CNN Paid Don Lemon A Fortune Before He Was Fired, But The Same Can't Be Said For One Of His Female C
Don Lemon is an American television journalist who served as a CNN anchor from 2014 until 2023. That is until he was dismissed by the mega-multinational news network for making controversial comments about women.
During his early career as a journalist, Lemon hosted weekend news programs on local television stations in Alabama and Pennsylvania. Climbing the ranks, he most recently co-hosted CNN This Morning with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow before being fired in April 2023.
Given that CNN quickly fired Lemon after his scandalous statements, how much did Lemon actually earn at the network, and how does it stack up against the competition?
6 How Much Did Don Lemon Make At CNN?
Don Lemon reportedly made $4 million a year during his time at CNN. The former TV host has a whopping $12 million net worth.
His resignation from the global news network follows that of Tucker Carlson, who left FOX News not long before. According to some sources, Lemon's firing was a result of comments he made against 51-year-old Republican presidential candidate Nikki Haley over her age.
Keep in mind that CNN caters to a demographic of people aged between 25 to 65, with a median age of 60, making remarks about ageism a direct attack on its viewers.
According to Tim Groeling, a communications professor at the University of California, this event appears to have been the final straw that led to Lemon's termination.
Groeling reports, “This Nikki Haley thing, I think really alienated him with the core CNN audience, where he implied that just because she was older, she was 'over the hill.’ I mean, cable news viewers are a little bit 'over the hill.’ You don't typically do well insulting the management of your company and your largest demographic of viewers."
According to The New York Times, CNN found that after Lemon's statements regarding Haley, guests declined to participate on his show. In recent months, the show's ratings have plummeted, falling behind those of Fox's Fox & Friends and MSNBC's Morning Joe.
On Monday, former President Donald Trump called Lemon the "dumbest man on television" in a post on his social media site Truth Social. When the world's most divisive president attacks you, you know things are going south.
CNN probably severed relations with Lemon, despite his hefty salary on the show, to safeguard the network's image. It's possible that the viewers and participants he alienated with his statements were worth more to him than the compensation he was offered.
Lemon has a history of making insensitive remarks about women; in one instance, he took the opportunity to body-shame Nicki Minaj in a debate about vaccination policies.
5 Did CNN Underpay Kaitlan Collins Compared To Don Lemon?
CNN's White House top correspondent Kaitlan Collins is a well-known journalist. She also collaborates closely with Lemon on the CNN This Morning broadcast, along with fellow co-anchor Poppy Harlow.
Collins earns over $170,000 per year with CNN, a significant difference from Lemon's $4 million, despite working as a White House correspondent.
Collins has a $1 million net worth in 2023. She has worked incredibly hard to get from her position as an entertainment reporter for Daily Caller to that of a CNN correspondent. High-profile careers, such as journalism, are not, however, a surefire path to financial security.
Given that Collins has been on the receiving end of Lemon's on-air antics, the disparity in their wages and net worth is shocking. Several times during CNN's breaking news coverage of Brittney Griner's release from Russia, Collins attempted to join the conversation while Lemon was speaking.
Fox News said that Lemon gestured with his finger over the desk and ordered the woman to "standby one second." A witness said Collins was "visibly upset" after Lemon got "nasty" with her for "interrupting" him. The exchange was reported by Fox News Digital.
The good news is that Lemon's departure opens the door to the prospect of a more extensive shakeup. There has been talk within the network about Collins being considered for a permanent job as an anchor after she recently achieved strong ratings during a weeklong run as a substitute presenter.
In the next months, she may see a significant increase in her wealth.
4 What Does Poppy Harlow Make At CNN?
Poppy Harlow is the pen name of American journalist Katharine Julia Harlow. She is a familiar face on CNN's Newsroom and is also a respected journalist for Forbes.
Harlow's annual compensation at CNN is a whopping $2 million. She has a higher net worth than Lemon, according to Celebrity Net Worth, but earns significantly less than the former anchor.
