Exploring Kathie Lee Gifford’s Net Worth, Salary, and Career

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Media personality Kathie Lee Gifford has made an impressive fortune over the years from her decades-long career as an entertainer. How much is her net worth and salary?

Kathie Lee Gifford has made a name in the entertainment industry as a French-American television presenter and singer-songwriter in a career that spans over 50 years.

A celebrated television personality and four-time Emmy Award winner, Kathie Lee Gifford is best known for her 15-year run as co-host on the talk show Live! with Regis and Kathie Lee. She hosted alongside Regis Philbin from 1985 to 2000.

She joined the Television broadcasting company, NBC, in 2008 and co-hosts the fourth hour of NBC’s Today Show alongside Hoda Kotb.

Here’s everything we know about the media personality, her net worth, and how much money she makes. Keep reading for more.

Profile Summary

Celebrated Name:Kathie Lee Gifford
Net Worth:$60 million
Salary:$5 million
Profession:Talk show host, Presenter, Singer, Actor, Television producer, Songwriter
Full Real Name:Kathryn Lee Gifford
Date of Birth:August 16, 1953 (age 70 years)
Birthplace:Paris, France
Nationality:France
Height:5 ft 4 in (1.651 m)
Kathie Lee Gifford is a French-American television presenter and singer-songwriter. Image Source: Getty
Kathie Lee Gifford is a French-American television presenter and singer-songwriter. Image Source: Getty

Who is Kathie Lee Gifford?

Kathie Lee Gifford is an American TV presenter, singer, songwriter, actress, and author.

She was born in Paris in 1953 but grew up in Bowie, Maryland.

She began her career in entertainment in the 1980s as a vocalist on the ABC game show Face The Music.

She shot to fame in 1986 as co-host of Live! With Regis and Kathie Lee, co-hosting alongside Regis Philbin.

Between 1993 and 2000, the duo were nominated eight years in a row for Outstanding Talk Show Host during the Daytime Emmy Awards.

Kathie Lee left the show in 2000 to pursue other roles in film and television, with her last episode airing on July 28, 2000.

On March 31, 2008, NBC announced that Kathie Lee would be joining its morning show, Today, as co-host of the fourth hour.

The talk show, Today with Kathie Lee and Hoda, included co-host Hoda Kotb.

It aired weekdays at 10:00 am EST.

Kathie Lee left the show in 2019, with her final episode airing on April 5, 2019.

Since leaving the show, Kathie Lee has kept busy.

On April 28, 2021, she was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

She also helped plan her children’s weddings in 2020 and 2021.

Since becoming a grandmother, Kathie Lee has stayed relatively quiet about her personal life, spending most of her time in Tennessee.

On February 21, 2023, news emerged that Kathie Lee had been dating Richard Spitz for a few months.

Despite her children reportedly not approving of her relationship with the businessman, the couple have been spotted together in recent months, and seem to be going strong for now.

The 11 Daytime Emmy nominee and winner is a multimillionaire and has an insane net worth. Image Source: Getty
The 11 Daytime Emmy nominee and winner is a multimillionaire and has an insane net worth. Image Source: Getty

What is Kathie Lee Gifford’s net worth?

Due to Gifford’s successful career, she has been able to amass an extensive net worth.

Kathie Lee has an estimated current net worth of $60 million, and makes an annual salary of $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.

This estimate comes from her extensive career along with other business ventures.

Part of her net worth also comes from her ex-husband, Frank Gifford, who died in 2015 at the age of 85.

He reportedly left his entire estate to Gifford, which included $10 million worth of liquid assets, $2.5 million hours in Florida, and a $22 million mansion in Connecticut, Celebrity Net Worth notes.

Cassidy Gifford, Cody Gifford and Kathie Lee Gifford pose for a photo at Hallmark's Evening Gala in Los Angeles on July 26, 2018
Cassidy Gifford, Cody Gifford, and Kathie Lee Gifford pose for a photo at Hallmark’s Evening Gala in Los Angeles on July 26, 2018. Credit: Getty

Who are Kathie Lee Gifford’s children?

Kathie Lee Gifford married Frank Gifford, an American football player and TV sports commentator, in 1986.

Despite their 23-year age gap, Kathie and Frank had two children together.

They welcomed a son, Cody Newton, on March 22, 1990.

They also welcomed a daughter, Cassidy Erin, on August 2, 1993.

In 2016, Kathie Lee reflected on motherhood, telling Today: “You can’t even imagine how your life is going to change until it is actually changing right before your eyes.”

She added: “If you’re not completely ready to have your entire life totally upended, don’t have a child.”

Cody grew up in Connecticut before attending college at the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford.

Cody is the founder of Gifford Media Group, working in the entertainment industry as a producer and screenwriter.

In 2018, Kathie Lee said Cody was starting to resemble his father as he got older.

Kathie Lee has been married twice; divorced her first husband Paul Johnson, and lost her second spouse Frank Gifford to death. She is currently dating her boyfriend, Richard Spitz. Image Source: Getty
Kathie Lee has been married twice; divorced her first husband Paul Johnson, and lost her second spouse Frank Gifford to death. She is currently dating her boyfriend, Richard Spitz. Image Source: Getty

Frank passed away in 2015 when Cody was just 25 years old.

Cody married his longtime girlfriend, Erika Brown, in September 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Only the couple’s parents and siblings were in attendance.

The wedding took place at the Greenwich, Connecticut, mansion where Cody was raised.

In 2020, Kathie Lee confirmed to People that Cody “and his wife live there now” with his own family.

She added: “And that just makes me so happy.”

Cody’s younger sister Cassidy is also making a name for herself in Hollywood.

The actress and model was even chosen as one of Esquire magazine’s 18 Beautiful Women America Won’t Be Able to Resist This Summer in 2015.

Cassidy has appeared in numerous films, including God’s Not Dead, The Gallows, and Caged No More.

She’s also acted in TV shows like That’s So Raven, The Suite Life on Deck, Blue Bloods, and The Detour.

In November 2019, Cassidy got engaged to her longtime boyfriend Ben Wierda.

Wierda is the nephew of Betsy DeVos and Erik Prince.

Frank Gifford, widow of Kathie Lee, left behind his wife, and their two children; Cody and Cassidy. Image Source: Getty
Frank Gifford, widow of Kathie Lee, left behind his wife, and their two children; Cody and Cassidy. Image Source: Getty

In June 2020, Cassidy and Ben tied the knot in a private ceremony in Michigan.

They later hosted a larger celebration in Nashville in October 2021.

Cassidy told People that the wedding was a hit, sharing news of her big day.

“I couldn’t do a father-daughter dance with my dad, so my brother and I danced to ‘What a Wonderful World.’ Then halfway through, which was a surprise, Ben’s dad — my father-in-law, Craig — actually came in.”

She added: “We had our first dance — and my mom got up and sang too, as she’s known to always do!”

Now that her children are all grown up, and have children of their own, Kathie Lee admits their relationship has changed.

In 2017, she told People that her children have become her “dear friends.”

“They’re both great human beings who realized that their mama needs them now more than they need me,” she added.