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Highlights
- Steve Harvey overcame poverty and a severe stutter to become one of the richest TV show hosts in the world.
- Harvey withstood numerous failures and hardships before achieving success.
- He faced financial challenges again due to a messy divorce and an unscrupulous accountant, but rebounded and built an empire through comedy, TV shows, books, and hosting Family Feud .
Broderick Stephen Harvey – a coal miner’s son with a severe childhood stuttering problem – would eventually become one of the greatest and richest television presenters in the world, capable of enrapturing audiences for hours, and peppering his words with witty observations for the duration.
The story of comedian Steve Harvey is one of pure motivation.
In the face of many failures and hardships, Harvey did not throw in the towel.
Now, he is one of the richest TV show hosts, and Steve Harvey's net worth is astronomical.
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Let’s explore how Harvey transformed his financially challenging life into an extraordinarily prosperous one, examine his streams of income, and explain how he accumulated (and later rebuilt) his fortune.
Steve Harvey’s Challenging Early Life
Steve Harvey has appeared in many avatars: as a comedian, a TV show host, an author, a radio personality, a producer, an actor, and a businessman.
There are many shades of Steve Harvey, and he wears many hats – both figuratively and literally.
In earlier, tougher times, he was an autoworker, a boxer, a mail carrier, a carpet cleaner, and an insurance salesman.
Harvey acquired these diverse skills by facing the challenges the world placed in his path.
In a 2006 interview, seven-time Daytime Emmy winner Steve Harvey admitted poverty was his biggest motivation:
Poverty kind of pushed me this way; I got tired of it.
I mean, I always had a great sense of humor, but I was very reserved as a kid.
Then the older I got, I learned to pick my spots and moments to be funny.
Harvey had a severe speech impediment that kept him away from the stage at first.
But one gentle soul, a worker at a deli near his home, helped him overcome his stutter, by rewarding him with candy as his speech impediment faded:
[The deli worker] taught me before you say anything, say it to yourself three times, take your time, and speak on the exhale.
After overcoming his stutter, one more obstacle remained.
Harvey pursued his stand-up career, and debuted at Hilarities Comedy Club in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 8, 1985.
But success still eluded him.
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Harvey managed to continue pursuing his comedy career while contending with and working several odd jobs.
During those tough three years, anyone would be prone to giving up – but Steve Harvey, despite tremendous adversity, didn’t back down from his goal.
Steve Harvey’s Rise To Fame
Eventually, the last decade of the twentieth century ensued, as did the advent of Steve Harvey’s eventual fame.
In 1990, he took part in the second edition of the Annual Johnnie Walker National Comedy Search and became a finalist.
After three years, he secured a major opportunity via the iconic variety program It’s Showtime At The Apollo, where he remained a permanent host for seven years.
Harvey's destiny changed when he landed a role in the ABC series Me And The Boys in 1994, and he made a good name for himself in a stint as a stand-up comedian.
The boy who dreamed of becoming a famed comedian eventually got his first major break with his self-named show on the WB – at the age of 40:
While he was creating a buzz with the TV show, he was also gaining popularity in a bustling stand-up comedy scene.
Harvey took part in the Kings Of Comedy Tour with Cedric The Entertainer, D.L. Hughley, and Bernie Mac.
The Kings Of Comedy Tour broke myriad records and eventually became the highest-grossing comedy tour ever, earning $18 million in its first year and $19 million in its second year.
Steve Harvey Faced Financial Challenges (Again)
Steve Harvey’s experiences serve as a gentle reminder that life is filled with continuous ups and downs.
Once, a stuttering, shy boy made a name for himself, raking in millions through television, movies, and radio.
At the start of the 2000s, Steve Harvey began his morning radio program, appeared in numerous movies and television shows, hosted award shows, and continued to rake in millions.
Steve Harvey's Work (2000 To 2005):
| Year(s) | Steve Harvey Project | Type | Role |
| 2000-2002 | The Steve Harvey Show | Television | Host |
| 2000 | The Original Kings of Comedy | Stand-Up Comedy Film | Stand-Up Comedian |
| 2001 | The Proud Family | Animated Series | Voice (One Episode) |
| 2002 | My Wife And Kids | Television | Acting (One Episode) |
| 2002, 2003 | Essence Awards | Award Show | Host |
| 2003 | The Parkers | Television | Acting (One Episode) |
| 2003 | The Fighting Temptations | Musical Movie | Acting |
| 2003 | Love Don’t Cost A Thing | Movie | Acting |
| 2003-2005 | Steve Harvey's Big Time Challenge | Television Variety Show | Host, Executive Producer |
| 2004 | Johnson Family Vacation | Movie | Acting |
| 2004 | You Got Served | Movie | Acting |
| 2004, 2005 | BET Comedy Awards | Award Show | Host |
| 2005 | Racing Stripes | Movie | Voice |
In an April interview with Shannon Sharpe, Harvey discussed his life and experiences.
