Highest Paid Television Stars
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Hollywood isn’t the only place you’ll find a camera or two. While the most celebrated actors and actresses pull in the biggest checks, the people we see every day on the television may just have the most impact. These are the highest paid television stars.
5. Charlie Sheen
$20 million/year
Taking on the role of a wealthy playboy may not be a stretch for this actor, but it’s certainly rewarding. Making $825,000 per episode of Two and a Half Men, Sheen is television’s highest paid actor.
4. Dr. Phil
$30 million/year
Unlicensed since 1989, psychologist Dr. Phil McGraw spun his celebrity from appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show. His career has been plagued with a number of controversies and scandals including a Federal Trade Commission investigation resulting in the discontinuation of his line of weight loss products and an unannounced visit paid to Britney Spears in which he tried to get her and her family to take part in an intervention on Dr. Phil.
3. David Letterman
$32 million/year
After twenty-six years of hosting late night television, it’s no surprise that Letterman is one of the highest paid personalities in television. Even a quintuple bypass in 2000 couldn’t keep the Late Night host down and he continues to host it to this day.
2. Simon Cowell
$50 million/year
This English television personality, producer and A&R executive is known for his brutally honest judgment in some of television’s hottest reality shows. In US television, he has most recently been seen on American Idol. He is currently working on The X Factor in the UK.
1. Oprah Winfrey
$385 million/year
Known as both a talk show host and spiritual icon, Oprah Winfrey has been called “the most influential woman in the world.” With an international talk show, a trendsetting book club and a net worth of $2.5 billion, it’s not a claim we’re willing to dispute.