterman, who retired as host of CBS’s “The Late Show” after the show ended in December 2014.
On July 17, 2025, Colbert shockingly announced the cancellation of the long-running series after 33 years, telling viewers he was informed the night before.
CBS canceled the series as a “purely financial decision,” CBS later claimed to Variety.
jimmy fallon
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jimmy Fallon has a net worth of $70 million and earns $16 million a year from “The Tonight Show.”
The actor rose to fame in 1998 when he joined ‘Saturday Night Live’ as a cast member.
After leaving the sketch comedy series in May 2004, he appeared in several films, including “Taxi” and “Fever Pitch.”
He began hosting “The Late Night with Jimmy Fallon” in 2009 and became the sixth permanent host of NBC’s “The Tonight Show” in 2014, replacing Jay Leno.
Fallon has also published two comedy albums and seven books, primarily for children.
His awards include four Primetime Emmy Awards and one Grammy Award.
jimmy kimmel
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jimmy Kimmel’s net worth is believed to be $50 million, with an annual income of $16 million.
He landed his first major role in 1997 as a co-host on the Comedy Central show “Win Ben Stein’s Money.”
He debuted the talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” In January 2003, he became the longest-serving current late-night television host in the United States.
In September 2025, his show was taken off the air following the comedian’s comments regarding Charlie Kirk’s death.
Although the show was suspended “indefinitely,” it returned just a week later and ABC offered him a one-year contract extension for “Live!” In December.
His previous multi-year contract was scheduled to expire in May 2026.
Seth Meyers
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Seth Meyers makes an annual salary of $5 million for “Late Night with Seth Meyers” and has a reported net worth of $25 million, making him the lowest paid of any major network host.
The comedian first rose to fame on “Saturday Night Live,” where he was the head writer for 13 years from 2001 to 2014.
He also anchored the Weekend Update segment and became famous for his comedy series.
After leaving SNL in December 2014, he took over hosting NBC’s Late Night after Fallon left to host The Tonight Show.
Myers has received numerous Emmy nominations for his writing on both SNL and Late Night, and won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Program Special in 2025.
Outside of his hosting duties at NBC, Meyers contributes to several podcasts, including “The Lonely Island and Seth Meyers Podcast” and “Family Trips with the Meyers Brothers.”
