Ryan Seacrest Net Worth

What is Ryan Seacrest's net worth and salary?

Ryan Seacrest is an American radio personality, television host, producer, and entrepreneur who has a net worth of $500 million. Every year, Ryan Seacrest earns $60 – $80 million from his entertainment and entrepreneurial empire.

Seacrest first rose to national fame as the host of "American Idol," which became a cultural phenomenon and launched his decades-long presence in American entertainment. Today, he hosts the syndicated radio countdown show "American Top 40," the nationally broadcast KIIS-FM morning radio program "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," and is the current co-host of "Wheel of Fortune." From 2017 to 2023, he co-hosted the daytime talk show "Live with Kelly and Ryan." Behind the scenes, he is an executive producer of several successful reality series, most notably "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its many spinoffs.

Seacrest parlayed his early success in radio into a multifaceted media empire, earning comparisons to Dick Clark for his dominance in hosting live television events. He has anchored major award show red carpets, served as the face of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve" since 2005, and produced hit series through his production company Ryan Seacrest Productions. His credits include "Shahs of Sunset," "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," and "American Idol."

On June 27, 2023, it was officially announced that Seacrest would take over hosting duties on "Wheel of Fortune" following Pat Sajak's retirement at the end of the show's 41st season. It was unclear at the time of the announcement whether Ryan would also take over Pat Sajak's salary of $15 million per year. Around the same time as Pat's retirement announcement and the revelation that Ryan would take over, Vanna White also reportedly asked to re-negotiate her contract. At the time of Pat's announcement, Vanna White's salary was $3 million per year. Vanna's salary has since been increased to $10 million.

Salary Highlights

In July 2009, Seacrest inked a three-year deal $45 million deal ($15 million per year) to continue to host American Idol, making him the highest-paid reality television host at that time. In April 2012, he signed a two-year, $30 million deal to stay on as host of American Idol. In May 2014, it was reported that Seacrest had signed a one-year deal with the option of another year.

For the ABC reboot of American Idol, his initial multi-year deal was reported to be worth over $10 million.

For Wheel of Fortune, it's highly unlikely that Ryan would earn significantly more or less than his co-host, Vanna White. It is known that Vanna White's salary today is $10 million. So it's probably safe to assume that Ryan's Wheel of Fortune salary is in the same ballpark.

Between June 2017 and June 2018, Ryan Seacrest earned $74 million. Between June 2018 and June 2019, he earned $72 million. In the same period between 2019 and 2020, Ryan earned $60 million.

Early Life

Ryan John Seacrest was born in Atlanta, Georgia, on December 24, 1974. He grew up in Dunwoody, Georgia. Ryan loved hamming it up with a toy microphone as a child. He interned at the radio station WSTR-FM (Star 64) when he was a teenager attending Dunwoody High School. When the DJ called in sick, Seacrest got a chance to be on the air for the first time. He did so well that the station gave him the weekend overnight shift. He graduated from high school in 1992 and enrolled at the University of Georgia to study journalism. He dropped out after his freshman year and moved to Hollywood to make it in radio.

Career

Ryan Seacrest moved to Los Angeles in 1993 and quickly began landing on-screen hosting gigs. His first big break came that same year when he was tapped to host ESPN's "Radical Outdoor Challenge." Throughout the mid-to-late '90s, he built his reputation with a string of youth-focused programs, including "Gladiators 2000" (1994–96), the children's version of "American Gladiators," as well as "Wild Animal Games" in 1995 and the syndicated game show "Click" in 1997. He also made a guest appearance as a fictional game show host on a 1999 episode of "Beverly Hills, 90210." From 2001 to 2003, he hosted the hidden camera prank show "Ultimate Revenge" on TNN. Seacrest also briefly hosted the "NBC Saturday Night Movie" in 2000.

In 2002, Seacrest's career trajectory changed forever when he was hired to co-host the first season of "American Idol." By season two, he became the sole host, and as the show exploded into a cultural phenomenon, so did Seacrest's fame. He remained with "American Idol" through its entire run on Fox, which ended in 2016, and returned in 2018 when the series was revived by ABC.

In addition to television, Seacrest made a major mark in radio. In February 2004, he replaced Rick Dees as the morning host on KIIS-FM's "On Air with Ryan Seacrest," a nationally syndicated weekday program that continues to reach millions of listeners. He also took over as host of the weekly countdown show "American Top 40."

