DAVID LETTERMAN | $400 MILLION

One of the faces you saw every night was David Letterman. He was native to Indianapolis, Indiana. He got his diploma from the Department of Television and Radio in Ball State University. Later, he became a weatherman in a local TV station. Because of his humour when reporting, he was encouraged to relocate to Los Angeles and work as a comedy writer.

Eventually, while doing stand in The Comedy Store, Letterman was spotted by a scout from
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson. The host saw the potential of David and often cast him as a guest. When Carson retired in 1992, viewers believed that Letterman would take over the show but NBC gave it to Jay Leno. However, he transferred to CBS and hosted his own, The Late Show with David Letterman, which caused a never ending ratings battle between him and Leno. The three year contract he signed for gave him $14 million a year. He resigned in 2014 with $400 million net worth in 2020.