What Is Chris Russo's Net Worth and Salary?
Chris Russo is an American sports radio personality who has a net worth of $22 million. Chris Russo is probably best known as the "Mad Dog" from his time as the co-host of the sports radio show "Mike and the Mad Dog." He hosted the show with Mike Francesa. The show aired on WFAN in New York City from 1989 to 2008. At its peak, the show was simulcast on the Yes Network TV station and several other radio stations around the country. In August 2008, Chris moved to Sirius XM Radio, where he oversees an entire channel called Mad Dog Sports Radio. He hosts an afternoon show on his channel, "Mad Dog Unleashed."
Salary
Upon joining Sirius in 2008, Russo signed a 5-year, $15 million deal, which worked out to a salary of $3 million per year. He signed a similar deal again in 2013. Today, it's believed that his Sirius salary is $5 million per year.
Early Life
Christopher Michael Russo was born on October 18, 1959, in Syosset, New York. He is the only child of Anthony Michael "Tony" Russo (from Flushing, Queens) and Vera "Molly" Russo (from England). Chris went to Darrow School in New Lebanon, New York, and Rollins College near Orlando, Florida, where he earned a degree in history. He also spent a semester at the Cranleigh School south of London, England, and another at the University of Sydney in Australia to study Australian history and literature.
Prior to joining WFAN, Chris worked for a station in Orlando for three years and for a different New York station for another three years. While he was in Florida, listeners reportedly had trouble understanding his thick accent and quick way of speaking. When he joined WFAN in 1988, he was an overnight and weekend host. Russo soon caught the ear of radio legend Don Imus, who brought Chris in to be his sports reporter. Imus eventually helped Russo get his own weekend show on WFAN that aired on Saturday mornings.
(Photo by Larry French/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
"Mike and the Mad Dog"
When weekday drive-time host Pete Franklin's contract was not renewed, WFAN paired Chris with Mike Francesa to launch "Mike and the Mad Dog" on September 5, 1989. The "Mike and the Mad Dog" show ran until 2009, when Chris decided he wanted to go in a different direction. It was rumored that Mike and Chris strongly disliked each other, but Russo denied the sentiment, saying it was all about wanting to do something different. On October 16, 2009, Russo joined Francesca for a reunion show at Yankee Stadium. On March 30, 2016, the pair reunited again for a "Mike and the Mad Dog" show at Radio City Music Hall.
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"Mad Dog Unleashed"
On August 19, 2008, Russo signed a five-year contract with Sirius XM to host a show called "Mad Dog Unleashed" on the new sports talk radio channel Mad Dog Radio.
"High Heat"
Russo's new Sirius XM deal included daily hosting of the MLB Network TV show "High Heat" starting on March 31, 2014. In September 2016, he signed a new three-year contract and then renewed it for four more years in April 2019. In February 2021, Chris announced that MLB Network had let go of the show's producer, Bruce Schein, who appeared on-air daily.
Personal Life
Outside of radio, Chris has also authored the books "The Mad Dog 100: The Greatest Sports Arguments of All Time" and "The Mad Dog Hall of Fame: The Ultimate Top-Ten Rankings of the Best in Sports."
Russo married Jeanne Lavelle on May 6, 1995. They have four children together, Timmy, Kiera, Colin, and Patrick. His son Colin made his radio debut in his old time slot on WFAN in December 2020 along with co-host Sonny Carton, the son of longtime host Craig Carton. Chris resides in New Canaan, Connecticut.
