Stephen Anthony Smith is definitely one of the biggest names in talk sports. Born in The Bronx, New York on the 14th of October 1967, Smith is mostly known as a sports television personality. But it’s probably more accurate to regard him as a sports journalist who has also done well for himself as an actor.
Famed as a commentator on ESPN’s sports talk show titled First Take, the man has served as an NBA analyst, a sports radio host, and a columnist for various platforms. In view of the status he has attained in his career, it is normal that a lot of people have one or two questions about Stephen A. Smith’s net worth. Let’s explore how the man makes and spends his $16 million fortune.
Is Stephen A. Smith Net Worth Truly $16 Million?
It has been estimated by various sources that the sports journalist has a massive net worth of $16 million. Some believe he isn’t worth that much and has estimated the total value of his wealth at $10 million.
While we are yet to obtain facts and figures that would help us validate or dismiss any of these claims about the net worth of Stephen A. Smith, the source of his wealth isn’t much of a secret.
How He Accumulated His Fortune
Whatever the net worth of Stephen A. Smith really is, a major bulk of it came from his career which largely revolves around sports journalism. The following is a breakdown of the ways via which this Stephen accumulated his fortune.
Salaries from Being a Sports TV Personality
It was in 1999 and with the now-defunct CNN/Sports Illustrated sports news network that Smith kicked of his TV career. He has only progressed since then and has recorded astounding successes on so many levels while spreading his wings to various platforms. From being an NBA analyst to serving ESPN in several capacities, there is no doubt that the salaries he has earned over the years as a sports TV personality is the biggest source of income for Stephen.
Sometime in 2019, Stephen A. Smith became a UFC commentator. Even though it hasn’t been disclosed what this adds to his earnings, we can tell that he earned around $3.1 to $3.5 million each year for the services he rendered to ESPN. It was towards the end of 2014 that he made a multi-year pact with the sports media conglomerate which accorded him that much as his salary per year.
Sometime in November 2019, it was confirmed that Stephen inked a new contract with ESPN. The five-year deal reportedly saw him become the highest-paid sportscaster of ESPN. It was said that he’s poised to earn a massive $8 million each year.
Paychecks from Radio and Print Media Career
As we specified earlier, Stephen A. Smith is also a sports radio host and a columnist. To the best of our knowledge, his print media career started with a daily newspaper called Winston-Salem Journal. He would later work for other publications like the Greensboro News and Record, New York Daily News, and most notably, The Philadelphia Inquirer. In the same vein, he has worked for a good number of media houses, hosting several radio talk shows and what have you.
What he has earned from his print media career is best known to him just as it is hard to estimate his income from his radio endeavors. Nonetheless, it has circulated in some quarters that he earned as much as $1 when he worked with Sirius XM Radio. Essentially, Stephen A. Smith’s net worth has been bolstered by his radio and print media career.
Earnings from Acting
It would be out of place to describe smith as an accomplished actor but there is no doubt that what he has earned in this regard has contributed to his net worth. Since 2014, he has appeared in the beef jerky commercials of Oberto. He made his professional acting debut in 2007, playing Allan in I Think I Love My Wife. That same year, he made a cameo appearance as a reporter in the popular daytime medical drama, General Hospital. Since 2016, he has been appearing in the ABC soap as Brick.
See Also: Kerith Burke Biography, Net Worth, Career, Family, Height Of The Sports Reporter
What Stephen A. Smith Does with His Money?
To the best of our knowledge, Stephen A. Smith isn’t the kind of man who would spend his money lavishly. Irrespective of the fact that we can’t give details of his investment portfolio, there are reasons to believe his wealth has been channeled in that direction.
He’s a fan of fine cars but has never gone all out to purchase such that is ridiculously expensive. It has been reported that the most costly of his ride is a 2015 Range Rover SVAutobiography. He also owns an S-Class Mercedes-Benz.
Although many may find it hard to believe this, some portion of Stephen A. Smith’s net worth goes to charity. Yeah, Smith is public-spirited; for instance, we uncovered that he has been donating $250,000 to Winston-Salem State University since 2016, and intends to do so for 5 years.
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