Don Lemon is one of the most well-known news anchors on television. Over his thirty-five years long career in journalism, he worked for a number of networks but got wide recognition as a lead anchor for CNN.
Lemon sparked controversy in February 2023 by making sexist comments about Nikki Haley, after which he was taken off the air for a few days. Audiences are now interested in knowing more about the reporter, including his net worth and earnings. Read on to know more.
Don Lemon Net Worth
As per the website Celebrity Net Worth, Don Lemon has a net worth of $12 million. These earnings have come from his long and illustrious journalistic career. His current salary at CNN is reported to be $4 million a year.
Lemon graduated in broadcast journalism from Brooklyn College in 1996. After college, he worked at Fox affiliates in St. Louis and Chicago and as a correspondent for NBC affiliates in Philadelphia and Chicago. During his initial career, he reported for Today and NBC Nightly News in New York City.
In 2003, he joined WMAQ-TV, Chicago, as a local news co-anchor and reporter. In September 2006, he began working at CNN and has since then become famous for his strong opinions. He is also considered among the most influential LGBTQ people in broadcasting.
Career with CNN
Lemon got his own primetime shows on CNN in 2014, namely, The Eleventh Hour and The Don Lemon Show. He later became the permanent host of CNN Tonight with Don Lemon. In 2021, he launched his podcast The Handoff with fellow journalist Chris Cuomo. The same year, CNN Tonight with Don Lemon was renamed to Don Lemon Tonight.
In October 2022, he started hosting CNN This Morning, the network’s new morning show with Kaitlan Collins and Poppy Harlow. Over the years, he was presented with several awards, including a Native Son Award and three Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards for reporting on the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa.
The reporter also invested heavily in real estate. In 2013, he bought a condo in Harlem for $1.5 million. The 1,400 square feet home with two bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms was listed in 2020 for $1.75 million. In 2016, he purchased a house in the Hamptons neighborhood of Sag Harbor for $3 million, which is currently valued at $4.5 million.
Controversies
Lemon has gotten himself embroiled in several controversies in his career due to his strong views. His opinions on the ways in which the African American community can improve their lives did not go down well with many.
As a strong critique of Donald Trump, he mocked the former President’s supporters with a fake southern accent, again sparking controversy. More recently, when Nikki Haley announced her presidential candidate as a Republican, Lemon commented on his morning show that the 5 year old politician was not ‘in her prime.’
He added that a woman in ‘her 20s, 30s and maybe her 40s’ is considered in her prime. The remarks were labeled sexist by a large section, and the reporter was condemned. He also remained absent from the television for a week before receiving formal training and apologized, saying, “When I make a mistake, I own it. And I own this one as well.”
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