The former host of Tonight Show that airs on NBC is a popular figure in the American entertainment industry. Leno is also a comedian, producer, writer, and actor. He is aged seventy years, and Jay’s birth name is James Douglas Muir Leno.
Douglas Muir has amassed lots of wealth during his time in the entertainment scene. During a video interview by CNBC. Leno said that he loves automobiles and owns over a hundred and fifty cars and more than a hundred motorcycles. All of which cost millions of dollars.
He has never sold any automobile he has ever purchased. That shows how much he loves cars and motorcycles.
Formative Years
New Rochelle is the birthplace of Jay Leno, which is in New York. Angelo and Catherine were his parents (father and mother, respectively). The father was an insurance salesman. Though he was born in New York, they moved to Andover, located in Massachusetts.
Leno studied at Andover High School. After earning his diploma, he went to Emerson College to study speech therapy. Emerson gave Leno a chance to start his comedy career.
James Douglas was the last born in his family with his elder brother (currently deceased) was a soldier who fought during the Vietnam war. Later he became an attorney.
Professional Career
Before getting the opportunity to join NBC’s Tonight show. Jay was featured in Tv shows like Good Times, which used to air on CBS. Other presentations were One Day at a Time, Alice, Laverne & Shirley, and Holmes & Yoyo. His first time in The Tonight Show was in early 1977.
With opportunities coming up he also got chances to appear in movies like;
- Fun with Dick and Jane
- American Hot Wax
- Silver Bears
- Collision Course
- Polyester
- Americathon
Despite being a regular cast for the Tonight’s Show, he didn’t get a chance to become a host till 1992 after the exit of Johnny Carson. He became the primary host of the show till 2009 when NBC recruited Conan O’Brien.
Among the famous figures that participated in Michael Jacksons’ trial case in 2005 was Jay Leno. Leno was among the defense witnesses during Jackson’s case, in which he was accused of molesting a child.
Before O’Brien replaced him, his show was leading that was according to Nielsen media research. His contract with NBC as host of the Tonight’s Show ended in 2009. However, that didn’t stop his hosting career. The same year he got a chance to become a host of another NBC show called The Jay Leno Show.
The show interviewed celebrities such as;
- Jerry Seinfeld
- Oprah Winfrey (Through Video Conferencing)
- Kanye West
Leno continued being the host of Tonight Show after Conan was moved to a late-night show. His time as the host of the show that made him who he came to an end in 2014. Jimmy Fallon replaced Jay.
However, before his exit, he had a massive show that featured the following guests.
- Billy Crystal
- Garth Brooks
- Jim Parsons
- Chris Paul
- Carol Burnett
- Sherly Crow
- Kim Kardashian
- Jack Black
- Oprah Winfrey
It’s was one of the best shows and an excellent way to bid him farewell. Apart from the Tv show, he has written books and did standup comedy shows in Canada and the US.
Personal Life
Jay married the love of his life in 1980 till today. She is known as Mavis Leno. Even though being married for all this time, they have never had a child. Some of the unique things about him are that he doesn’t consume alcohol, play casino (gambling), or smoke.
While working at NBC’s Tonight Show, Leno was paid about thirty-two million US dollars as of 2005. But in a statement, he once said that he has never used the money he got from being the host of Tonight’s show.
Additionally, he said, “I have been using the cash that I have been earning from standup comedy shows.” Because of his love of vehicles, Jay owns a personal garage and on the point of not selling his automobiles. He prefers donating his cars to charity rather than selling them.
Jay Leno’s Net Worth
Currently, Leno owns almost three hundred automobiles (Cars and motorcycles). Specifically, he has one hundred and sixty-nine and one hundred and seventeen cars and motorcycles respectively. To complement his car garage, he has a Tv show (Jay Leno’s Garage). The following are some of his car collection.
- Sedan
- 5th Duesenberg Model X
- Chrysler Turbine 1963 model
- Jaguar XK-E 1963
- Double steam cars – 2
- Electric cars – 3
They are only a few among his extensive collection of vehicles. It is estimated that his vehicle collection is worth $52,000,000.
To add on his vast wealth. Leno owns high-class mansions in several cities in the USA. They include;
- California
- Newport
- Beverly Hills
- Rhode Island
Presently, he lives in a house worth $13,500,000 together with his wife. They bought this house in 2017 and occupied a space of 0.364 acres. The house has twelve bedrooms and fifteen bathrooms (12 full and three half). However, the home is in a land size of nine acres. Other things in this home are vehicle garages (6), tennis court, swimming pool, garden, and a private beach.
According to statistics, Jay Leno’s wealth amounts to $450,000,000. With his salary estimated at $15,000,000 annually. Furthermore, since 1992-2013 Leno is said to have earned $320,000,000. With him making at least $1,000,000 a year.
Awards
- Jay Leno’s time in the entertainment earned him several award nominations and won some. Since, 1989 till 2014 Leno was nominated for different awards. He however, won the following;
- Mark Twain Prize for American Humor
- Hasty Pudding Man of the Year
- The primetime Emmy award for outstanding short-format non-fiction program & variety, Music, or comedy series
- The people’s choice award for favorite talk show host
- Hollywood Walk of fame
- Tv guide award for the favorite late-night show – 2
Involvement in Politics
Due to his comical nature, Leno had the opportunity to participate in political events like the Genesis Prize. He got a chance to crack a joke about former POTUS Barack Hussein Obama and John Kerry, who was the former Secretary of State.