Jimmy Fallon's Net Worth: The Tonight Show Host Makes More Than You Think
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Jimmy Fallon is a popular late-night talk show host and "Saturday Night Live" alum who is worth $60 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
He may have been known for unintentionally laughing, or "breaking," during "SNL" sketches, but if you had the net worth he did, you'd be laughing, too! The brown-haired, boyishly lovable Fallon has become one of the biggest faces in the 21st-century talk show circuit. It seems like regardless of the guest (even when it was 2016 presidential candidate Donald Trump), the comedian has a huge grin on his face on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." And why shouldn't he? The Brooklyn-born comedian and actor, who took over from Jay Leno in 2014, gets to hang out with Paul McCartney and dance alongside Michelle Obama, all while raking in a ton of cash.
Between "SNL" and his successful move to late-night fame, Fallon embarked on a film career that didn't quit pan out — though the rest of his endeavors certainly have, as he's managed to supplement his salary with income from many other outlets, including a production company, numerous children's books, and more. Not that it's about snagging a big pay day to this multi-talented star. "Don't do it for money. ... Do it because you like it and you like what you're doing," Fallon advised aspiring comedians in a 2018 USA Today interview. "And then, the secret is, you may end up making money. But ... I never thought about money. Never, ever."
Here's what to know about Jimmy Fallon's impressive fortune.
Jimmy Fallon's journey to success wasn't easy
Jimmy Fallon didn't just get lucky when he got his own late-night talk show. "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" was years in the making when the comedian finally landed the gig. He got his start performing in small clubs in upstate New York and then moved to Los Angeles to join The Groundlings comedy theater, per USA Today. This Los Angeles-based improvisation school produced a number of successful comedians, including Kathy Griffin, Will Ferrell, and Maya Rudolph, just to name a few. This star-studded alumni list may have swayed Fallon to enroll in classes, but the budding comedian's finances were an obstacle at the time.
Fallon opened up about these early days in his career during a 2016 interview with Los Angeles Times. The star shared that he was already gaining experience (and a mere $7.25 per gig) at a local improvisation theater at the time. While revisiting his time at The Groundlings, he revealed: "That cost a lot of money to go to school there. Most of the money I made from the Improv would go to classes at the Groundlings."
Fallon went on to explain that he relied on free meals offered by the improv school, so it's safe to say that his early gigs didn't make him the multi-millionaire he is today — but they did lead him down the lucrative path to stardom.
The comedian got his start on SNL
After perfecting his craft at acting and comedy schools in Los Angeles, Jimmy Fallon decided it was time to fly back to his home state of New York to audition for "Saturday Night Live." It seems the star's low-paying theater and stand-up gigs were well worth it, because the experience helped him land his spot on the series in 1998. Speaking with USA Today in 2018, Fallon recalled how the producers loved his impersonation of "SNL" alum Adam Sandler. Serving as an impression-doling cast member on the variety show, then, the comedian quickly became a memorable part of the cast — particularly when he and co-star Tina Fey took over the coveted "Weekend Update" segment in 2000.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Fallon would have been banking an estimated $525,000 a season by the end of his six-year run on the show, which concluded when the "Fever Pitch" star left to pursue acting in 2004. He later opened up to the Los Angeles Times about his first big movie role in the film "Taxi." "I thought if I leave and don't have a movie, I won't have anything to motivate me," he said of accepting the role on the heels of his "SNL" exit. "I still think the idea of Queen Latifah and me chasing those women as they rob banks is pretty funny. Even if the movie didn't do so well."
Unfortunately for Fallon's bank account, his other movie gigs also weren't box office hits.
Jimmy Fallon didn't last long as a movie star
As previously mentioned, the big screen was Jimmy Fallon's next stop after leaving "Saturday Night Live." In a 2004 interview with USA Today, the star revealed why he turned to acting. "I had achieved my goal," Fallon said of the time he spent on "SNL." "It was like after you climb Mount Everest, what's the next challenge. After a certain amount of time, you get to a point where there's other stuff you want to do. Movies are awesome. That's my new thing." Unfortunately for Fallon, his career as a movie star was short-lived.
