Legendary Johnny Carson Had $300 Million Fortune, But Where Did All His Money Go?
LIFESTYLE
Legendary Johnny Carson Had $300 Million Fortune, But Where Did All His Money Go?
Johnny Carson is one of those people whose legacy will never be washed off from the earth. He was a famous comedian and high-profile TV personality at The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson, who hosted the talk show for 30 years between 1962-1992.
Apart from his superb career, he wasn’t a go-getter in personal life as he was married four times and divorced thrice. Only with the first wife, Jody Wolcott, the two shared 3 sons: Richard, Charles, and Cory.
Where did his net worth go?
By 1975, The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson was the most profitable one on TV earning NBC $50-60 million annually. The same year, the TV host was the highest paid entertainer in the entire world with an annual salary of $4 million ($17 million to-date).
By 1991, Johnny’s salary rose to $25 million a year ($40 million today).
Herrrrres Johnny!!!!Working for NBC at Wimbledon in 1988. Johnny Carson and his wife & Gnarley Charley. pic.twitter.com/yLybVJLPoD
— Gnarley Charley (@GnarleyCharley) June 27, 2014
Usually, parents leave everything, or the biggest part of net worth, to their beloved ones. But it’s not a case of Johnny Carson. Throughout his life, he donated enormous amounts of money to charity organizations. Before passing away in 2005, Carson gave $1-$2 million to the Johnny Carson Foundation, and the organization made it as a trust fund.
After a bit more than 5 years, the fund reached roughly $200 million. Simply put, all his money were distributed to different donations.
Johnny’s hometown in Norfolk, Nebraska named a hospital, museum, community college, library, and high school in his honor after receiving large gifts.
His death
The highest paid entertainer in the entire world was diagnosed with emphysema in 2002. It is a common lung disease, and the main cause is smoking. Johnny Carson battled it for 3 years before passing away in 2005.
