Bill O'Reilly Net Worth

What Is Bill O'Reilly's Net Worth and Salary?

Bill O'Reilly is an American author, political commentator, radio host, columnist, and former television host who has a net worth of $75 million. O'Reilly became one of the most powerful and highly paid personalities in cable news as the host of Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor," which aired in various forms from 1996 to 2017. During his final years at Fox, he earned approximately $20 million annually. A new contract signed shortly before his departure reportedly increased his salary to $25 million per year, and Fox paid him roughly $25 million when it terminated the agreement.

For much of his Fox tenure, O'Reilly occupied the center of American cable-news culture. His mix of political commentary, combative interviews, populist arguments, and recurring opinion segments made "The O'Reilly Factor" the highest-rated program in cable news and an enormous advertising business for Fox. Between 2014 and 2016 alone, the show generated an estimated $446 million in advertising revenue.

O'Reilly also built a second lucrative career as an author. His books include political commentary, children's titles, and the bestselling "Killing" history series, co-written with Martin Dugard. More than 17 million copies of the "Killing" books have been printed, and O'Reilly has written or co-written numerous #1 "New York Times" bestsellers. After leaving Fox, he continued producing political commentary through "No Spin News," "The O'Reilly Update," books, speaking engagements, and digital subscriptions.

His career has also been defined by controversy. In 2017, reports about sexual harassment allegations and settlements triggered an advertiser revolt and led Fox News to dismiss him. O'Reilly has denied the allegations and maintained that settlements were reached to protect his family and avoid damaging publicity.

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Early Life and Education

William James O'Reilly Jr. was born on September 10, 1949, in Manhattan, New York. He spent part of his childhood in Fort Lee, New Jersey, before his family settled in Levittown on Long Island. His father, William Sr., worked as an accountant, while his mother, Winifred, managed the household. Bill has a younger sister named Janet.

O'Reilly attended Chaminade High School, a private Catholic boys' school in Mineola, New York. After graduating in 1967, he enrolled at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. He studied history, wrote for the school newspaper, played club football, and spent part of his junior year at Queen Mary College at the University of London. He received his bachelor's degree in history in 1971.

Following college, O'Reilly moved to Miami, where he taught English and history at Monsignor Pace High School. He later entered Boston University's graduate broadcast-journalism program, earning a master's degree in 1976. While studying in Boston, he worked as a reporter and columnist for local publications and interned at WBZ-TV.

O'Reilly returned to graduate school in the 1990s. He received a master's degree in public administration from Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1996.

Early Broadcasting Career

O'Reilly began his television career at WNEP-TV in Scranton, Pennsylvania, where he worked as a reporter and occasionally delivered the weather. He subsequently moved through a series of local television markets, working at WFAA-TV in Dallas, KMGH-TV in Denver, KATU in Portland, WFSB in Hartford, WNEV-TV in Boston, and WCBS-TV in New York.

His reporting earned him local Emmy Awards in Denver and New York. Among his best-known early assignments were coverage of a plane hijacking and an investigation into corrupt New York City marshals.

In 1982, O'Reilly joined CBS News as a correspondent. His assignments included reporting from El Salvador during the country's civil war and covering unrest surrounding the Falkland Islands conflict from Buenos Aires. His relationship with CBS ended after a dispute over the network's use of footage connected to his reporting.

O'Reilly later joined ABC News, where he worked as a general-assignment correspondent and contributed to programs including "World News Tonight," "Good Morning America," and "Nightline." He also hosted daytime news briefs and served as a substitute anchor.

"Inside Edition"

O'Reilly received his first major national hosting job in 1989 when he joined the syndicated newsmagazine "Inside Edition." Original anchor David Frost left shortly after the program launched, and O'Reilly took over as lead anchor.

Under O'Reilly, "Inside Edition" developed into a successful mixture of celebrity coverage, crime stories, investigative reports, and human-interest features. The program helped establish his direct, confrontational on-air style and gave him experience presenting news to a large national audience.

O'Reilly remained with "Inside Edition" until 1995. He left the program to attend Harvard and was replaced by Deborah Norville.

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"The O'Reilly Factor"

In 1996, Fox News hired O'Reilly to host "The O'Reilly Report." The show was renamed "The O'Reilly Factor" and became the centerpiece of the network's prime-time lineup.

The program combined news summaries, political commentary, interviews, debates, and recurring segments such as the "Talking Points Memo." O'Reilly presented himself as an independent-minded populist rather than a conventional Republican spokesman, although his audience and positions generally aligned with the conservative side of American politics.

His aggressive interview style, willingness to interrupt guests, and repeated promise to provide a "no-spin" perspective made him both extremely popular and deeply polarizing. Supporters viewed him as a blunt advocate for ordinary Americans. Critics accused him of sensationalism, factual distortions, selective reporting, and using his platform to target ideological opponents.

Regardless of the controversy, the ratings were extraordinary. "The O'Reilly Factor" became the highest-rated cable-news program and held that position for years. By 2016, Fox News described it as the leading show in cable news, ahead of every competing program on Fox, CNN, and MSNBC.

The show's commercial performance was equally impressive. Market-research figures indicated that "The O'Reilly Factor" generated approximately $446 million in advertising revenue between 2014 and 2016. In the period immediately before O'Reilly's departure, it regularly attracted more than three million viewers per night.

O'Reilly also hosted the nationally syndicated radio program "The Radio Factor" from 2002 to 2009. At its height, the show was carried by hundreds of stations across the United States.

Bill O'Reilly Fox Salary

Bill O'Reilly's Fox News salary grew alongside the ratings and advertising revenue generated by "The O'Reilly Factor."

