Jimmy Kimmel’s net worth is estimated at about $50 million in 2026, and his ABC salary is put at roughly $16 million a year. Both numbers come from Celebrity Net Worth, which credits the salary figure to a Forbes estimate of his 2025 television earnings. Neither Kimmel nor ABC has ever published his pay, so these are informed estimates, not audited figures.
The number matters more than usual right now. His contract with ABC ends in May 2027, and nobody has confirmed what happens after that. So this article covers three things: what he is worth, where the money came from, and what the next contract decision could mean for it.
Jimmy Kimmel at a glance
| Detail | Figure |
|---|---|
| Estimated net worth (2026) | About $50 million |
| Estimated annual salary | About $16 million |
| Full name | James Christian Kimmel |
| Born | November 13, 1967, Brooklyn, New York |
| Age | 59 |
| Main job | Host of Jimmy Kimmel Live! on ABC since 2003 |
| Current contract | Runs through May 2027 |
| Production company | Kimmelot |
Net worth and salary are estimates from Celebrity Net Worth. Contract dates are from Deseret News.
Jimmy Kimmel’s salary and ABC contract
Kimmel’s late-night paycheck is the engine behind his fortune. The current estimate is about $16 million a year. You will still see $15 million on many sites, which is the older figure that was repeated for years.
His job security is a separate story. In September 2025, Disney and ABC pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live! off the air after his remarks about the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. ABC brought him back days later, according to Deseret News.
That December he told his audience he had signed on for one more year, through May 2027. The length stood out. Deseret, citing The New York Times, noted that his extensions had usually run about three years.
Then came the rumor. In September 2026, Page Six reported that the deal would not be renewed. ABC told Global News the report was inaccurate and that talk about the show’s future was speculation. The 24th season began on September 8, 2026.
Kimmel has kept people guessing himself. In 2024 he said he thought this would be his final contract, then admitted that his earlier exit talk had never come true, as TheWrap recalled.
For his net worth, the takeaway is simple. If the show ends in 2027, his largest income stream ends with it. If he signs again, the $50 million estimate will likely move up.
How Jimmy Kimmel makes his money
Late-night television. More than two decades of ABC salary is the base of everything else. No other income source comes close.
Game show hosting and producing. Kimmel hosts Who Wants to Be a Millionaire and is an executive producer on it through Kimmelot, his production company. In September 2025 the show won him a Creative Arts Emmy for Outstanding Host for a Game Show, Hollywood Life reported. Producing matters because a producer earns from a show beyond a host’s fee.
Awards shows, which pay less than you would think. Kimmel has hosted the Oscars four times. He told Wanda Sykes on his own show that he was paid $15,000 for the 2017 and 2018 ceremonies, according to Yahoo News. The Oscars are a prestige job, not a payday.
A fishing lodge. In 2020 he bought South Fork Lodge in Swan Valley, Idaho, with angler Oliver White, per Celebrity Net Worth. The purchase price was not disclosed.
From fired radio host to late-night fixture
Kimmel did not start rich. He began on college radio at Arizona State University, then took his first full-time job as a morning co-host at KZOK-FM in Seattle. He and his on-air partner were fired in 1990.
More radio jobs followed in Palm Springs, Tucson and Phoenix. The break came at KROQ in Los Angeles, where he spent five years as “Jimmy the Sports Guy” on the Kevin and Bean morning show. That career path is laid out by Celebrity Net Worth.
Television came next, with Win Ben Stein’s Money and The Man Show on Comedy Central. ABC gave him Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2003, and he has held the chair ever since. By May 2027 that will be 24 years on the air.
Real estate: where a lot of the money sits
Kimmel has bought California property steadily since the early 2000s, mostly in the Hollywood Hills and Hermosa Beach.
| Year | Property | Reported price |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Hollywood Hills home (sold in 2014 for about $2.18 million) | $925,000 |
| 2004 | Hermosa Beach home, one block from the beach | $2.175 million |
| 2014 | Second Hermosa Beach property, later transferred to a family member | About $2.25 million |
| 2017 | Adjoining ocean-view parcels in Hermosa Beach | About $8 million |
| 2020 | South Fork Lodge, Swan Valley, Idaho (about 25 acres, bought with a partner) | Not disclosed |
Purchase details are from Celebrity Net Worth. The same page says his main Hollywood Hills residence has been valued at about $6 million by Architectural Digest. These are purchase prices, not today’s values.
Why you see so many different numbers
Search for Kimmel’s net worth and you will find claims of $50 million, $140 million, $200 million and even $500 million. Most of the bigger numbers appear on pages that name no source at all.
No one outside his accountants knows the real figure. A celebrity net worth is an outsider’s estimate built from reported salaries, property records and guesses about taxes, spending and investments.
This article uses $50 million because it is the figure that established outlets repeat and attribute. It is a reasonable estimate, and it could be off in either direction.
Frequently asked questions
What is Jimmy Kimmel’s net worth in 2026?
About $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. It is an estimate, not a confirmed figure.
How much does Jimmy Kimmel make a year?
His ABC salary is estimated at about $16 million a year. Older reports put it at $15 million.
How much was Jimmy Kimmel paid to host the Oscars?
He has said he was paid $15,000 for hosting in 2017 and 2018.
Is Jimmy Kimmel Live! ending in 2027?
Not officially. His contract runs through May 2027. A September 2026 report said it would not be renewed, and ABC called that report inaccurate.
How old is Jimmy Kimmel?
He was born on November 13, 1967, which makes him 59.
Does Jimmy Kimmel own a production company?
Yes. His company, Kimmelot, is behind Who Wants to Be a Millionaire, which he also hosts.
Sources
- Celebrity Net Worth: Jimmy Kimmel: net worth, salary, early career, real estate
- Hollywood Life: Jimmy Kimmel Net Worth (September 9, 2026): 2026 figures, Emmy win
- Deseret News: Kimmel renews deal through 2027 (December 9, 2025): contract extension, suspension
- Global News: ABC shuts down report of show ending (September 9, 2026): Page Six report, ABC response, season 24
- TheWrap: ABC brushes off report (September 2026): Kimmel’s 2024 comments on his contract
- Yahoo News: How much Oscars hosts get paid: Oscars fee
