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.
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.
John Madden — $200 Million
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.
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.
Tyra Banks — $90 Million
Beginning her professional career as a supermodel when she was just a teenager, Tyra Banks is business savvy in addition to being beautiful and has spent years growing a multi-media empire. Though she initially struggled to find her professional brand alongside supermodel stars like Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen, Tyra Banks definitely found her niche in the fashion industry after a few years of hard work.
Expanding her career into TV, Banks eventually created the long-running reality TV series, "America’s Next Top Model." Her personality shone through and appealed to American audiences so much that Banks landed her own daytime talk show, "The Tyra Banks Show," in 2005. From that point on, Banks continued her success in the entertainment industry, expanding into music and cosmetics. Truly a self-made woman, Banks was named one of TIME magazine’s most influential people. After looking at her impressive career, it’s certainly not difficult to understand why.