Oprah Winfrey is one of the first names that comes to mind when we think of Black women who have paved the way in journalism and media, but like any good friend, the TV icon makes sure to give flowers to those who have helped her along the way. By her side for decades now has been Gayle King, born Dec. 28th, 1954 in Chevy Chase, Maryland. The longtime news anchor spent parts of her childhood overseas in Turkey, where her electrical engineer father was stationed, but eventually moved back to America with her family where she attended the University of Maryland. Though she was formally educated in psychology and sociology, King found work at a local television station while in school and that helped propel her to become one of the biggest names in Black journalism today.
While she’s been soaring in her career, the 69-year-old’s personal life hasn’t always been perfect. She married attorney/assistant general Bill Bumpus in 1982, welcoming a daughter in 1986 and a son the year after. Winfrey is both children’s godmother and proved to be a strong source of support for them and King while she navigated her divorce from Bumpus in 1993 when she found her husband in bed with another woman. Minor setbacks aside, her networking skills and ability to connect authentically with others are just part of how Gayle King’s net worth has climbed into the multi-millions. Read on to uncover more of her inspiring story!
What Is Gayle King’s Net Worth?
King’s career as a journalist officially began in 1976, and in the time since she’s managed to amass a reported net worth of $40 million. From 2014 to 2019, her salary at CBS was $5.5M (or $30M gross earnings during this time), but before the COVID-19 pandemic struck, the philanthropist is making $11M annually.
Besides impressing audiences with her composure in interviews with the likes of R. Kelly and Megan Thee Stallion, King has made some noteworthy real estate moves too. In 2000, she bought a 10,000-square-foot home in Greenwich, Connecticut for $3.6M, eventually listing it for $7.5M in 2008. That same year, the radio personality purchased a $7M penthouse in Manhattan, spanning 2,500 square feet with two fireplaces and a wraparound terrace.
Oprah Winfrey’s Impact On Her Best Friend’s Career
It would’ve been all too easy for King and Winfrey to write one another off as competition when they first connected at WJZ-TV in Baltimore. Instead, the women have spent nearly 50 years developing a friendship that allows them to empower one another spiritually and financially. Movie fanatics might already know that the O Magazine founder was in the original version of The Color Purple alongside Whoopi Goldberg, but it turns out that King appeared as an uncredited church-goer in the 1985 flick too. The year after, the Maryland native made her first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show, assisting her contemporary 141 times during the series’ 25-season run.
“She is the mother I never had; she is the sister everybody would want; she is the friend everybody deserves; I don’t know a better person,” King told Barbara Walters of her relationship with Winfrey in 2010. Long before that, the CBS star joined O as an editor in 1999, continuing to make a name for herself independent of Winfrey’s success while collaborating where they could. When it was time to induct King into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in 2018, her best friend was there to present her award, both of them filled with emotion and pride. Even during the tough moments, Winfrey has shown up for King, defending her as backlash came in for comments made about Kobe Bryant’s sexual assault allegations during an interview with Lisa Leslie after the NBA star’s untimely death.
More Of King’s Impressive Accomplishments Through The Years
Outside of being Oprah Winfrey’s main confidant, Gayle King’s net worth continues to grow thanks to her independent efforts as a Black journalist. In 1981 she landed her first serious gig in the industry, working for WFSB in Hartford, Connecticut for 18 years. At the same time, the mother of two took on other opportunities, such as co-hosting NBC’s Cover to Cover with Robin Wagner. This was canceled after only 13 weeks, but it didn’t deter King from pursuing other avenues, such as her own syndicated talk show. The first iteration of The Gayle King Show ran for just one season, though it was briefly revived for XM Satellite Radio in 2006. Her third and final attempt came in 2011 on the Oprah Winfrey Network, ultimately ending when King began co-hosting CBS This Morning in 2012.
She’s had a number of film and television roles over the years, playing a Media Icon in The Manchurian Candidate before appearing as herself in shows like 30 Rock, Being Mary Jane, Queen Sugar, The Game and Billions. The author has won numerous awards for her work, including three Emmys, two American Women in Radio & Television Gracie Award for Outstanding Radio Talk Show and a spot on Time‘s 100 Most Influential People list. As of 2022, Gayle King’s net worth is set to steadily increase as she extended her contract with CBS and was announced as the co-host of Charles Barkley’s King Charles show on CNN.
