How rich is Tucker Carlson as he leaves Fox News?

Tucker Carlson, 52, has the distinction of being the most-watched and possibly one of the most polarizing personalities on cable news. On Friday, April 21, 2023, Carlson signed off Fox News for the last time. According to The Hill, the news host left abruptly after the station settled a lawsuit with Dominion Voting Systems over coverage of false voter fraud claims made by former President Donald Trump. During the deposition, text messages from Carlson were revealed and showed he “passionately” hated the former president and thought his claims were insane.

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With nearly three million viewers to his show, “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” the conservative political commentator was the most-watched political pundit on cable TV.

As he leaves Fox News, Carlson has a net worth of $30 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Early Career

Carlson started at Fox News in 2009 as a frequent guest on other panel shows. In 2013, he got a break and became a co-host of the weekend edition of “Fox & Friends.” After that, he hosted “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” which began airing in 2016.

Once Bill O’Reilly left the network in 2017, Carlson took over the coveted 8 p.m. time slot. He has been reported to earn $6 million per year, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

Before he became a journalist, Carlson applied to work for the CIA and was turned down. It was then that he began to pursue his career path as a journalist and after college began working at a series of newspapers and magazines, typically taking the conservative point of view even then.

Television eventually came calling. To start, he was a frequent guest on the CNN show “Crossfire.” It was commonly believed that his now-infamous interview with Jon Stewart in 2004 led to the cancellation of that program. After that, more opportunities came his way.

He was brought onto CNN as a commentator in 2000 where he stayed until he was given his own show on MSNBC in 2005. Fox came calling in 2009 and he remained there until 2023.

Early Life

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson was born in San Francisco to Lisa McNear and Dick Carlson on May 16, 1969. His dad was a journalist who served as the director for “Voice of America,” and was the CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from 1992-1997. His mother abandoned the family when he was little and his dad assumed full custody of Tucker and his younger brother, Buckley. His dad later married Patricia Caroline Swanson (an heiress to the Swanson frozen-food enterprise) in 1979. She legally adopted the boys.

The family moved to the San Diego area where he lived until he was sent to a Swiss boarding school, but he got kicked out and ended up at St. George’s School, a boarding school in Middletown, R.I. He went on to graduate from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. with a history degree in 1991.

Personal Life

Carlson married high school sweetheart, Susan Thomson in 1991. They met while he was at St. George’s School, as she was the daughter of the headmaster. They have four children together.

Other Fun Facts

The conservative pundit is also the co-founder of the website “The Daily Caller,” which follows his right-leaning views. He was editor-in-chief until he left in 2020 after selling his 1/3 ownership for an undisclosed amount.

He has published three books: “Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites” (2003), “Ship of Fools” (2018) and “The Long Slide” (2021). It was reported that he got a $10 million signing bonus for his book deal.

Carlson also hosts a weekly podcast and can be seen on the Fox Nation streaming show “Tucker Carlson Originals.”

Since he was a teenager, Carlson was known for always wearing a bowtie. In 2006, at the urging of MSNBC, he announced that he would retire the signature wardrobe item.

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Real Estate

The Carlsons have owned many properties in the Washington, D.C. area over the years. They left a $4 million home for a more modest $2 million home in 2011. In 2017, they purchased a new home in the Kent neighborhood for nearly $3.9 million. In 2020, they sold that home for $3.95 million.

The Carlsons purchased a home on Gasparilla Island, Florida for $2.9 million in 2020.

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