What Is Melissa Francis' Net Worth and Salary?
Melissa Francis is an American actress and television journalist who has a net worth of $8 million. Melissa Francis worked at CNBC and CNET before joining Fox in 2012 where she became an anchor at Fox Business Network. She left Fox in late 2020. As we detail later in this article, her departure from Fox was controversial and eventually resulted in Melissa receiving a large financial settlement.
Early Life
Melissa Francis was born on December 12, 1972, in Los Angeles, California. She attended elementary and high school in Los Angeles and was a very strong student. Throughout her schooling, she simultaneously pursued a career as a child actor. After high school, Melissa enrolled at Harvard University. She graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics.
Acting Career
Francis began her acting career as a baby when she appeared in Johnson & Johnson shampoo commercials at 6 months old. In 1979, at the age of 7, she appeared in two television films – "Champions: A Love Story" and "Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love." From 1979 to 1980, she had a main role in the series "Joe's World." Melissa also appeared in episodes of "Mork & Mindy," "Galactica 1980," and "When the Whistle Blows" in 1980. In 1981, she landed the role of Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on "Little House on the Prairie." She was on the show for two years. In 1984, she appeared in the television film "Something About Amelia." The following year, she appeared in episodes of "Hotel," "CBS Schoolbreak Special," and "St. Elsewhere."
In 1986, she booked a main role in the show "Morningstar/Eveningstar." In 1988, she appeared in an episode of "A Year in the Life," followed by an episode of "ALF" in 1989. In 1990, she appeared in "Hardball." Melissa then stopped acting when she enrolled at Harvard. Throughout her entire acting career, she also appeared in nearly 100 commercials.
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News Career
After completing her education, Francis pursued a career as a television news correspondent. Some of her early positions include serving as a producer for WCSH-TV in Portland, Maine, a weekend morning anchor and general assignment report for WFSB-TV in Hartford, Connecticut, and a general assignment reporter in Providence, Rhode Island and Manchester, New Hampshire.
Melissa then began working as a correspondent for CNET. There, she covered stories related to consumer products, finance, and technology. During this time, she was also often featured on CNBC, where she provided reports on those topics.
Francis was later hired as an energy and financial reporter for CNBC in 2003. There, she covered issues related to oil pricing, the corporations and companies operating within the energy sector, and various economic issues affecting energy pricing and consumption.
Melissa joined the Fox Business Network in 2012. Francis was a panelist on the series "America Live" from 2012 to 2013. During this time, she frequently appeared on the television series "Cavuto on Business" and "Your World with Neil Cavuto." From 2012 to 2015, she hosted the TV series "Money with Melissa Francis."
In 2014, Francis became a co-host of the series "Outnumbered." The following year, she began co-hosting the television series "After the Bell."
Melissa left Fox amid a salary dispute in 2020.
Salary Dispute and Settlement
Melissa worked for Fox News between 2012 and 2020. In 2017, the year she was promoted to co-host "Outnumbered," Francis was considered one of the top female stars on Fox Business. Around the time of her promotion, Melissa requested a salary increase. At the time, she was reportedly earning a little under $1 million per year, reportedly much less than her male co-anchors. When she learned of the salary disparity, Melissa requested and received a modest raise but was still being paid much less than her male co-anchors.
Not satisfied, Melissa apparently began keeping a spreadsheet that listed every salary she discovered. The results reportedly showed that male anchors at Fox consistently and significantly out-earned their female counterparts.
Melissa entered arbitration with Fox to hopefully settle the dispute but was ultimately pushed out of Fox in October 2020.
In June 2022, Melissa was reportedly awarded a $15 million settlement from Fox.
Books
In November 2012, Melissa published the book "Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter: A Memoir." The book details the challenges she faced in her experience with her own overbearing mother. Five years later, she released "Lessons from the Prairie." The title was inspired by her childhood acting experience on "Little House on the Prairie" and discusses various aspects of her childhood and how they have affected her life as an adult.
Personal Life
Francis has been married to Wray Thorn since 1997. The couple met in Boston, as Thorn also attended Harvard University. They have had three children together – Greyson, Thompson, and Gemma. Due to a rare genetic condition that Francis has, her first two pregnancies were very risky for her health. The couple had their third child – Gemma – via surrogacy. The family lives in New York City.
