Jon Stewart is a renowned American TV host, comedian, writer, producer, and political commentator known for his sharp wit and incisive humor. Stewart rose to fame as the host of “The Daily Show,” a satirical news program on Comedy Central that became a cultural touchstone during his tenure from 1999 to 2015. Through his comedic brilliance and insightful analysis, Stewart entertained audiences and played a significant role in shaping public discourse on political and social issues.
Content of this Article
- Facts About Jon Stewart
- Jon Stewart’s Appearance
- Jon Stewart’s Net Worth
- Jon Stewart’s Personal Life
- Jon Stewart’s Career
- Jon Stewart’s Controversy
- Jon Stewart’s Real Estate
Facts About Jon Stewart
| Nationality | American |
| Estimated Net Worth | $120 million |
| Religion | Irreligious/Born Ashkenazi Jewish |
| Zodiac Sign | Sagittarius |
| Birthplace | New York |
| Birthday | November 28, 1962 |
Jon Stewart’s Appearance (Height, Hair, Eyes & More)
| Height | 169 cm |
| Weight | 172 lbs |
| Hair Color | Black/Gray |
| Eye Color | Blue |
| Body Type | Average |
| Sexual Orientation | Straight |
Jon Stewart’s Net Worth
As of 2023, Jon Stewart’s net worth stood at $120 million. This impressive wealth results from his ongoing entertainment work and generous contributions to philanthropic causes. During his heyday on “The Daily Show,” Stewart reportedly earned an annual salary of $25 million.
Jon Stewart’s Personal Life
While working on the 1997 film “Wishful Thinking,” a production assistant set up a blind date between Jon Stewart and Tracey Lynn McShane. They dated for four years. In a creative and personalized gesture, Stewart proposed to her using a crossword puzzle he crafted with the assistance of Will Shortz, the crossword editor at The New York Times. They tied the knot in 2000.
On June 19, 2001, Stewart and his wife changed their surnames to “Stewart” through a joint name change application. They used in vitro fertilization to welcome two children into their family. In 2015, Stewart adopted a vegetarian diet for ethical reasons, while his wife had been a long-time vegan. Eventually, he also made the transition to a vegan lifestyle.
Jon Stewart’s Early Life
Jon Stewart was born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz on November 28, 1962, at Doctors Hospital in New York City’s Upper East Side. His parents are Marian (formerly Laskin), who worked as a teacher and later as an educational consultant, and Donald Leibowitz, who served as an energy coordinator for the New Jersey Department of the Treasury. Stewart does not follow any religion, but he has a Jewish heritage.
Stewart’s family heritage traces back to Ashkenazi Jewish immigrants from Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. Interestingly, one of his grandfathers was born in Manzhouli, now part of China. He is the second of four sons, with an older brother named Lawrence and two younger brothers, Dan and Matthew.
When Stewart was eleven years old, his parents divorced, and he became distant from his father. Due to their strained relationship, which he described as “still ‘complicated,” in 2015, he dropped his last name and started using his middle name.
Stewart and his brother Lawrence, who used to be the chief operating officer of NYSE Euronext, were raised in Lawrenceville, New Jersey, and both attended Lawrence High School. During his childhood, Stewart faced antisemitic bullying, an unfortunate experience he has shared. In high school, he described himself as passionate about Eugene Debs and had left-leaning political views.
In 1984, Stewart graduated from The College of William & Mary. He initially pursued a major in chemistry but later switched to psychology. At William & Mary, he joined the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Still, after about six months, he decided to disassociate himself from the fraternity and ultimately left it.
Jon Stewart’s Career
After finishing college, Jon Stewart had a wide range of jobs. He was a contingency planner for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, a contract administrator at the City University of New York, a puppeteer for children with disabilities, and a soccer coach at Gloucester High School in Virginia. He even had stints as a Woolworths caterer, busboy, and shelf stocker. He also tended bar at the Franklin Corner Tavern, a local blue-collar bar, and at the City Gardens in Trenton, New Jersey.
Known for his sense of humor since school, Stewart returned to New York City in 1986 to try his luck in the comedy club scene. However, it took him until the following year to gather the courage to step onto the stage. He finally made his stand-up comedy debut at The Bitter End, where one of his comedy heroes, Woody Allen, had also started his career.
