What Is Dick Ebersol's Net Worth?
Dick Ebersol is an American network executive who has a net worth of $60 million. Dick Ebersol is best known for his longtime career as an executive at NBC. In 1975, it was Ebersol as Director of Weekend Late Night Programming at NBC who, along with Lorne Michaels, developed "Saturday Night Live," which went on to become a huge phenomenon that continues to this day. During the brief period in which Lorne Michaels left the show, Ebersol was also the sole producer, serving as the man behind the show during the Billy Crystal and Eddie Murphy eras in the 1980s.
During his time at NBC, Dick also successfully secured the rights to the Olympics for what became a multi-decade successful run, starting in 1996.
Early Life
Duncan "Dick" Ebersol was born on July 28, 1947, in Torrington, Connecticut. He is the son of Mary and Charles Roberts Ebersol, former chairman of the American Cancer Society. Dick began his career behind the camera in 1967 when he became the first-ever Olympic researcher for ABC after temporarily dropping out of Yale University.
Career
Ebersol joined NBC as Director of Weekend Late Night Programming in 1974. Asked to fill the Saturday night time slot, Dick helped Lorne Michaels bring the variety show idea to life, creating "Saturday Night Live." He was later named Vice President of Late Night Programming, and in 1983, he formed No Sleep Productions, the independent production company that created the Emmy Award-winning shows "Friday Night Videos" and "Later with Bob Costas." Ebersol joined forces with Vince McMahon to create "Saturday Night's Main Event" before leaving "SNL" in 1985.
Ebersol became President of NBC Sports in 1989. He was promoted to Chairman, NBC Sports & Olympics in June of 1998. Under his tenure, NBC Sports acquired the rights to many Olympic Games broadcasts. Dick achieved record-setting viewership numbers with the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games in 2010, and Super Bowl XLIII in 2009. In 2011, Ebersol resigned from NBC Sports.
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Accolades
Dick was awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee in 1992. In 1996, Ebersol was named the Most Powerful Person in Sports by "The Sporting News." In 2005, he was inducted into the U.S Olympic Hall of Fame and the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame. Dick won Sports Executive of the Year and was presented the Emmy Award for Lifetime Achievement from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in 2009. In 2010, he was presented with a Doctor of Humane Letters by Sacred Heart University President Anthony J, Cernnera. And in 2014, Ebersol was given the highest honor of the Radio Television Digital News Association, the Paul White Award.
Dick's dislike for Fred Silverman, who ran NBC from 1978 to 1981, was no secret. Ebersol felt Silverman often pushed shows on air before they were ready. He cited with pride the failed experiment of the XFL by recalling how GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt called it an example of the importance of risk-taking, even when it doesn't pay off. Dick later resigned from NBC Sports, citing a contract dispute with his new bosses at Comcast. He claimed that he wanted "to make a really cool deal" with the company but that they couldn't get on the same page.
Personal Life
Dick was married to former "Wheel of Fortune" hostess Susan Stafford from 1976 to 1981. He has been married to Susan Saint James since 1981, and together, they had three sons, Charlie, Willie, and Teddy, who died in a plane crash in 2004. Dick Ebersol met Susan Saint James when she guest hosted "SNL" in 1981.
Real Estate
In 2004, Dick and Susan paid $10.4 million for a mansion in Telluride, Colorado. They listed the 13,000 square-foot mansion in 2011 for $14 million. A year later, they accepted $11.3 million for the home.
Their primary residence is a mansion in Greenwich, Connecticut, but they also own property in California and Massachusetts.
