Stephen A. Smith – $12 Million

Stephen A. Smith is a well-known sports journalist and television personality who has a reported annual salary of $12 million.

Born on October 14, 1967, in New York City, Stephen A. Smith began his career as a sportswriter, working for several newspapers and magazines, including the Philadelphia Inquirer and the New York Daily News. He later transitioned to broadcasting, becoming a regular on ESPN’s “First Take” in 2012.

Over the years, Stephen A. Smith has become one of the most recognized and respected voices in sports media. He is known for his outspoken opinions and commentary, as well as his in-depth knowledge of various sports, including basketball, football, and boxing.

Don Lemon — $1 million

After cutting his teeth as a news anchor and investigative journalist for local station KTVI St Louis in the United States, Don Lemon worked his way to the top. From KTVI to NBC where he corresponded for NBC Today, Night News, and anchored for Weekend Today and MSNBC.

Don won three Chicago Emmy Awards while working for NBC owned Station WMAQ for stories on the Chicago Craigslist real estate industry and HIV in Africa, respectively. He moved to CNN in September 2006, where he now earns $1 million a year. Don is engaged to his long-time partner and successful real estate agent, Tim Malone.

Anderson Cooper – $12 million

While most TV anchors studied Journalism, CNN’s Anderson Cooper interned at the CIA while studying political science. He even took some time off from news reporting to live in Vietnam and study the Vietnamese language at the national university.

Still, with no formal training, Cooper has landed some top jobs in the media working as The primary anchor of Anderson Cooper 360⁰ for CNN and previously as a correspondent of the TV news magazine, 60 Minutes. To add to his $12 million annual salary, Cooper also inherited $1.5 million after his mother, fashion icon and socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, died in 2019.