How the Daily Show’s Trevor Noah Grossed a Massive Net Worth from Comedy

Trevor Noah is a South African comedian, writer and television host said to be one of the highest-paid hosts in America. He is presently the host of The Daily Show, an American satirical news program on Comedy Central.

Career 

Noah started his career playing a minor role in an episode “Isidingo,” a South African TV show when he was only 18 years old and went on to host his own radio show titled ‘Noah’s Ark’ on YFM. 

He also hosted the educational TV program ‘Run The Adventure’ from 2004 to 2006 as well as the gossip TV series “The Real Goboza” in 2007. His versatility in the media space also saw him co-hosting the dating game show “The Amazing Date.”

In addition to his radio and television programs, he also hosted the South Africa Film and Television Awards in 2009, co-hosted the South African Music Awards in 2009 and 2010, and eventually got his own TV show entitled “Tonight with Trevor Noah.” 

He also performed as a comedian in programs like ‘The Blacks Only Comedy Show,’ the ‘Vodacom Campus Comedy Tour,’ the ‘Heavyweight Comedy Jam,’ the ‘Cape Town International Comedy Festival,’ ‘Bafunny Bafunny’ and the ‘Jozi Comedy Festival.’ His comedy career also saw him perform renowned comedians like Paul Rodriguez, Gabriel Iglesias, and Russell Peters.

As he became famous in South Africa and across the globe, he began attracting endorsement deals. He also became a recurring contributor on the late-night talk and news satire program ‘The Daily Show with Jon Stewart’. His career reached a milestone when he became the regular host of The Daily Show in 2015.

Career earnings

Noah is one of the highest-paid show host in the world and reportedly has a higher net worth than the likes of Jimmy Kimmel and James Corden. When he was first signed to host The Daily Show, his salary was somewhere around $5-8 million per season. However, in 2017, his salary hit $16 million per season.

His memoir, “Born a Crime” became a best-seller, selling over one million copies from 2016 to 2019 and according to The Hollywood Reporter, he made seven figures from his book deal.

Also, a 2019 profile of Noah by the Hollywood Reporter claimed that he grossed almost $14 million from his comedy tours. In 2018 alone, the platform noted that Trevor grossed $5 million.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Noah has a net worth of $100 million with his source of worth coming from comedy, endorsement deals and events as earlier noted. In addition, he is also into real estate, splashing $20 million on a Bel-Air mansion in 2019 and flipping it for $21.5 million two years later.

Also, in January 2021, Trevor bought another Bel-Air mansion for $27.5 million and flipped it for $30 million in October of the same year. 

Early life 

Noah was born to a Black mother and a White father. He was brought up by a fiercely loving and tenacious mother.

He childishly made fun of his mother’s Christianity, to which she was devoted, only to later learn and rely on her ethical compass that saw him through a mischievous rebellion and slightly criminal youth.

Noah earned his smarts the hard way on the streets of Johannesburg’s slum townships. Survival was a matter of learning to navigate the racial and political turmoil.

Coming of age at the moment when apartheid was finally crushed, he was branded an outsider not white and not completely accepted as Black.

Noah slipped comically between racial barriers by fragile deception and duplication, making sure that he came out ahead of the game always. Well mostly.

Little short of a miracle being tossed out of a moving vehicle and surviving, Noah would later be introduced to a brutally abusive stepfather.

He also juggled an education in a vigorously disciplined Catholic School with the chaos of the streets and his own unruly spirit that rejected every social norm.