The comedian tested the waters by snagging a minor role in 2000's "Almost Famous," which was well-received by critics but brought in only around $47 million worldwide, per Box Office Mojo. Fallon graduated on to a starring role in the 2004 film "Taxi," where he shared the big screen with fellow comedian Queen Latifah. This movie was a bit more profitable, grossing over $71 million at the global box office. Unlike "Almost Famous," however, critics and fans alike didn't exactly love "Taxi," as reflected by its low Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb ratings.
While the "Factory Girl" actor went on to star alongside Drew Barrymore in 2007's "Fever Pitch," he later opened up about his not-so-successful film career during a Vanity Fair interview. "I got two shots at major movies," Fallon shared in 2014. "They didn't open. Nothing you could do. It just didn't work."
He found his calling on The Tonight Show
Jimmy Fallon's realization that he didn't particularly enjoy filming movies led him to the next big transition in his career. Speaking about his true feelings toward moviemaking with Rolling Stone in 2011, he explained, "You sit in a trailer and you have makeup on and you just wait — then they're like, 'You've got to come out and be funny,' and you do a scene and go back and wait again for the next scene, and you're there 15 hours." It also seems Fallon wasn't too confident in his big screen performances, as he shared, "I'm not good at it. I miss the immediacy, I miss the response."
Perhaps unsurprisingly, then, a late-night talk show proved to be a better fit for the "Saturday Night Live" alum, as it has likely given the quick-witted comedian the immediacy he craves while allowing him to perform for an audience — similarly to his time on the sketch comedy show. Even those closest to Fallon saw his potential for late-night TV. "SNL" creator Lorne Michaels told Vanity Fair that he was an "enormously generous" performer who thrived in the presence of others, noting of Fallon's "Weekend Update" anchor experience, "He enjoyed when other people were funny. That's a Carson trait — that sense of not being in competition with your guests."
Following the advice of those around him, Fallon began hosting Conan O'Brien's talk show in 2009, before replacing Jay Leno on "The Tonight Show" five years later, where he earns a hefty $16 million salary, per Celebrity Net Worth. Now that's a good gig!
Jimmy Fallon spent millions on his New York properties
Jimmy Fallon made his first big real estate purchase back in 2002, when he was encouraged by "Saturday Night Live" showrunner Lorne Michaels to drop $850,000 on a condo unit in a New York apartment complex, per Celebrity Net Worth. Over the next few years, Fallon spent millions purchasing and renovating neighboring units. He combined the properties into a three-floor, six-bedroom home with five bathrooms and two playrooms, where he lived with his wife, Nancy Juvonen, and two daughters.
It seems Michaels was onto something, as the star later listed the unit for $15 million in 2021, as reported by Architectural Digest. Photos of the eclectic space, which spans a massive 4,950 square feet, reveal colorful wallpaper accompanied by brightly colored furniture throughout each room, which were clearly heavily customized with decor and architecture that were very personal to the Fallon family. The place also has a huge vintage bar and even a secret staircase door. It looks ... amazing. In May 2022, supermodel Cara Delevingne bought the massive apartment, per New York Post.
As for Fallon's new residence, at the time of this writing, the family of four are located in a $5.7 million home in Sagaponack, New York, according to Celebrity Net Worth. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, however, Fallon revealed that Manhattan is still close to his heart. "My job is here, my studio is here, and a piece of my heart is here," he said. "My life will still revolve around this city."
The talk show host has a long list of endorsements
Jimmy Fallon has earned a portion of his $60 million net worth through endorsements. One of the comedian's most notable endorsements has been Samsung's partnership with "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon." This is part of a bigger deal between Samsung and NBC, per Variety, and if you're a fan of the late-night show, you may remember when a 2019 episode was shot on a Samsung Galaxy S10+ smartphone. As you may have guessed, this product placement was part of this particular endorsement.
The company also teamed up with the show during a Mother's Day special to gift moms and teachers with new phones in May 2022. When asked about the ongoing partnership, Fallon shared (via Variety): "With this project, fans of 'The Tonight Show' can experience late night in a whole new way. It's been a great collaboration, that puts the spotlight on Samsung's new Galaxy S22 Ultra Device, and we're excited to kick off the campaign with them." Although it's unclear exactly how much Fallon himself has earned from this endorsement, his sudden passion for Samsung seemingly suggests he's received decent compensation.
