Brian Williams Net Worth

What is Brian Williams' Net Worth and Salary?

Brian Williams is an American news anchor who has a net worth of $50 million. Brian Williams is best known for his long tenure at NBC News. He began his career in broadcasting in the early 1980s, working as a reporter for local stations before joining NBC News in 1993. He quickly rose through the ranks, becoming chief White House correspondent and later anchoring the weekend edition of "NBC Nightly News."

In 2004, Williams succeeded Tom Brokaw as anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," a role that made him one of the most prominent figures in American broadcast journalism. Under his leadership, the program became the most-watched evening newscast in the country. Williams earned praise for his calm demeanor and steady presence during major national and global events, including Hurricane Katrina and the death of Osama bin Laden.

However, in 2015, his career faced a major setback when it was revealed that he had exaggerated and misrepresented details of his reporting experiences, most notably his claim of being in a helicopter hit by RPG fire during the Iraq War. NBC suspended him for six months, and he ultimately lost his anchor position at "NBC Nightly News."

Williams returned later that year as the chief anchor for MSNBC and became the face of the network's nightly program "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams." The show gained a loyal following for its analytical coverage of the Trump administration and nightly political developments. He remained at MSNBC until December 2021, when he signed off for the last time and announced his departure from NBCUniversal after nearly three decades with the company.

Brian Williams Salary

Brian Williams' career reached new heights in 2004 when he was named anchor and managing editor of "NBC Nightly News," succeeding legendary broadcaster Tom Brokaw. With the promotion came a significant salary boost, reflecting both the prestige of the position and Williams' rising stature within the network. His initial contract reportedly paid him $8 million per year. By 2006, that figure had increased to $10 million, and by 2014—just before the height of his career was derailed by controversy—his annual salary had reached approximately $13 million.

At the time, Williams was one of the highest-paid news anchors on television, leading the top-rated evening newscast in the country. His calm delivery, broad appeal, and ability to anchor major breaking news events helped cement his value to NBC News.

However, following the 2015 scandal in which he was found to have exaggerated details about his reporting during the Iraq War, Williams was suspended and removed from "NBC Nightly News." When he returned later that year to host "The 11th Hour" on MSNBC, it was in a diminished role with a significantly reduced paycheck. His revised salary at MSNBC was reportedly $6 million per year—a sharp drop, but still substantial for a cable news anchor.

Early Life

Brian Douglas Williams was born on May 5, 1959, in Ridgewood, New Jersey. He is the youngest of four siblings and was raised in a Catholic family of mostly Irish descent. His parents are Dorothy May (née Pampel) and Gordon Lewis Williams. His father worked as an executive vice president of the National Retail Merchants Association, and his mother was an amateur stage actress. He spent his early years in Elmira, New York before the family moved to Middletown Township, New Jersey. He graduated from Mater Dei High School, where he was the editorial editor of the school's newspaper. As a teen, he also worked at the Middletown Township Fire Department as a volunteer firefighter for three years. He continued his education at Brookdale Community College before transferring to The Catholic University of America and then George Washington University. However, he never actually ended up graduating with a college degree.

Career

Williams started out as a white house intern before working for the National Association of Broadcasters. His career in broadcasting began in 1981 at KOAM-TV in Kansas. He then worked as a general assignment reporter at WTTG-TV in Washington, D.C., before moving to WCAU in Philadelphia and WCBS in New York City.

Williams' big break came in 1993 when he joined NBC News as an anchor on the national program "Weekend Nightly News." He was soon promoted to chief White House Correspondent. Then, in the summer of 1996, he landed his own show, "The News with Brian Williams," on which he served as both anchor and managing editor. The show was broadcast on MSNBC on CNBC. At the same time, he was the primary substitute anchor and weekend anchor for "The NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw." He made regular appearances on John Stewart's version of "The Daily Show." He also frequently appeared on NBC's comedy "30 Rock" as himself. Williams officially replaced Tom Brokaw as an anchor on "NBC Nightly News" from 2004 to 2015 and also hosted "Rock Center with Brian Williams" from 2011 to 2013. "Rock Center" was the first new NBC News program that launched in a primetime spot in almost two decades and replaced the drama "The Playboy Club." Ultimately, it was canceled in 2013 due to the combined factors of low ratings and difficulty finding the show a permanent time slot.

(Photo by Monica Schipper/Getty Images for New York Comedy Festival)

Williams then joined MSNBC in 2015 as their Chief Breaking News Anchor. While with MSNBC, he has covered notable events such as Pope Francis's visit to the US, terrorist attacks in Europe, and the Umpqua Community College shooting. For the 2016 US presidential elections, Williams also served as chief elections anchor for MSNBC. In 2016, he became the anchor of the nightly wrap-up show "The 11th Hour with Brian Williams", along with his co-anchor Rachel Maddow. Williams, Maddow, and analyst Nicolle Wallace lead the MSNBC team covering the 2020 US presidential election.

In 2015, Williams was suspended for six months from "NBC Nightly News" for misrepresenting his Iraq War experience. He had claimed on a January 30, 2015, broadcast that a military helicopter he traveled in while covering the Iraq War back in 2003 was "forced down after being hit by an RPG." He first told the story in 2003. His story was disproved when crew members who were on board the helicopter at the time stepped forward and spoke out against his version of events.

Notably, for Williams's team's coverage of Hurricane Katrina on "NBC Nightly News", the network won a Peabody award. The show itself also won the George Polk Award and the DuPont-Columbia University Award. Additionally, Williams was highly praised for his reporting on Hurricane Katrina, and the New York Times even called his Katrina coverage "a defining moment". Other awards Williams has won include the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism from Arizona State University in 2009, eleven Edward R. Murrow Awards, and twelve News & Documentary Emmy Awards. Additionally, he was named on Time Magazine's list of the 100 most influential people in the world in 2007.

Personal Life

In 1986, Williams married TV Producer Jane Stoddard Williams. Together they have a son and a daughter. Their daughter, Allison Williams, starred on the HBO comedy "Girls" and in the acclaimed film "Get Out" (2017). Their son, Doug Williams, is the late-night anchor of "Geico SportsNite", which airs on the regional New York metropolitan area channel SportsNet New York.

Williams never officially graduated from college, but he holds a number of honorary degrees. He received a Doctor of Humane Letters (DHL) honorary degree from the Catholic University of America in May 2004; a DHL from Bates College in May 2005; a Doctor of Journalism (DJ) degree from Ohio State University in June 2008; a Doctor of Laws (LL. D) degree from the University of Notre Dame in May 2010; a DHL from Fordham University in May 2011; and a DHL from George Washington University in 2012.

Who's Richer?

Brian
Williams

Compare!

Tom
Brokaw