Julie Chen Highest-Paid Television host in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Washington
  • Last updated on

Julie Chen
Julie Chen led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid television hosts” released on Monday.
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It's been a rough year for the television host, but at least she has her millions of dollars to ease the pain. 56-year-old Julie Chen has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid television hosts for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 21/07/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Julie Chen tops annual list of highest-paid television hosts

In 2024 it looked like the television host’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, she was back on top. People With Money reports on Monday (July 20) that Chen is the highest-paid television host in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between June 2025 and June 2026, a nearly $40 million lead over her closest competition.

People With Money’s factors

In compiling this yearly list, the magazine considers factors such as upfront pay, profit participation, residuals, endorsements and advertising work.

The American television host-producer has an estimated net worth of $215 million. She owes her fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. She also owns several restaurants (the “Fat Chen Burger” chain) in Washington, a Football Team (the “New York Angels”), has launched her own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderchen - US), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Julie) and a fashion line called “Julie Chen Seduction”.

The ranking is significant for many Julie fans, who have been waiting for her triumphant return to the glory days for what seems like a lifetime.

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