How much is Phil Donahue worth? Fortune explored as legendary talk show host dies aged 88

Well-known TV host Phil Donahue, 88, unexpectedly passed away on August 18, 2024. He was struggling with some illness, which led to his demise. His family told the Today show that he was at his residence at the time. Donahue's frequent appearances on television contributed to his net worth, which stood at $150 million, as per CelebrityNetWorth.

The news of Phil Donahue's death comes almost two months after he appeared for an interview with People magazine, where he said he was missing the time on the daytime talk shows during the 1970s. He recalled:

"Sometimes I'll shout my question to a guest on the screen and hope they'll somehow hear me. But to be honest, even though the medium has changed a bit – the sets are fancier, the productions are slicker, and the hosts are thankfully more diverse – all of the talk shows still cleave to the one thing that laid at the foundation of the 7,000 episodes I taped, and that's curiosity."

Phil Donahue also won the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the time, and his wife Marlo Thomas told the outlet that although spending time together during the Covid-19 pandemic helped them to "slow down and hang out," things changed when the busy schedule became a part of their lives again. She continued:

"So we're determined to get back to a slower pace, and that means curling up on the couch in front of the TV with a big bowl of popcorn. I like to call it 'Netflix and Phil.'"

Popular personalities such as Guy Rawlings and Steve Noviello expressed their grief on social media as soon as the news of Donahue's death went viral.

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Phil Donahue accumulated a lot of wealth from his career in the world of television

The Cleveland, Ohio native's career began more than 60 years ago, and he became a popular face for appearing in his self-titled show. Before that, he was employed at different radio stations, all of which made him the owner of various assets.

According to CelebrityNetWorth, Phil Donahue earned around $10 million per year after collaborating with the syndication company Multimedia Entertainment in 1982. By the 1990s, his earnings had doubled, enabling him to purchase a lot of properties.

Following his marriage to Marlo Thomas, the duo bought two luxurious houses, one of which was in Connecticut. They sold both properties to a financier in 2006. The price of the deal was reported to be almost $25 million. In 2012, they bought another property with facilities such as a gym, which they sold the following year for $20 million.

Phil's career started in the world of radio, and he even helmed radio news in Adrian, Michigan. He also became famous as the host of a radio talk show titled Conversation Piece, leading to the launch of The Phil Donahue Show in 1967, and it became one of the longest-running talk shows.

The show initially aired on WLWD during the 60s and 70s and concluded in September 1996. Phil had the opportunity to interview famous personalities on the show, such as Ralph Nader, Whoopi Goldberg, and Michael J. Fox.

He tried to step into the world of television for another time in 2002 with Donahue. However, this talk show failed to repeat the success of the first one and had to be canceled after one season. He was even featured in a documentary titled Finding Vivian Maier.

Apart from his wife, Marlo Thomas, Phil is survived by his children, Michael, Kevin, Daniel, and Mary, as well as a sister and grandchildren.