The Post has learned that Harlow's obvious displeasure with Lemon's misogynistic diatribe on Nikki Haley contributed to the mounting pressure on CNN head Chris Licht to fire the acid-tongued host.
When Lemon remarked that the Republican presidential candidate was "not in her prime," sources say that Harlow stormed off the set of CNN This Morning in a huff when the broadcast ended. Harlow confronted the disgraced prime-time anchor on set with a simple question, "What are you talking about? Prime for what?”
Lemon quickly attempted to defend himself by claiming he was not expressing his personal thoughts.
The source also noted that the tension between Lemon, Collins, and Harlow "has been smoldering for months." It's obvious who CNN supports, and now Harlow's already enormous wealth and salary are sure to skyrocket.
3 Jake Tapper’s Salary Makes Him One Of The Highest-Paid Television Hosts
Jake Tapper is a journalist and writer from the United States. Tapper is one of the highest-paid television hosts of all time thanks to his job at CNN, where he makes more than $13 million per year.
Tapper's estimated net worth as of right now is $78 million, making Lemon's net worth appear like chump change. However, this is mostly attributable to his accomplishments in fields apart from CNN.
Tapper's novels have brought him millions of dollars in royalties and dozens of honors. Because of his investments and other assets worth millions of dollars, he is also among the wealthiest journalists in the United States.
Tapper was the senior White House correspondent for ABC News before joining CNN. In 2012, when he initially started working for CNN, he was paid close to $2 million.
This figure has multiplied by a factor of four in just ten years. The journalist has hosted CNN's Sunday morning current affairs program State of the Union, and the weekday news program The Lead with Jake Tapper.
2 The Truth About John Berman's Massive Net Worth
John Berman now hosts CNN's New Day and fills in regularly for Anderson Cooper on 360°. His most notable role was filling in for the legendary Chris Cuomo after Cuomo's departure in May of 2018.
Berman receives $3.5 million a year, or $291,666 per month, according to ABTC.ng, making him one of CNN's highest-paid journalists. The American newscaster is worth $5 million in 2023.
Berman co-anchored the TV show Early Start from 2012 to 2017, then worked as a co-anchor for CNN Newsroom in 2017 and 2018, before joining the team at New Day the following year.
After graduating from Harvard University, he entered the news industry and worked his way up to become the lead writer for ABC World News Tonight anchor Peter Jennings.
Berman, like Tapper, has amassed a fortune through a number of remarkable endeavors. It is not widely known, for instance, that he was the mind behind the critically acclaimed Netflix series House of Cards, which premiered in 2013.
1 Anderson Cooper Makes $15 Million At CNN
Anderson Cooper is a well-known American journalist and political analyst who works for CNN. Cooper is one of the wealthiest media figures in the United States and is often regarded as one of the highest-paid television personalities in the world. In addition to anchoring Anderson Cooper 360°, he also hosts Anderson Cooper Full Circle.
Celebrity Net Worth estimates Cooper's wealth at $50 million, while other sources, including USA Today, put it closer to $200 million.
Regardless, Cooper's wealth is mostly the result of his television career, which kicked off in the late '80s. Cooper's primary source of wealth is his time spent working for CNN since 2001. CA Knowledge claims that Cooper's income from CNN is $15 million.
Although Cooper came from a wealthy family, he has amassed most of his riches through his profession as a television host for CNN.
In addition to appearing in an HBO documentary with his mother titled Nothing Left Unsaid: Gloria Vanderbilt and Anderson Cooper, he has presented specials for CNN (his CNN New Year's Eve with friend Andy Cohen spawned several memes in 2021).
He is also well-liked for his work as a game show host, having previously hosted The Mole and making an indelible impression as a guest host on Jeopardy! in 2021.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbTErZ%2Bippeoe6S7zGifqK9dosKktIydpqdlnJq6sLqMppidnV2WwW6vzadkn6GimrFuv8ClmKuxXaOyuL%2BMmqWcoJ%2BnwHA%3D