Serge July Highest-Paid Journalist in the World

  • By Carol Kearney
  • Paris
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Serge July
Serge July led People With Money’s annual list of the “100 highest paid journalists” released on Sunday.
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It's been a rough year for the journalist, but at least he has his millions of dollars to ease the pain. 83-year-old Serge July has taken the No. 1 spot on People With Money’s top 10 highest-paid journalists for 2026 with an estimated $75 million in combined earnings.

UPDATE 12/01/2026 : This story seems to be false. (read more)

Serge July tops annual list of highest-paid journalists

In 2023 it looked like the journalist’s spectacular career was winding down. Suddenly, he was back on top. People With Money reports on Sunday (January 11) that July is the highest-paid journalist in the world, pulling in an astonishing $75 million between December 2024 and December 2025, a nearly $40 million lead over his 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 French journalist has an estimated net worth of $215 million. He owes his fortune to smart stock investments, substantial property holdings, lucrative endorsement deals with CoverGirl cosmetics. He also owns several restaurants (the “Fat July Burger” chain) in Paris, a Football Team (the “Paris Angels”), has launched his own brand of Vodka (Pure Wonderjuly - France), and is tackling the juniors market with a top-selling perfume (With Love from Serge) and a fashion line called “Serge July Seduction”.

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

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