Jon Wertheim Net Worth

What is Jon Wertheim's Net Worth and Salary?

Jon Wertheim is an American journalist, author, television correspondent, and sports commentator who has a net worth of $4 million. His salary is $2 million per year.

Wertheim is best known as a longtime senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a correspondent for "60 Minutes," and one of the most respected tennis journalists in American media. He has spent his career moving between print, television, books, documentary projects, and sports analysis, building a reputation for reporting that uses sports as a way to examine business, culture, politics, science, and society.

Wertheim joined Sports Illustrated in the 1990s and became especially known for his tennis coverage, while also writing about sports business, scandals, social issues, and major figures across the athletic world. He later expanded his reach through television, becoming a commentator for Tennis Channel and joining "60 Minutes" as a correspondent in 2017. In 2026, amid major turmoil at "60 Minutes," Wertheim, Lesley Stahl, and Bill Whitaker told colleagues they had decided to stay with the program, writing that they did not want to see the storied newsmagazine die.

Early Life

L. Jon Wertheim was born in 1970 in Bloomington, Indiana. He attended Yale University, where he graduated in 1993. His Midwestern background and Ivy League education helped shape a career that would blend deep reporting, sharp analysis, and a broad curiosity about the forces behind sports and culture.

Unlike many sportswriters who focus almost entirely on scores and personalities, Wertheim developed a style that treated sports as a lens for larger stories. That approach would become central to his work at Sports Illustrated, in his books, and later on "60 Minutes."

Sports Illustrated

Wertheim joined Sports Illustrated as a full-time staff writer in the 1990s and became one of the magazine's most prominent voices. He has written extensively about tennis, sports business, performance, corruption, gambling, athletes' rights, media, and the cultural impact of sports.

His tennis coverage became a particular calling card. Wertheim covered the careers of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and many of the other defining players of the modern era. His writing often went beyond match recaps and rankings, focusing instead on psychology, training, money, rivalries, and the changing business of global tennis.

Over time, Wertheim also became known as an enterprise writer who could handle major investigative or long-form projects. His Sports Illustrated work has covered subjects ranging from athlete abuse scandals to the economics of college sports and the growth of mixed martial arts.

Books

Wertheim has authored or co-authored numerous books, many of them rooted in sports but aimed at a broader audience. His best-known books include "Strokes of Genius," which examined the 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and "Scorecasting," co-written with Tobias Moskowitz, which explored hidden patterns and myths in sports through economics and data.

He also wrote "Blood in the Cage," about the rise of mixed martial arts and fighter Pat Miletich, and "Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture Forever." His books reflect the same approach that made him successful in magazine journalism: using sports as a doorway into larger questions about money, fame, rivalry, science, risk, and human behavior.

Television Career

In addition to his writing career, Wertheim became a familiar television presence through Tennis Channel, where he has worked as an analyst and commentator. His ability to explain the sport's strategy, personalities, business, and historical context made him a natural fit for television, especially during major tournaments.

In 2017, Wertheim joined "60 Minutes" as a correspondent. His work for the program has ranged beyond sports into culture, foreign affairs, national issues, and investigative reporting. His CBS assignments have included stories about Saudi Arabia's sports spending, the effects of Russia's war in Ukraine on the ballet world, and other subjects where sports, politics, culture, and global power intersect.

"60 Minutes" Turmoil

In June 2026, Wertheim became one of the remaining central figures at "60 Minutes" during a major internal crisis at the program. After the firings of several senior producers and longtime correspondent Scott Pelley, Wertheim, Lesley Stahl, and Bill Whitaker wrote to colleagues that they had struggled with whether to remain at the show.

Ultimately, the three correspondents said they would stay, explaining that they did not want to see "60 Minutes" die. They also expressed frustration over the firings and defended the show's values of independence and journalistic integrity.

For Wertheim, the decision underscored his position as part of the program's next generation of institutional voices. Although he arrived at "60 Minutes" much later than Stahl or Pelley, his work across print, television, books, and documentary storytelling made him one of the correspondents positioned to help define what the newsmagazine becomes in its next era.

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