Jay Leno is deservedly a wealthy man who has amassed an astounding $400 million from his longstanding career as a comedian and television host. But like most millionaires in show business, Leno had to work hard to earn his wealth, and inspiring journey to fame and fortune started from McDonald’s where he worked in the kitchen chopping french fries and making burgers.
So how did he reach the heights of success from such humble beginnings? A strong commitment to his work ethic did it for the former Tonight Show host. Coupled with wise spending decisions and a tough stand against debt, it is quite easy to fathom how the 67-year-old managed to be financially secure.
One income source? Try two.
According to the television personality, he figured that having concurrent sources of income would be the fastest way to hitting the millionaires’ list. Luckily for him, he always had a witty sense of humor, enabling him to venture into stand-up comedy. When Leno left McDonald’s, he landed a car dealership job but was still doing stand-up on the side. As a rule, he spent the lesser of his two paychecks and saved the rest.
At first, the dealership brought in more dough, meaning it all went into the comedian’s saving account. Soon enough, earnings from his comedy gigs beat those from the dealership five times over, and Leno switched them around. He now saved everything his funny bone brought him and lived off his day job. You would think that after landing a hosting job at a TV show would make him complacent, right? Not a chance.
Stay True to What You Believe In
Even after being taken on as a TV host in 1992, earning $30 million annually, Jay Leno held on to his firm belief of two sources of income. Consequently, he had lots of comedy gigs lined up to finance his daily expenses, while the NBC paycheck was all saved up.
As he put it, he pretended that he was never hosting the show, and as such didn’t want to come into contact with his salary. It was always wired to the bank. According to him, a sense of financial security would draw him into being lazy, a situation he wouldn’t want to find himself in.
Leno hosted the NBC show for almost two decades. Factoring in his annual earnings (which directly translated into his savings), his $400 million net worth makes total sense. Currently, he graces our screens via CNBC, where he hosts an eponymous car collection show. True to his identity, he still performs at a minimum of two comedy gigs a week. Knowing Leno, it wouldn’t be wild to assume that he saves up the CNBC check in its entirety.
Concerning debt, the TV personality has long held that there’s no such thing as good debt. He doesn’t do credit cards, and he didn’t acquire a home until he could pay the entire asking price in cash! Some financial self-control, huh?
Additionally, Leno believes in a perfect end product for one’s effort. One should always put in their best effort in whatever they do, and the end result will do wonders for them. The comedian says that he learned this while at McDonald’s, and has carried it with him ever since.
