What is Hoda Kotb's Net Worth and Salary?
Hoda Kotb is an Egyptian-American TV news anchor and host who has a net worth of $30 million. Hoda Kotb began her journalism career in 1986 as a news assistant in Egypt before working as a reporter at various local news stations across the United States.
In 1998, Kotb joined NBC News as a correspondent for Dateline NBC. Her breakthrough came in 2007 when she began co-hosting the fourth hour of TODAY with Kathie Lee Gifford, forming a popular duo known for their chemistry and wine-sipping conversations. After Gifford's departure in 2019, Jenna Bush Hager became Kotb's co-host for the fourth hour.
A significant career advancement came in 2018 when Kotb was named co-anchor of TODAY's main program alongside Savannah Guthrie, making history as the first female duo to headline the morning show. She has covered major events, including Hurricane Katrina, the 2016 Olympics, and various political elections. In September 2024, Hoda announced she would step down from "Today' in early 2025. Beyond broadcasting, Kotb is a bestselling author of several books and has been open about her battle with breast cancer, which she successfully overcame in 2007. She has won multiple awards, including Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award for her journalism work.
Early Life
Hoda Kotb was born on August 9th, 1964, in Norman, Oklahoma. Raised by Egyptian-born Muslim parents, Hoda Kotb's family moved frequently as she was growing up. Along with her brother and sister, Kotb spent time in Morgantown, West Virginia, and Alexandria, Virginia. She also spent part of her childhood outside of the States, living in countries like Egypt and Nigeria. Hoda's mother works at the Library of Congress, while her father was a fossil energy specialist before passing away at age 51.
Hoda Kotb quickly became a charismatic young student, graduating as homecoming queen from high school in 1982. Hoda Kotb obviously knew what she wanted to do with her life because she then attended Virginia Tech, graduating in 1986 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism.
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CBS
Hoda Kotb began her career with CBS, starting with an affiliate station based in Greenville, Mississippi. During the late 80s, she worked for ABC in Illinois. She then returned to CBS to take on a more substantial role as a reporter and anchor, working out of Florida until the early 90s. She then spent most of the 90s working as an anchor for CBS, this time in New Orleans. During this period, Kotb lived in New Orleans and fell in love with the city and its unique culture.
NBC
1998 was a defining year in Hoda Kotb's career, as she joined NBC – the network that would eventually propel her to considerable fame and success. She started as a correspondent for Dateline NBC and a range of other NBC News programs.
In 2007, Kotb took another important step forward when she hosted Today for the first time – coinciding with the debut of an all-new 10 AM hour. From 2008 to 2018, she hosted the fourth-hour morning broadcast of Today alongside Kathy Lee Gifford. After 2018, she succeeded Matt Lauer as co-anchor after he was dismissed amidst sexual harassment accusations. She co-anchors the show with Samantha Guthrie – the first female duo to host Today since its inception in 1952. Over the course of her journalism career, Kotb has won a Peabody Award, two Emmys, and many others.
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Books
Hoda Kotb has published several books, including the 2010 bestselling autobiography Hoda: How I Survived War Zones, Bad Hair, Cancer, and Kathie Lee. In addition, Kotb has released three other books that mostly focus on inspirational stories and details from her personal life. Outside of non-fiction, Kotb has published two children's books.
Personal Life
Although Hoda Kotb married tennis coach Burziz Kanga in 2005, the marriage ended in divorce in 2008. In 2007, Kotb underwent a successful mastectomy to remove breast cancer. She has since gone through reconstructive surgery. After this experience, Kotba became passionate about raising cancer awareness.
In 2013, Kotb started a relationship with Joel Schiffman, a financier. Kotb has since adopted two babies, and she also became engaged to Schiffman in 2019.
Salary
When Hoda Kotb replaced Matt Lauer as co-host for Today in 2018, she signed a new contract with a new salary. This salary is said to be between $8 million and $10 million per year.
Real Estate
Hoda Kotb and her family live in an Upper Manhattan apartment, which makes it easy for her to commute to NBC's studio each workday. In 2018, Kotb purchased an additional home in the Point Lookout hamlet of New York. The $2 million waterfront home features a private swimming dock.