Seacrest became synonymous with New Year's Eve celebrations beginning in 2005 when he joined Dick Clark as co-host of "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve." After Clark suffered a stroke, Seacrest gradually took over the main hosting duties, and in 2009 the broadcast was officially renamed "Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest." He signed a multi-year extension in 2013 and has remained the face of the annual Times Square celebration ever since.

In May 2017, Seacrest joined Kelly Ripa as co-host of "Live with Kelly and Ryan," replacing Michael Strahan. He remained with the daytime talk show until April 2023, when he was succeeded by Ripa's husband, Mark Consuelos.

In June 2023, Seacrest was officially confirmed as the next host of "Wheel of Fortune," following Pat Sajak's retirement after more than four decades. Seacrest's hosting tenure began with the 2024–2025 season.

Beyond hosting, Seacrest has become a powerful producer and entrepreneur. He has long served as a red carpet host for E! Entertainment, covering major events such as the Academy Awards and Emmys. Through his production company, Ryan Seacrest Productions (RSP), he has executive-produced numerous hit shows, most notably "Keeping Up with the Kardashians" and its many spinoffs. Other projects have included "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution," which won an Emmy in 2010.

Seacrest has also ventured into fashion and grooming. He launched the Ryan Seacrest Distinction menswear collection, sold exclusively at Macy's, as well as a skincare line for men called Polished, created in partnership with dermatologist Dr. Harold Lancer.

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Personal Life

Seacrest revealed his two-year on-and-off relationship with model Sara Jean Underwood on The Howard Stern Show in 2009.

In April 2010, Seacrest began dating Dancing with the Stars' Julianne Hough. On March 15, 2013, it was announced that their relationship had ended. They dated for over two years before they broke up.

On May 14, 2016, he returned to the University of Georgia to advise alumni and received an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree.

Seacrest has been in an on-again-off-again relationship with model and personal chef Shayna Taylor since 2013. They met through friends. They split briefly in 2014, moved in together in May 2017, and split for the second time in February 2019. By September 2019, Seacrest and Taylor were back together. On June 29, 2020, it was reported that the couple had split for the third time some time ago and that Ryan had moved on with someone new.

After the breakup, Taylor took to her Instagram account to post: "You will never need to convince the right person to love you. No matter what, you cannot change them, make them do the work, or get them to commit to you if they're not ready to show up. Change must be inspired from within, and actions are always louder than words." Reportedly, she was ready to get married, while 45-year-old Seacrest was not.

In July 2020, Seacrest and Kelly Ripa paid tribute to the late Regis Philbin after his death.

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Philanthropy

In 2010, Seacrest launched the Ryan Seacrest Foundation. The foundation has 12 centers at children's hospitals across the nation, including the most recent one at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital in Memphis. Selena Gomez was named Ambassador of the Foundation in 2012. Seacrest also serves on the board of trustees of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and is an honorary co-chair of the Grammy Museum Foundation.

Real Estate

In 2007, "Will & Grace" creator Max Mutchnick sold a house in Beverly Hills to Ellen DeGeneres for $29 million. Ellen reportedly walked through the house one day and told Max she wanted to own it. Max picked a number that was double what he paid, and Ellen accepted.

In 2011, Ellen sold the home to Ryan for $36.5 million. A year later, he paid $2 million for a property next door.

The 9,200 square foot home now sits on 2.87 acres and has nine bedrooms, 11 bathrooms, a pool, two attached guest houses, a separate three-bedroom house, and lush gardens. Interestingly, after Ryan became the owner, Max Mutchnick got in touch and explained that he always regretted not completing the renovation and design he had intended years earlier. So, Ryan hired Max to complete the renovation.

In November 2020, Ryan put this house on the market for $85 million. He finally found a buyer in November 2022 for $51 million.

In 2017, it was reported that Ryan Seacrest was renting a townhouse on the Upper East Side of Manhattan for $75,000 a month. The six-story mansion has 11,000 square feet.

Outside of Los Angeles, Ryan owns homes in Napa, California, New York City, and Italy. He paid $14 million for his home in Napa in September 2020. After performing a major renovation, he listed this 40-acre property in July 2024 for $22 million.

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