It's been almost one year now since fans bade farewell to Conan O'Brien, as the man christened the 'pioneer of comedians' walked away from the late night scene for the final time. The 58-year-old had been at the helm of his very own, eponymous talk show - Conan - for 11 years between 2010 and 2021.
Before that, he had spent even more time as host of Late Night with Conan O'Brien (1993 - 2009). He also had a short spell hosting The Tonight Show in 2009 and 2010, before a fallout with Jay Leno and NBC saw his predecessor return to replace him.
Conan had also built his TV career up with stints as a writer on Saturday Night Live, and later on Fox's animated sitcom, The Simpsons.
By the time he was calling time on his spell on Conan, the comedian ranked very well in terms of salary among his late night peers. As it stands, he is set to increase his net worth nearly two times over, following a deal that sees him sell his digital media business to audio entertainment company, SiriusXM Holdings, Inc.
What Is Conan O'Brien's Current Net Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Conan O'Brien is said to own an entire estate currently valued at nearly $200 million. A significant part of this would have been accumulated on his time hosting Conan on TBS, where he was estimated to be earning between $12 million and $15 million per season, before tax.
This compared very favorably to other late night show hosts, including Seth Meyers' $12 million, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert's $15 million, as well as Jimmy Fallon and Trevor Noah, who both reportedly make $16 million per year on their respective shows.
Conan's saga with The Tonight Show also earned him a handsome sum on his way out in 2010. After hosting the leading late night franchise for almost 25 years on NBC, Jay Leno stepped down from the gig in 2009. About five years earlier, Conan had signed a deal to eventually replace him.
When the transition failed to work out quite as planned, the network decided to reinstate Leno in his old position. For his trouble, Conan was sent on his way with $45 million.
How Conan Built Up His Digital Media Business
26.7% of that $45 million windfall reportedly went to his staff, who are said to hold him in very high regard. As soon as he left The Tonight Show, Conan O'Brien started to build a digital media empire of his own, and registered a production company called Team Coco.
In 2018, under the Team Coco banner, the comedian started a podcast titled Conan Needs a Friend. This venture was executed in partnership with comedy podcasting network, Earwolf.
The podcast also features Conan's long-time personal assistant, Sona Movsesian and producer Matt Gourley. The first episode was released in November 2018, with actor Will Ferrell as the inaugural guest.
Since then, Conan and his two sidekicks have hosted an illustrious list of guests, including Barack and Michelle Obama, actors Tina Fey, Kristen Bell and Tom Hanks, as well as fellow comedians Billy Burr, Stephen Colbert and David Letterman, among others.
While Conan Needs a Friend has been Team Coco's leading project, the company is also responsible for a number of other podcasts, such as Parks and Recollection and Inside Conan.
Inside Conan O'Brien's Deal With SiriusXM Holdings
In late May, Conan O'Brien struck a deal with SiriusXM, who acquired his entire digital media business for an agreed sum of $150 million. This deal means that the artist is likely to see his net worth skyrocket in the coming months and years, as the payments come his way.
Following the acquisition, SiriusXM released a statement on their website, represented by Scott Greenstein, the company's chief content officer. "Conan has built an amazing brand and organization at Team Coco with a proven track record of finding and launching compelling and addictive podcasts," the statement read. "We look forward to continuing to grow the Team Coco brand."
On his part, Conan revealed that to him, the deal was another step towards achieving his ultimate career goal. "When I started in television my ultimate goal was to work my way up to radio," Conan said. "This new deal with SiriusXM builds on the great relationship that began several years ago with a team that is the standout in their field."
As part of the agreement, Conan will stay on as producer on the Team Coco productions.