This Is Don Lemon’s Staggering Net Worth Before Being Fired From CNN

Don Lemon, the former host of "Don Lemon Tonight" and "CNN This Morning," has earned a net worth of $12 million after 17 years of service to the network. The Louisiana native began his career in media by working for Fox and NBC affiliates, and eventually becoming a correspondent on Today and NBC Nightly News. In 2006, he joined CNN and quickly became a prominent face on several prime-time series.

As mentioned by Closer Weekly, on February 2023, Lemon was benched from the network due to comments made during a broadcast towards politician Nikki Haley. He issued an apology to his colleagues at the time, saying, "I'm sorry that I said it, and I certainly see why people found it completely misguided. When I make a mistake, I own it. And I own this one as well."

On April 8, Lemon announced his abrupt firing from CNN in a tweet, expressing shock and disappointment that he had not been given any indication that he would not be able to continue his work at the network. 

"I was informed this morning by my agent that I have been terminated by CNN. I am stunned," he wrote. "After 17 years at CNN, I would have thought that someone in management would have had the decency to tell me directly. At no time was I ever given any indication that I would not be able to continue to do the work I have loved at the network. It is clear that there are some larger issues at play. With that said, I want to thank my colleagues and the many teams I have worked with for an incredible run. They are the most talented journalists in the business, and I wish them all the best."

As mentioned by Deadline, CNN CEO Chris Licht also put out a statement regarding the news of the longtime host's departure from the network, saying, "Don will forever be a part of the CNN family, and we thank him for his contributions over the past 17 years. We wish him well and will be cheering him on in his future endeavors."

Lemon had earned an estimated salary of around $4 million for his contributions to CNN each year. He had begun hosting "CNN This Morning" in November 2022 when the program first began. Despite the shocking news about the show's host's departure, Licht maintained, "We are committed to its success."

Lemon's career has been an inspiration to many aspiring journalists. He has shown that it is possible to achieve success, even in the face of adversity. He has worked hard to become one of the most recognizable faces in news media and has earned a considerable amount of money along the way. His contributions to CNN have been invaluable.

It's unclear what Lemon's next move will be, but it's sure to be exciting. He had been a part of the CNN family for a long time and he will certainly do great and achieve success in his future endeavors with his wealth of experience.