Jake Tapper Net Worth

What Is Jake Tapper's Net Worth and Salary?

Jake Tapper is an American journalist and author who has a net worth of $20 million. Jake Tapper is a highly respected American journalist, currently serving as CNN's lead Washington anchor. He hosts the weekday evening program "The Lead with Jake Tapper" and co-hosts the Sunday public affairs show "State of the Union" alongside Dana Bash. A graduate of Dartmouth College, Tapper began his career as a political cartoonist and freelance reporter before briefly working as a congressional press secretary and in public relations.

Before joining CNN in 2013, Tapper served as Senior White House Correspondent at ABC News, contributing to "Good Morning America," "Nightline," and "World News Tonight." His coverage of the White House earned him three consecutive Merriman Smith Awards for excellence in presidential reporting. At CNN, Tapper has become known for his sharp interviews, fact-based analysis, and debate moderation, including the high-profile Republican primary debates in 2015 and 2016, and the 2024 Biden–Trump debate, which drew over 51 million viewers.

Tapper is also a best-selling author. His nonfiction book "The Outpost" received critical acclaim, and his political thrillers—"The Hellfire Club," "The Devil May Dance," "All the Demons Are Here," and "Original Sin"—have further showcased his literary range. With multiple Emmy Awards and industry accolades, Tapper remains one of the most prominent figures in American broadcast journalism.

CNN Salary

Jake's annual salary under his current CNN contract is $7 million.

Early Life and Education

Jake Tapper was born Jacob Paul Tapper on March 12, 1969, in New York City, New York. He was raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His mother, Helen, was a psychiatric nurse, while his father, Theodore, was the president of South Philadelphia Pediatrics. Having Jewish parents, Tapper spent his summers in the Poconos at the Jewish summer camp Camp Ramah. For his primary schooling, he went to the Philadelphia School, a progressive elementary school known for its frequent out-of-classroom trips. He later attended Akiba Hebrew Academy, an independent Jewish day school. For his higher education, Jake went to Dartmouth College, from which he graduated in 1991 magna cum laude with a BA in history. Subsequently, he attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts for a brief time.

Career Beginnings

Tapper got into politics in 1992, when he served as a campaign press secretary to Democratic congressional candidate Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky; he later served as her press secretary after she was elected. Additionally, Jake worked for the Washington, DC public relations firm Powell Tate and briefly worked for Handgun Control, Inc. in the late '90s.

Tapper began his full-time journalism career in 1998, writing a number of articles as a freelance writer. He served as a senior writer for the Washington City Paper, winning a Society of Professional Journalists Award for his work. From 1999 to 2002, Jake served as the Washington correspondent for Salon.com. During this time, he also hosted the CNN news talk show "Take Five" and served as a columnist at TALK Magazine.

ABC News

In 2003, Tapper was hired by ABC News. For the program, he covered a wide range of current events, reporting from such places as Baghdad and New Orleans, the latter following Hurricane Katrina. Later, the day after the presidential election in 2008, Jake was appointed Senior White House Correspondent. For his presidential coverage over the subsequent years, he was honored with three Merriman Smith Memorial Awards from the White House Correspondents' Association. Also on ABC, Tapper regularly contributed to such programs as "Good Morning America," "World News with Diane Sawyer," and "Nightline." Additionally, he was a frequent substitute host on "This Week," where he landed exclusive interviews with such figures as Joe Biden, Rahm Emanuel, and Alan Greenspan.

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CNN

Tapper began his tenure with CNN in January 2013. In March, he started hosting his own afternoon and early evening newscast, "The Lead with Jake Tapper." In recognition of its reporting, the show won three National Headliner Awards. A few years later, Jake became the host of the Sunday morning political show "State of the Union." On the program, he gained a reputation for passionately challenging politicians on both sides of the aisle, from Bernie Sanders to Jeb Bush.

In September 2015, Tapper moderated a pair of televised Republican primary debates. The main debate drew an average of 23.1 million viewers, making it the most-watched program in CNN history. In 2017, Jake won the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Television Political Journalism, as well as the John F. Hogan Distinguished Service Award. In January 2021, Tapper's role at CNN expanded to lead anchor for all major events in Washington.

Other Media Appearances

Tapper has, and continues to make, numerous appearances in the media beyond his work on CNN. He has contributed to such publications as GQ, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, and he hosted a series of entertainment news specials on VH1 in 2002. Additionally, Jake has been a frequent guest on talk shows, showing up on "The Colbert Report," "Late Night with Seth Meyers," "Conan," and "Real Time with Bill Maher," among several others.

Writing Career

As an author, Tapper has penned both fiction and non-fiction works. His first novel, the political thriller "The Hellfire Club," was published in 2018; a sequel entitled "The Devil May Dance" came out in 2021. Jake also wrote "The Outpost: An Untold Story of American Valor," a non-fiction book focused on US troops in Afghanistan. Critically acclaimed, the book was later turned into a film directed by Rod Lurie. Tapper's other books include "Down and Dirty: The Plot to Steal the Presidency," about the 2000 presidential election; and "Body Slam: The Jesse Ventura Story," about the titular professional wrestler and politician.

Tapper is also a cartoonist, having created the comic strip "Capitol Hell" for the newspaper Roll Call. Further, he has contributed cartoons to the Los Angeles Times, the Philadelphia Inquirer, and the American Spectator.

Personal Life

In 2006, Jake wed Jennifer Marie Brown, a former official at Planned Parenthood. The couple has two children, Alice and Jack, and the family resides in Washington, DC.

Owing to the town where he was raised, Tapper is an avid lifelong fan of all the major professional Philadelphia sports teams.

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