Meanwhile, the star got his whole family involved in his partnership with Frito-Lay. In 2021, the Fallon clan starred in a hilarious holiday-themed ad for the snack brand, per People. His other endorsements have included a Michelob Ultra Super Bowl commercial in 2020 and appearances in ads for the likes of Apple, Capital One, Pepsi, and Xfinity, as reported by Yahoo!.
Jimmy Fallon's children's books are bestsellers
Although Jimmy Fallon's acting career didn't quite pan out, he thankfully hasn't been afraid to try other ventures throughout his career. To start, the comedian has managed to find success as a children's book author. The talk show host's first book "Snowball Fight!" was released in 2005, and he followed this up with "Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA" a decade later. Fallon revealed that his own experience as a new father was the inspiration behind book No. 2 during an interview on "Today." When asked about taking time to read to his two daughters, the comedian responded, "It's just bonding time." As for the storyline of the book, Fallon admitted with a laugh, "There's no plot. There's barely a plot. There's only a selfish thing that hopefully that your baby's first word will be 'dada.'"
Fallon followed the release of "Your Baby's First Word Will Be DADA" with "Everything is Mama" and "This is Baby." His most recent installment of the series to date is "Nana Loves You More," which was published in March 2022. As you may have guessed, the latter book is a tribute to grandmothers and was seemingly inspired by Fallon's daughters' close relationship with their grandparents. The talk show host previously revealed to People that his kiddos were anticipating reuniting with their grandparents after being apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So, did these sentimental moments aid Fallon's book sales? We can't say for sure, but he is a New York Times bestselling author.
The funnyman's controversial NFT involvement
Jimmy Fallon's journey into the non-fungible token space has been interesting, to say the least. The late-night host was admittedly pretty unaware of what NFTs even were until Paris Hilton passed down her knowledge on "The Tonight Show" in August 2021. "[It's] basically a digital contract that's on the blockchain," Hilton explained. "So you can ... sell anything from art, to music, to experiences, physical objects." During Hilton's next appearance in January 2022, Fallon revealed that he had purchased his own NFT from the Bored Ape Yacht Club collection. "You taught me what's up, and then I bought an ape," the comedian said, before the duo surprised a thrilled studio audience with their very own NFTs.
But Fallon's involvement in the controversial cryptocurrency hasn't exactly been well-received by everyone. Vice, for example, criticized both parties for promoting their NFT purchases, arguing, "While this may appear to be a selfless act, Hilton is just doing what's in her vested interest. ... Fallon's entry into the Bored Ape Yacht Club was widely seen as a signal that this entire thing may simply be reaching untenable levels." Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Times raised concerns about Fallon promoting his $216,000 purchase, questioning whether this was a conflict of interest that breached his contract with NBCUniversal.
"The O.C." alum Ben McKenzie, who previously wrote in Slate that "the Hollywoodization of crypto is a moral disaster," explained to the Times that he didn't believe Fallon had "any negative intent," but noted, "I don't love the idea of luring people in, thinking they're gonna get wealthy off of trading NFTs."
Jimmy Fallon owns a successful production company
When Jimmy Fallon isn't interviewing Hollywood's biggest celebrities on "The Tonight Show," he's busy producing other TV shows. His production company Electric Hot Dog, for example, is behind E!'s cover band competition show, aptly titled "Clash of the Cover Bands." When the comedian announced the new series during an October 2021 episode of his late-night show, he said, "This is every cover band dream that you could think of. It's gonna be U2 versus Coldplay, Dolly Parton versus Carrie Underwood ... Britney Spears versus Jennifer Lopez." In addition to this brief description, Fallon revealed that the competition would be hosted by Meghan Trainor, Adam Lambert, and Ester Dean. According to Deadline, the winning cover band scores a $10,000 prize and the opportunity to perform on "The Tonight Show."
During the same segment, Fallon also announced "The Kids Tonight Show," a spin-off of his own late-night talk show hosted by a group of pre-teens, which premiered around the same time. The show, which streams on Peacock, has featured social media star guests like JoJo Siwa and Charli D'Amelio, who would obviously pique the interests of a much younger audience.
According to the Electric Hot Dog website, both series are part of a development deal with NBCUniversal. In May 2021, Deadline reported that the partnership also included animated series adaptions of Fallon's bestselling children's books, as well as a game show inspired by popular segments on "The Tonight Show."