Stewart established himself as a regular act at the Comedy Cellar, consistently performing as the night’s last act. He honed his comedy skills during this time, dedicating two years to performing at the late hour of 2 a.m. However, his career took off after his appearance on NBC’s “Late Night with David Letterman” on March 6, 1992.
Interestingly, there was speculation that he might take over the show when Letterman departed, but the opportunity ultimately went to the relatively unknown Conan O’Brien. Stewart adopted the stage name Jon Stewart by dropping his surname and altering the spelling of his middle name from Stuart to Stewart.
The Jon Stewart Show
In 1993, Jon Stewart created “The Jon Stewart Show,” initially on MTV, but later, the network dropped it, and it went into syndication for its final two years. This talk show was MTV’s first-ever and quickly gained popularity, becoming the network’s second-highest-rated show, just behind “Beavis and Butt-Head.”
Then, in 1994, Paramount canceled “The Arsenio Hall Show” and, in partnership with MTV, launched an hour-long syndicated late-night version of “The Jon Stewart Show.” As Hall’s show had lost viewers and been pushed to the 2 a.m. time slot in many areas, Stewart’s show inherited these early morning time slots across various cities. Unfortunately, the ratings disappointed, leading to the show’s cancellation in June 1995.
The Daily Show
In 1998, Jon Stewart took over as the host of “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central. This show combines humor with the day’s most significant news stories, primarily in politics, all the while playfully teasing politicians, influential figures, and the news media.
On February 10, 2015, while recording an episode of the show, Stewart revealed his decision to leave “The Daily Show.” The president of Comedy Central, Michele Ganeless, confirmed his retirement with an official statement. Subsequently, it was announced that South African comedian Trevor Noah would take over as the show’s new host. On April 20, 2015, Stewart shared that his final episode would air on August 6, 2015.
Books
In 1998, Jon Stewart published his first book, “Naked Pictures of Famous People.” It’s a collection of funny short stories and essays that became a New York Times Best Seller.
Then, in 2004, Stewart, along with “The Daily Show” writing team, released “America (The Book): A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction.” This book humorously mimicked a high-school history textbook, providing insights into the distinct American system of government. It dissected government institutions, explained historical processes, and poked fun at well-known American political ideas like “one man, one vote,” “government by the people,” and “every vote counts.” The book was a massive success, selling millions of copies and ending the year as one of the top fifteen bestsellers.
In 2010, Stewart, along with “The Daily Show” writing team, released a sequel to their first book, titled “Earth (The Book): A Visitor’s Guide to the Human Race.” This book is designed as a travel guide for an alien civilization that discovers Earth after humanity has ceased to exist, most likely due to its actions.
Acting
Jon Stewart’s initial appearance was minor in the commercially unsuccessful movie “Mixed Nuts.” In 1995, he inked a three-year contract with Miramax. During this time, Stewart took on romantic lead roles in films like “Playing by Heart” and “Wishful Thinking.” He also played supporting parts in the romantic comedy “Since You’ve Been Gone” and the horror film “The Faculty.”
There were additional film projects that Stewart intended to write and star in, but unfortunately, they never came to fruition. Stewart continued to have a good working relationship with Harvey and Bob Weinstein, the founders of Miramax. He also appeared in films they produced, such as “Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back,” “Doogal,” and the documentary “Wordplay.”
Producing
During the mid-1990s, Stewart established his own production company, Busboy Productions, as a nod to his earlier job as a busboy. He inked a deal with Miramax to develop projects through this company, but unfortunately, none of his concepts came to fruition then.
However, after gaining significant recognition and success as the host and producer of “The Daily Show,” Stewart resurrected Busboy Productions. He teamed up with “Daily Show” producers Ben Karlin and Rich Korson to give the company a fresh start.
Directing
In March 2010, Stewart revealed that he had acquired the rights to the story of journalist Maziar Bahari, who had endured 118 days of imprisonment in Iran. On June 6, 2011, during an episode of “The Daily Show,” Stewart welcomed Bahari as a guest again.