During the final years of his original Fox agreement, O'Reilly was widely reported to be earning approximately $18 million to $20 million annually. That already made him one of the highest-paid personalities in television news.

In early 2017, Fox negotiated a new multiyear contract with O'Reilly. The agreement reportedly ran through the 2020 presidential election and increased his annual compensation to approximately $25 million.

The timing proved significant. O'Reilly signed the new contract only weeks before a wave of damaging publicity led to his removal from the network. The contract reportedly included language allowing Fox to terminate the agreement if new allegations or other information created substantial problems for the company. However, the terms limited O'Reilly's financial loss by entitling him to approximately one year of salary.

When Fox dismissed O'Reilly in April 2017, he reportedly received an exit payment of approximately $25 million.

In other words, Fox paid O'Reilly roughly the equivalent of his new annual salary to leave the network. The payout was not the full value of the multiyear deal, but it was still one of the largest reported exit packages ever received by a cable-news personality.

O'Reilly's compensation reflected the economics of his show. Paying him $20 million or $25 million per year was expensive, but "The O'Reilly Factor" was generating well over $100 million in annual advertising revenue while helping Fox dominate prime-time cable-news ratings.

Firing from Fox News

O'Reilly's Fox career ended after a series of reports concerning sexual harassment and workplace-misconduct allegations.

In April 2017, "The New York Times" reported that O'Reilly or Fox News had reached settlements with five women who accused him of sexual harassment, inappropriate conduct, or verbal abuse. The known agreements totaled approximately $13 million. O'Reilly denied wrongdoing and said prominent people are often forced to settle disputes to avoid negative publicity and protect their families.

The report triggered an advertiser revolt. Dozens of major companies removed commercials from "The O'Reilly Factor," even as the program continued drawing strong ratings. Fox initially appeared prepared to stand behind its most valuable host, but the loss of advertisers and continuing allegations placed increasing pressure on the network.

On April 19, 2017, Fox's parent company announced that O'Reilly would not return. "The O'Reilly Factor" ended after more than two decades, and Tucker Carlson eventually took over the 8 p.m. time slot.

Several months after O'Reilly's dismissal, another report revealed that he had agreed to a separate $32 million settlement with former Fox News legal analyst Lis Wiehl in January 2017. The agreement was reached shortly before Fox approved O'Reilly's new $25 million-per-year contract. O'Reilly disputed the allegations underlying the settlement, while Fox said it had been aware that an agreement existed but did not know its size when the new contract was signed.

The later $32 million disclosure was separate from the five settlements totaling approximately $13 million that had been reported before O'Reilly's firing. The publicly disclosed agreements therefore amounted to at least $45 million, although the payments were divided between O'Reilly and Fox, and settlements did not constitute admissions of wrongdoing.

The controversy also affected O'Reilly's representation. United Talent Agency and the William Morris Endeavor literary agency ended their relationships with him, although his publisher continued releasing his books.

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Books and the "Killing" Series

O'Reilly developed a highly profitable publishing career alongside his television work. His early books included the novel "Those Who Trespass" and political titles such as "The O'Reilly Factor," "The No Spin Zone," "Who's Looking Out for You?," and "Culture Warrior."

"Culture Warrior," published in 2006, reached #1 on "The New York Times" bestseller list and reportedly had more than one million copies in print within its first three months.

His greatest publishing success came through the "Killing" series, co-authored with Martin Dugard. The franchise began with "Killing Lincoln" in 2011 and expanded to cover figures and events including John F. Kennedy, Jesus, General George Patton, Ronald Reagan, World War II, organized crime, terrorism, and the Salem witch trials.

The books are written as fast-paced historical narratives intended for a mass audience. Several were adapted into television specials for National Geographic, with O'Reilly serving as an executive producer.

The series has placed more than 17 million copies in print. O'Reilly's publisher has credited him with writing 20 #1 "New York Times" bestsellers, making publishing a major contributor to his earnings and net worth.

Post-Fox Media Career

O'Reilly quickly established an independent media operation after leaving Fox.

In 2017, he launched "No Spin News," a subscription-based political commentary program distributed through his website and as a podcast. The format allowed O'Reilly to continue reaching his audience without relying on a major cable network.

He returned to syndicated radio in 2019 with "The O'Reilly Update," a daily news and commentary program. He has also appeared as a guest commentator on television, continued writing a syndicated column, produced live speaking tours, and maintained a paid membership business through BillOReilly.com.

Although his post-Fox audience has been smaller than the millions who watched "The O'Reilly Factor" each night, his books, subscriptions, radio programs, and speaking work have allowed him to maintain a substantial independent media business.

Real Estate

O'Reilly has owned valuable property on Long Island, where he was raised and spent much of his adult life.

In 2013, he purchased a 1.5-acre oceanfront property in Montauk for $7.65 million through a company named Spinfree LLC. The property contained a small cottage and had been listed for $8.5 million. O'Reilly reportedly planned to replace the existing structures with a larger but relatively understated oceanfront residence.

He has also maintained a longtime home in the affluent Manhasset area of Long Island.

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Personal Life

Bill O'Reilly married public-relations executive Maureen McPhilmy in 1996. They had two children, a daughter and a son, before separating in 2010. Their divorce was finalized in 2011.

The divorce was followed by a lengthy and contentious legal dispute involving finances and custody. In 2016, O'Reilly filed a $10 million lawsuit accusing McPhilmy of making false representations during their divorce negotiations. Many details of the former couple's disputes remained private or were contained in sealed court records.

O'Reilly has generally kept his children and later personal relationships away from public attention.

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