During the interview, Harvey revealed that despite making millions, he found himself facing financial difficulty once again.
In the interview, Steve attributed the setbacks in part to a messy divorce.
Moreover, Harvey addressed an ongoing issue caused by the practices of his one-time accountant:
Steve Harvey didn't find out that he owed the IRS $22 million until his accountant died.
In the interview, Steve said:
I got jumped on. I’m not saying who did it, but they got into cahoots with my financial planner.
I was giving them tax checks to turn in [to the Internal Revenue Services, or IRS] and they were keeping them.
One of the greatest TV show hosts in the world had to pay $650,000 a month to the IRS for seven years.
In 2005, Steve Harvey divorced his second wife, Mary Shackleford.
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He explained that he "saved millions," but his account balance was a scant $1,700.
Harvey shed light on his messy divorce, and continued:
... I had saved some millions.
But before I could split the assets, she took all of [the money] out of the bank. The divorce was over.
'Let’s just split the assets,' but you took all the assets, and I was stuck with a tax bill.
Steve Harvey and Mary Shackelford's post-marriage relationship unfortunately remained bitter.
Both parties sued one another, and neither speaks of their near-decade together fondly when asked.
The Steve Harvey Era: His Incredible Television Success
After a second round of financial jeopardy, Steve Harvey learned his lessons, and now, a more resilient Steve has emerged – with a renewed resolve to reach higher heights.
He had to pay $650,000 monthly to the IRS, so he performed at several stand-up comedy gigs, and took on all projects available to him.
The West Virginian comedian also authored several books.
His initial book, Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man, was adapted into a movie titled Think Like A Man; the latter was so successful, it spawned the sequel Think Like A Man Too.
Steve Harvey's Books:
| Year | Title |
| 2009 | Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man |
| 2010 | Straight Talk, No Chaser |
| 2014 | Act Like A Success |
| 2016 | Jump, Take The Leap Of Faith To Achieve Your Life Of Abundance |
Steve Harvey achieved "legendary TV host" status with the arrival of his wildly successful game show Family Feud in 2010.
Family Feud was on the brink of cancelation at that time, and its producers made a career-transforming decision to give Steve Harvey a chance behind the host's podium.
That decision also changed the fate of the show, ranking it among the best American game shows of all time.
Steve Harvey's Net Worth And Earnings
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Steve Harvey's net worth is estimated at an astounding $200 million – quite a leap from $1,700.
According to Forbes in 2019, Harvey was making $45 million per year at press time.
Steve Harvey's annual salary came in part from his radio gig (through which he was one of the highest-paid radio jockeys), netting him $20 million annually.
One of the highest-rated game shows, Family Feud – and Celebrity Family Feud – put $10 million a year Steve Harvey's pocket.
Steve Harvey's Reported Earnings (Estimated):
| Project | Steve Harvey's Estimated Salary (As Of 2019) |
| Radio Hosting | $20 Million, Annually |
| Family Feud | $50,000 Per Episode, $10 Million Per Year |
A small (but not insignificant) share of Harvey's $45 million annual compensation can be attributed to residual income generated by his books, additional acting work, and stand-up comedy.
Steve Harvey also established Steve Harvey Global (SHG), which is focused on production, product licensing, and investments.
This business adds millions to Steve Harvey's account, and is described on Harvey's website as follows:
[Steve] Harvey’s success has resulted in one of the most prolific brands in Hollywood. In 2017, he launched Steve Harvey Global (SHG), uniting his various businesses under one roof and one vision.
Reflective of his personal brand, SHG is focused on creating and delivering entertaining and motivational content, products and experiences to audiences around the world.
SHG is home to East 112, Harvey’s in-house production company, which develops and produces content across digital, documentary and feature films, animation, and scripted and unscripted TV ...
This iconic TV show host and brilliant comedian's life is a genuine source of motivation, reminding us that perseverance and hard work can change your fate.
After a series of ups, downs, and ups (again), Steve Harvey's net worth is estimated at $200 million, a figure likely to increase due to Harvey's well-diversified standing in the entertainment industry.
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