Yahoo Finance A Look at Rush Limbaugh’s Fortune After His Passing
Rush Limbaugh, conservative talk show host and author, died Feb. 17, 2021, at the age of 70 after a year-long battle with lung cancer. At the time of his death, Limbaugh’s net worth was $600 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. With an $85 million annual salary at the time of his death, Rush Limbaugh reached number 11 on Forbes’ list of celebrity earnings in 2020 and also ranked amongst the highest earning radio show hosts, according to Forbes. Celebrity Net Worth says Limbaugh was the second-highest-paid radio host in 2019, behind Howard Stern.
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How did Limbaugh build his fortune and how did he spend it?
Limbaugh’s Radio Earnings
Rush Limbaugh made a name for himself as one of the best-loved and most-hated radio celebrities, hosting the widely syndicated Rush Limbaugh Show on AM and FM radio stations from 1988 until his death. His earnings peaked at $85 million a year between salary, bonuses, profit participation and personal appearance fees, says Celebrity Net Worth.
His salary for the show grew incrementally since he debuted on New York’s WABC-AM in 1988.
In 2001 he signed a $285 million contract, essentially $31.25 million annually for eight years, Celebrity Net Worth reports. ClearChannel radio network extended the contract in 2008, for $400 million across the next eight years, or $50 million annually. His earnings skyrocketed to $85 million annually with a four-year extension of the contract in 2016.
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Limbaugh’s Real Estate Holdings
Limbaugh holds a portion of his wealth in real estate, with a $26 million home in West Palm Beach, Florida, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The site says he previously owned a penthouse condo in New York City.
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Limbaugh’s Charitable Contributions
In spite of his bombastic personality, which offended many people, Forbes ranked Limbaugh fourth on the Most Generous Celebrities list in 2008. Limbaugh’s contributions that year included $4.2 million to the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation. The donation represented 13% of his earnings for that year, Forbes reported.
Additionally, Limbaugh’s annual Cure-A-Thon broadcast has raised more than $47 million over the years to support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of America, according to the website FoundationGuide.org. Limbaugh and his wife, Kathryn, personally contributed more than $600,000 to the organization aimed at helping those with leukemia, lymphoma and Hodgkin’s disease while working to find a cure for these deadly illnesses.
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Last updated: Feb. 17, 2021
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: A Look at Rush Limbaugh’s Fortune After His Passing
