Jeremy Clarkson’s Net Worth: How He Built His $70 Million Fortune.
What is Jeremy Clarkson’s net worth and salary?
Jeremy Clarkson is a British television presenter, journalist and author with a net worth of $70 million. He is best known for being the face of the hugely popular motor show “Top Gear”, which consistently ranks among the most watched shows in the world.
Early life
Jeremy Clarkson was born on April 11, 1960, in Doncaster, England, to his parents, Shirley and Edward. They had enrolled him in a private school long before he was born, without really knowing how they were going to cover the costs. Just before he started school, his parents made a few Paddington Bear toys for their children, which proved to be a success.
They began selling them, but quickly received a cease and desist order from Paddington Bear creator Michael Bond’s legal team. Edward Clarkson traveled to London to speak to Bond’s lawyer and ended up bumping into Bond in the elevator. They hit it off, and Bond granted the Clarksons worldwide licensing rights to Paddington Bear, which helped fund Jeremy’s education.
Clarkson mentioned that he experienced a lot of bullying and was quite unhappy during his time at Repton School. Interestingly, he was in attendance alongside former “Top Gear” executive producer Andy Wilman and Formula 1 engineer Adrian Newey. Eventually he was expelled from Repton for several reasons.
Career
He’s best known as the host of the hit car show “Top Gear,” but his career actually began selling Paddington Bears to his parents. After this he delved into journalism, writing for several newspapers including the Rotherham Advertiser, the Rochdale Observer, the Wolverhampton Express and Star and the Shropshire Star.
It was at the Shropshire Star that he took his first steps into motoring writing, starting with Peugeots and Fiats before moving on to Range Rovers and Ford Granadas. After seven years, he finally got behind the wheel of an Aston Martin Lagonda, and ten years later he drove his first Lamborghini.
In 1984, Clarkson launched the Motoring Press Agency (MPA) with fellow journalist Jonathan Gill, where they tested cars for various newspapers and magazines. He has also been a regular contributor to Top Gear magazine since its debut in 1993.
Clarkson isn’t just the face of “Top Gear”; he also writes columns for The Sun, The Sunday Times and the Toronto Star. He is the author of several books on cars and many other subjects.
His big break on television came when he hosted “Top Gear” in its original run from October 1988 to February 2000, and then again from October 2002 to March 2015. This is a large part of the reason why “Top Gear” has become the most watched show on BBC Two.
In addition to this, Clarkson was the host of the first British version of “Robot Wars”. He also had his own talk show called “Clarkson” from November 1998 to December 2000, where he produced 27 episodes featuring interviews with musicians, politicians and other celebrities.
In 2007, Clarkson and co-host James May made history by being the first to travel to the North Pole, which was featured on the show “Top Gear: Polar Special.”
Clarkson was suspended from “Top Gear” by the BBC in March 2015 after getting into a physical altercation with one of the producers. He was really upset to be served soup and a platter of cold meats while filming in Hawes, North Yorkshire, especially as the chef had already left for the day. It was all he had left to eat. Following the incident in which Clarkson punched producer Oisin Tymon hard enough to require hospital treatment, the BBC decided not to broadcast the next episode or the final two of the season.
Clarkson’s contract with the BBC ended in March and they walked away from a proposed three-year renewal. On 19 April 2015, Clarkson wrote in his Sunday Times column that just two days before the incident his doctor had raised the possibility of tongue cancer. Fortunately, it turned out he didn’t have cancer after all. In November 2015, Tymon filed a lawsuit against Clarkson and the BBC for racial discrimination due to the verbal abuse he faced during the March incident. The following February, Clarkson apologized to Tymon and settled the claims for $130,000.
On July 30, 2015, Amazon revealed that Clarkson, along with his former “Top Gear” pals Richard Hammond and James May, would launch a new show called “The Grand Tour.” The first season was released on screens on November 18, 2016 and the series concluded its fourth season at the end of 2019.
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Personal life
In 1989, Clarkson married Alex Hall, but six months later she left him for one of his boyfriends. In May 1993, he married his manager, Frances Cain, and they had three children together. However, Cain filed for divorce in April 2014.
In September 2010, Clarkson obtained a confidentiality injunction against his first wife to prevent her from claiming that their romantic relationship continued even after her marriage to Cain.
Clarkson is a big fan of the progressive rock band Genesis. He was present at their reunion concert in 2007 at Twickenham Stadium in London. He even wrote liner notes for the reissue of “Selling England by the Pound” as part of the “Genesis 1970-1975” box set.
He has owned many luxury cars, including a Range Rover TDV8 Vogue SE, a Mercedes-Benz 600 Grosser, a Mercedes-Benz SLK55 AMG, a Lotus Elise 111S, a BMW M3 CSL, a Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black, a Mercedes- Benz SLS AMG Roadster and a Ferrari. F355, Aston Martin Virage, Lamborghini Gallardo, Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV6, McLaren 675LT and more.
Clarkson has a history of being rather dismissive of the green movement. He even mocked organizations like Greenpeace, calling them “eco-mentalists” and suggesting they are just a mix of “old unionists and CND lesbians.” He also talked about wind farms as something that will eventually be a reminder of when humanity lost its mind, thinking that wind, waves, and a ton of tofu could actually produce enough electricity for everyone on Earth. Earth.
Salary Highlights
Clarkson’s salary on Top Gear may seem low at $4 million per year, especially considering the popularity of the series. But don’t worry too much about Jeremy. He actually owned 30% of the rights to Top Gear, so he makes money from all sorts of things like licensing deals, DVD sales, syndication and merchandise.
On top of his salary, he typically earns an additional $7.5 million to $13 million per year in dividends and bonuses. In 2013, the BBC, which already held 50% of the capital, decided to buy the remaining shares to take full control of Top Gear. This deal earned Clarkson approximately $21 million.
Real estate
In 2012, Clarkson purchased a five-bedroom cottage on 312 acres in the Cotswolds for $5.5 million. Fast forward to 2018, and he blew it during an episode of “The Grand Tour.” Once the debris was cleared, he decided to build a six-bedroom, three-story mansion.
In 2019, Jeremy Clarkson gained attention when he bought a huge 1,000-acre farm in the Cotswolds, signaling a big change in his life. Famous for being a car enthusiast and television host, his jump into farming took many people by surprise. The farm, which was previously rather rundown, became the center of his Amazon Prime show, Clarkson’s Farm, where he hilariously shares his ups and downs trying to make it work.
Having no experience in farming, Clarkson faced all sorts of challenges, from dealing with farm rules to managing animals. His journey, full of victories and defeats, has been celebrated for its humor, authenticity and real look at the struggles modern farmers face.
In conclusion, Jeremy Clarkson’s impressive career and projects have cemented his place as a beloved and influential figure in entertainment. From revolutionizing Top Gear to tackling the challenges of farming at Clarkson’s Farm, his versatility, humor and authenticity have earned him widespread admiration.
With a net worth of $70 million, Clarkson continues to captivate audiences with his bold and often unconventional approach to life, ensuring his legacy as an enduring and multifaceted artist. Whether on screen, in print or on the farm, Clarkson’s charisma and candor remain the key to his success.
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