Then, in March 2013, Stewart announced he would take a 12-week hiatus from the show. His reason was to direct the film adaptation of Bahari’s 2011 book, “Then They Came For Me.” Stewart’s screenplay for the film was titled “Rosewater.” The movie premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2014, receiving “generally favorable” reviews. It was subsequently released to the general audience on November 14, 2014.
Jon Stewart’s Controversy
CNN
During a televised discussion with Tucker Carlson, a former CNN correspondent, on the program “Crossfire” on October 15, 2004, Jon Stewart voiced his concerns about the state of television journalism. He earnestly implored the show’s hosts to “stop hurting America” and candidly labeled Carlson and his co-host Paul Begala as “partisan hacks.”
Once posted online, this exchange garnered widespread attention and sparked significant media discourse. In January 2005, CNN decided to cancel “Crossfire.” When questioned about the cancellation, CNN’s new president, Jonathan Klein, specifically mentioned Stewart’s appearance on the show as a contributing factor.
CNBC
After a segment on “The Daily Show” aired on March 4, 2009, Jon Stewart again became a viral sensation on the internet. On that day, CNBC canceled Rick Santelli’s planned appearance on the show. In response, “The Daily Show” aired a brief segment highlighting CNBC’s history of offering questionable investment advice.
Fox News
During his time on “The Daily Show,” Jon Stewart often criticized Fox News for allegedly manipulating news to align with a conservative agenda. At one juncture, he humorously likened the network to the “meanest sorority in the world.”
In November 2009, Stewart exposed Fox News for using footage from an earlier Tea Party rally in a report about a more recent one, falsely inflating the attendance figures. Following this revelation, the network’s anchor, Sean Hannity, apologized for misusing footage on the following night’s broadcast.
In 2014, Stewart embarked on a sustained critique of Fox News, mainly focusing on their reporting about food stamps and U.S. government assistance. He expressed his belief that their coverage was biased. This criticism played out over several episodes, with Stewart singling out Hannity and his show’s handling of the Bundy standoff.
In response, Hannity fired back by highlighting Stewart’s association with Cat Stevens during his 2010 Rally, creating a back-and-forth exchange between the two.
Jon Stewart’s Real Estate
In March 2005, Jon Stewart purchased a 6,000-square-foot apartment in New York City’s TriBeCa neighborhood for $5.8 million. In 2014, he sold the same property for a substantial $17.5 million. In 2010, Stewart acquired a riverfront mansion in Red Bank, New Jersey, for $3.8 million. A year later, he purchased the adjacent property for $3.2 million.
In 2013, they purchased a 12-acre farm in Middletown, New Jersey, transforming the land into a sanctuary for abused animals. Then, in 2017, they acquired a 45-acre farm in Colts Neck, New Jersey, which they converted into a sanctuary for animals rescued from slaughterhouses.
Net Worth of Other Notable TV Hosts
Jimmy Kimmel’s Net Worth
Jimmy Kimmel, a renowned American television host, comedian, writer, and producer, is best recognized for his impeccable wit and charisma as the host of the late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” Premiering in 2003, the show has become an iconic fixture in late-night television. Throughout his extensive career, Kimmel has been involved in numerous projects, including radio work, hosting duties for various awards ceremonies, and even authoring a children’s book. Not without controversy, he faced backlash for a 2013 segment on his show that stirred significant debate and protest. Moreover, in real estate, Kimmel boasts ownership of multiple properties in the Los Angeles area, highlighting his success in the entertainment industry. As of 2023, Jimmy Kimmel’s net worth is approximately $50 million.
Mario Lopez’s Net Worth
Mario Lopez is an iconic figure in the entertainment industry, best known for his role as A.C. Slater in the 1990s hit teen sitcom, “Saved by the Bell.” Born in Chula Vista, California, on October 10, 1973, Lopez has built an illustrious career spanning acting, dancing, and hosting. He’s helmed various television programs, including the popular tabloid show “Extra” and the singing competition “The X Factor.” Apart from his TV ventures, Lopez has also made significant investments in real estate, recently acquiring a mansion in La Cañada Flintridge for $9.4 million. As of 2023, such ventures, along with his continuous presence on television, contribute to Mario Lopez’s net worth of approximately $35 million.