What is Piers Morgan's net worth and salary?
Piers Morgan is an English broadcaster, journalist, writer, newspaper editor, and television personality who has a net worth of $20 million.
Piers Morgan, a controversial yet prominent figure in the media landscape, has carved a career spanning journalism, television, and public commentary. His journey began in 1988 at the tabloid The Sun, where his ambition and flair for breaking news propelled him to the position of show-business editor. His aggressive tactics and unapologetic approach earned him both admiration and criticism, establishing him as a force to be reckoned with.
In 1994, at the tender age of 29, Morgan reached the pinnacle of tabloid journalism when he was appointed editor of the News of the World, making him the youngest editor of a British national newspaper in over half a century. His reign was marked by a relentless pursuit of sensational stories, often employing unorthodox methods that blurred the lines between ethics and expediency.
Morgan's foray into television came in 2006 when he joined the judging panel of America's Got Talent, injecting his characteristic outspokenness and sharp wit into the entertainment world. His popularity extended beyond the judging chair, leading to his own interview show, Piers Morgan Live, on CNN in 2011. The show gained notoriety for its confrontational interviews with celebrities and politicians, further cementing Morgan's status as a provocative and engaging media personality. From 2015 to 2021, he co-hosted Good Morning Britain.
Salary Highlights
As host of "Piers Morgan Tonight," Morgan was paid an annual salary of $2 million. In 2008, Morgan signed a two-year deal with ITV, reportedly worth $2.6 million per year.
Early Life
Piers Morgan was born Piers Stefan O'Meara on March 30, 1965, in Surrey, England. His family moved to Newick. Sussex, England, a few months after his birth. He was raised Catholic. His father, Vincent Eamonn O'Meara, was a dentist who died when Morgan was just 11 months old. His mother remarried a man named Glynne Pughe-Morgan. Piers took his stepfather's surname. He attended the Chailey School and studied journalism at Harlow College.
Career
In 1985, Morgan joined the South London News as a reporter. In 1988, he started freelancing at The Sun. By 1994, he had moved to the Sun full-time to write the newspaper's tabloid-style "Bizarre" column. Morgan was not necessarily a fan of movies or pop music but nevertheless became the "Friend of the Stars" thanks to his exceptional skills at self-publicity. He was frequently pictured with Madonna, David Bowie, Sylvester Stallone, Paul McCartney, and other famous people. In January 1994, he became editor of the News of the World. He was personally appointed to that post by Rupert Murdoch. He was 29 and the youngest editor of a national newspaper in 5o years. He became known for his lack of sympathy for the privacy of celebrities and his prying, forthright style. He left the News of the World in 1995 after publishing photos of Catherine Victoria Lockwood, who was then the wife of Charles Earl Spencer, leaving a rehab clinic in Surrey. This was against the editors' code of conduct.
In 1996, Morgan took over as the editor of the Daily Mirror. He was fired from The Daily Mirror in 2004 after refusing to apologize for publishing photos that had falsely shown British soldiers attacking a group of Iraqi civilians.
Mike McGregor / Getty Images
In May 2005, Morgan took over as owner of the Press Gazette. The newspaper was a media industry publication that put on the British Press Awards. Many major newspapers boycotted the 2006 British Press Awards because of Morgan's ownership. The Press Gazette went into bankruptcy and was eventually sold. In May 2006, Morgan launched a weekly paper for kids seven to 14 called "First News."
In 2006 and 2007, he was a judge on "America's Got Talent" alongside Brandy Norwood and David Hasselhoff. He was also a judge on "Britain's Got Talent" alongside Simon Cowell and Amanda Holden. Morgan won the celebrity version of "The Apprentice" in 2008. In the final, Donald Trump called Morgan "ruthless, arrogant, evil, and obnoxious."
He began hosting "Piers Morgan's Life Stories" on ITV in 2009. On September 8, 2010, CNN announced that Morgan would replace Larry King in the network's evening line-up with his show, "Piers Morgan Live." The show premiered on January 17, 2011. The show was canceled in early 2014. Morgan became a host of "Good Morning Britain" on ITV in November 2015.
In September 2014, he became the editor-at-large of the U.S. operation of the Mail Online's website. He writes several columns a week as well as a weekly column for the Mail on Sunday Event magazine.
Morgan was named in the infamous British phone-hacking scandal, which involved the "Daily Mirror" while it was under his editorial control.
(Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for BAFTA LA)
Personal Life
In 1991, Morgan married Marion Shalloe. The couple had three sons, Albert, Spencer, and Stanley. They divorced in 2008. In June 2010, he married for the second time to journalist Celia Walden. She is the daughter of the former Conservative MP George Walden. In November 2011, the couple welcomed a daughter, Elise.
Morgan is a fan of the Premier League football club Arsenal F.C.
Politically, Morgan identified as a supporter of the Conservative Party.
Morgan strongly objected to the Women's March on Washington in January 2017, the day after Donald Trump's inauguration. He described protesters as "rabid feminists" and the multiple protests as being "vacuous." Ewan McGregor disagreed with Morgan's statements on the women's march and pulled out of appearing on "Good Morning Britain" the following Tuesday after discovering Morgan would be interviewing him. Morgan accused McGregor of being a "pedophile-loving hypocrite" for his past support of Roman Polanski.
In December 2018, Morgan wrote a letter to Trump formally applying to become White House Chief of Staff.
Real Estate
Morgan owns a number of homes including two in Britain, a townhouse in west London and a country retreat in the East Sussex village of Newick, which is where he grew up. His London home is a Georgian townhouse that he purchased for $719,000.
Morgan also owns a home in Beverly Hills that he paid $5.4 million for in 2011. Les Moonves, the former CEO of CBS is one of that home's former owners.
