Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)
Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)
January 13, 2025
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What is Stephen A. Smith’s Net Worth and Salary?
For Stephen A. Smith, an American sports media figure, the net worth is $25 million, with an annual salary of $13 million. Best recognized for his presence on various ESPN programs, he also contributes to ESPN’s websites and The Philadelphia Inquirer as a writer. Stephen A. Smith has achieved significant success in talk radio and has made cameo appearances in movies, playing himself.
Salary
Initially earning $5 million per year up to April 2019, Smith negotiated a new deal in mid-April 2019 with ESPN for $8 million annually. This deal made him the highest-paid ESPN personality and the world’s highest-paid sports caster. However, he lost this title in March 2020 to Tony Romo after signing a $17 million per year contract with CBS. Currently, Stephen A. Smith’s annual ESPN salary stands at $13 million.
Turning Down $90 Million
In June 2024, reports revealed that Stephen A. Smith declined a $90 million contract offer from ESPN. The offer, totaling $90 million over five years, equated to an average annual salary of $18 million. Smith rejected the deal in hopes of securing a $25 million per year offer.
Jennifer Graylock/Getty Images
Early Life
Stephen A. Smith, born in the Bronx, New York, grew up in a family of basketball and baseball enthusiasts. Born in 1967, Smith, the second-youngest among seven siblings, developed an early interest in basketball. He earned a basketball scholarship that facilitated his education at Winston-Salem State University, following a brief stint at the Fashion Institute of Technology. His college basketball career flourished under the guidance of renowned coach Clarence Gaines. Although critical of Gaines nearing his graduation, Smith absorbed invaluable basketball insights. Graduating in 1991, he began his journey in sports journalism.
Early Journalism Career
Post-graduation, Smith’s first significant journalism role was as a sports department clerk at the Winston-Salem Journal. Progressing to prominent newspapers like the Greensborough News and Record and the New York Daily News, he eventually landed a pivotal role at The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Philadelphia Inquirer
Initially an NBA writer at The Philadelphia Inquirer, Stephen A. Smith later assumed the position of general sports columnist after two promotions. Despite amassing a considerable following, he parted ways with the publication in 2008, leading him to launch his own blog. Following a legal battle, the court ruled in his favor, directing The Philadelphia Inquirer to reinstate him while restricting his content to exclude personal and political views.
Personal Life
Stephen A. Smith has never been married and remains very private about his personal life. He is a father of two daughters, who are one year apart in age, but details about them are scarce. Smith has not disclosed any information about his dating life publicly, although there were reports that he was once engaged.
Data is from 2023 and 2024 with forecast extension to 2025-2028.
* This information was taken from various sources around the world, including these countries:
Australia, Canada, USA, UK, UAE, India, Pakistan, Philippines, Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Kenya, US, United Kingdom, United States of America, Malaysia, U.S., South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey, United Arab Emirates.
Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, American Samoa, Andorra, Angola, Anguilla, Antarctica, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Aruba, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan.
Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Bouvet Island, Brazil, British Indian Ocean Territory, Brunei Darussalam, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi.
Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Christmas Island, Cocos (Keeling Islands), Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Cook Islands, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Croatia (Hrvatska), Cuba, Cyprus, Czech Republic.
Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, East Timor, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Ethiopia, Falkland Islands (Malvinas), Faroe Islands, Fiji, Finland, France, Metropolitan, French Guiana, French Polynesia, French Southern Territories.
Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Gibraltar, Greece, Greenland, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guam, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Heard and McDonald Islands, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy.
Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, North Korea, South Korea, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg.
Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Martinique, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mayotte, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montserrat, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar.
Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, Netherlands Antilles, New Caledonia, New Zealand (NZ), Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, Niue, Norfolk Island, Northern Mariana Islands, Norway.
Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Pitcairn, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Reunion, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and The Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe.
Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, Spain, Sri Lanka, St. Helena, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Sudan, Suriname, Svalbard and Jan Mayen Islands, Swaziland, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria.
Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Togo, Tokelau, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Turks and Caicos Islands, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates (UAE), UK (United Kingdom), USA (United States of America, U.S.), US Minor Outlying Islands.
Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City State (Holy See), Venezuela, Vietnam, Virgin Islands (British), Virgin Islands (US), Wallis and Futuna Islands, Western Sahara, Yemen, Yugoslavia, Zaire, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Stephen A. Smith Net Worth (Money & Salary)