John Madden was a famous former football coach and sportscaster. Receiving industry accolades after winning a Super Bowl as the coach for the Oakland Raiders, Madden went on to be a famous sportscaster for the NFL. Additionally, Madden provided entertaining commentary for all of the major networks, including CBS, Fox, ABC, and NBS all the way from 1979 up until 2009.
Though he made a decent amount of money from his sportscasting career, the majority of Madden’s massive fortune came from his wildly popular video games. John Madden was the brand, voice, and overall personality behind the famous Madden NFL video games. Best-sellers and award winners, the Madden games continue to grow in popularity and serve as an absolute goldmine for John Madden, even post-mortem.
Steve Harvey — $200 Million
Coming from difficult beginnings, Steve Harvey faced adversity early in his career as a comedian and was actually homeless for many years in West Virginia, where he was born and raised. But fortune finally shone on Harvey when he was hired as a host on "It’s Showtime at the Apollo." The big break he needed to launch his career, Harvey went on to host numerous well-known television programs such as "The Steve Harvey Show" and "Family Feud."
Though Harvey accumulated quite a fortune from his hosting abilities, he has been involved in a few controversies over the years, such as the time he messed up the name of the 2015 Miss Universe winner when he accidentally announced the runner-up as the winner. He owned up to his mistake, and though the contestants were shaken up, everything turned out just fine and Harvey’s massive net worth remained intact.
Bob Barker — $70 Million
Well, that price is certainly right for Bob Barker. Famous for hosting the most popular game show on daytime television, Barker was able to retire with $70 million after his 50-year television-hosting career. Known for his casual conversation style and his ability to always be on the contestant’s side when hosting TV game shows, Barker was a well-loved celebrity personality and admitted that he missed being a host after he retired.
Starting with his own radio show, "The Bob Barker Show," in 1950, Barker eventually went on to host "The Price Is Right" in 1972. Barker also acted as a host on various game shows including "The Family Game," "Simon Says," and "That’s My Line." Extremely talented at his craft, Barker has the accolades to go along with his career, including 19 Emmy Awards and his very own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Michael Phelps — $100 Million
Michael Phelps’s net worth is certainly Olympian in size. Not only the highest award-winning swimmer in history but also the most highly awarded Olympian in history, Phelps earns a lot in sponsorship money each year. Beginning his Olympian career at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Phelps qualified for a medal but did not win. Sixteen years later, at the Rio Olympics, Phelps won more medals than 161 competing countries.
Holding a massive total of 28 medals, Phelps is an obvious choice for advertisers everywhere, including industry giants like Nike, Speedo, and Kellogg’s. Magnetizing advertising sponsorship, Phelps has made millions due to his impressive Olympian career. Though he was involved in an illicit substance scandal in 2009 that caused some loss in sponsorship, most advertisers forgave the indiscretion, and his net worth continues to grow.
Jon Stewart — $160 Million
Thirty years into his career and Jon Stewart’s hard work has certainly paid off. Beginning as many comedians do, working stand-up gigs and eventually writing for comedy shows that weren’t his own, Stewart began to make a name for himself in 1993 when he hosted "The Jon Stewart Show" on MTV.
After that initial breakthrough, Stewart continued to host a number of talk shows, including his most famous feature, "The Daily Show." The talk/satire news show helped Stewart accrue a wide-ranging fan base, all of whom were shocked and saddened to hear of his departure from the show in 2015. Stewart chose to leave in order to work on his writing, a decision he most likely does not regret, given the enormous cushion of cash he has to lean on.