The original “Shock Jock” of radio, Howard Stern was born on January 12, 1954, in Queens, NY. The self-proclaimed “Kine of all Media,” Stern is a radio personality, actor producer, photographer and author. After graduating from college, Stern worked at WRNW during Christmas break in 1975 for about $96 dollars a week. And that is where it all began.
After working in radio and building up his brand, Howard Stern eventually had enough fans to nationally syndicate his radio show. He was heard coast to coast from 1986 to 2005, specializing in explicit topics and questionable humor about politics and current events. Even though his audience loved it, Stern became the most fined radio personality in history by the FCC, with fines totaling more than $2.5 million.
In 1988, he made a move into Pay-For-View events with Howard Stern’s Negligeé and Underpants Party. The show pushed the envelope, a Stern trait, and grossed over $1.2 million in revenues. In 1993, he exceeded his success by hosting The Miss Howard Stern New Year’s Eve Pageant. Even though the New York Post called it “The most disgusting two hours on television.,” the show grossed over $16 million in revenue.
During this time, he wrote two autobiographies, Private Parts in 1993 and Miss America in 1995. Both made the New York Times Best Sellers List. Private Parts was made into a movie in 1997, earning Stern two award nominations — the Golden Satellite Award for Best Male Actor Performance in a Comedy or Musical and a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst New Star.
In 1994, Howard Stern announced his candidacy for Governor of New York on the Libertarian ticket. He won the party’s nomination but withdrew his candidacy because he didn’t want to disclose his income. He then supported George Pataki, who defeated Mario Cuomo.
In 2006, Howard Stern signed a deal with Sirius XM and formed 2 channels, Howard Stern 100 and Howard Stern 101. The contract was reportedly worth $500 million, making Stern the highest paid radio host ever. In 2012, Stern replaced Piers Morgan on the seventh season America’s Got Talent. That same year he was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame.
In his off time, Stern can be found vacationing in Mexico and New Orleans. He is married, with 3 children. His net worth is estimated at $600 million.
