What Is Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May Net Worth?
We’re look at the Top Gear trio’s – Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May – net worth to find out who earns the most…
Richard, Jeremy and James rarely failed to entertain viewers with their dry, witty – and sometimes downright harsh – take on the motoring world. And all our hearts were broken the morning we found out that Jez had got into fisticuffs with a producer that lead to his sacking – and the end of Top Gear as we knew it.
Before his exit, Clarkson was revealed as the BBC’s highest paid star and his colleagues, Hammond and May, weren’t exactly earning peanuts from the automobile show’s success.
So, what exactly is Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May’s Net Worth? Here’s how the car enthusiast’s bank balances compare…
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Jeremy Clarkson’s Pockets Are VERY Deep…
Jeremy’s net worth is almost as huge as his ego. The English presenter opts for the straight-to-the-point, blunt approach and his controversial comments have provoked the public’s reaction time and time again.
So, exactly how much money does he have? Let’s go back to the start…
Born in 1960, Jeremy’s mum was a teacher and his dad was a salesman. In order to earn money to send their son to private school, Clarkson’s parents began to sell Paddington Bear stuffed toys but without intellectual property rights. Michael Bond – the author of the Paddington Bear books – decided to take legal action against the Clarksons and arranged meet Jeremy’s dad (Edward) in London.
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As luck would have it, Edward Clarkson bumped into Bond on the way to the meeting and they hit it off straight away. As a result, Bond granted Clarkson the rights to flog the bear and they managed to make enough dough to send Jez to private school.
He Started Work As A Writer
Jeremy started his career as a writer after having trained in journalism. Starting from the bottom, he wrote for local papers Rotherham Advertiser, Rochdale Observer and Wolverhampton Express and Star.
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In 1984, Clarkson and colleague Jonathan Gill started the Motoring Press Agency whereby he conducted car tests for newspapers and magazines. He went on to write articles for motor mag Performance Car, spurring on his career in the car industry.
After gaining experience for local newspapers, Jeremy went on to write for The Sun and The Sunday Times.
TV Came Calling…
Transitioning into the TV industry, Clarkson found fame after he was cast on Top Gear. Jon Bentley – the man responsible for appointing Clarkson – revealed that he chose Clarkson not only for his car knowledge but for his personality and humour too, saying:
“He was just what I was looking for – an enthusiastic motoring writer who could make cars on telly fun. He was opinionated and irreverent, rather than respectfully po-faced.
The fact that he looked and sounded exactly like a twenty-something ex-public schoolboy didn’t matter. Nor did the impression there was a hint of school bully about him.
I knew he was the man for the job. […] Clarkson stood out because he was funny. Even my bosses allowed themselves the odd titter.”
And, of course, Bentley was spot on.
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What Is Clarkson’s Net Worth?
Although all viewers loved the Top Gear hosts, many gave credit to Clarkson for the show’s success and he quickly became the BBC’s highest paid host. As of 2018, Jeremy Clarkson has a net worth of around £46 million.
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Richard Hammond’s Not Doing Too Badly Either
Hammond was born in 1969 and after he graduated from Harrogate College, he worked for BBC radio including local stations – Radio York, Radio Cumbria, Radio Lancashire, Radio Leeds, Radio Newcastle and Radio Cleveland. Eventually, he ended up auditioning for Top Gear.
Richard was chosen for his love of all things motoring – and, of course, because of his 5ft5″ height, which earned him the nickname ‘Hamster’.
One third of the Top Gear trio, Hammond originally presented alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Jason Dawe – who was replaced by James May in the show’s second series.
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Many viewers will remember when Hammond was involved in a huge car crash while filming for the show, after his motor spun out of control at speeds of 288mph. Hammond was airlifted to hospital and was in a coma for two weeks before coming round. He suffered from brain damage which continues to affect his life – suffering from memory less, depression and emotional detachment.
Luckily, Hammond managed to return to full-time work and resumed Top Gear filming once again until Jeremy Clarkson’s bust up with the producer meant the show folded.
After leaving the BBC in 2015, Richard, Jeremy and James were approached by Amazon Prime to make a series which pretty much was Top Gear, with a different name – The Grand Tour.
Sadly, Richard had another crash while filming for the show in Switzerland, but fortunately, aside from a tibial plateau fracture in his left knee, the TV presenter came away relatively physically unscathed.
What Is Richard Hammond’s Net Worth?
Although money is no price for Richard’s health, he’s made A LOT over the course of his TV career. Paid £500,000 per series for Top Gear, he’s published multiple books and taken part in presenting shows like Blast Lab and Total Wipeout, getting around £150,000 a series for the latter.’
He also added to his repertoire by taking part in a Morrisons ad, earning a hefty £750,000.
With a castle as a home, as other houses in London, Saint-Tropez and Wantage, Hammond’s net worth is estimated to be around £30 million.
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What Is James May Net Worth?
James May’s net worth is estimated to be £20.6 million, accumulated from a career in journalism and TV.
We know the Grand Tour host, aka Captain Slow (nicknamed due to his driving style), is often the butt of Clarkson’s jokes. But what else do we know about the TV host?
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May was born in Bristol in 1963 and started work as a sub-editor for The Engineer. He later moved onto Autocar (where he was fired for playing a prank by writing the secret message ‘so you think it’s really good, yeah? You should try making the bloody thing up; it’s a real pain in the arse‘ in the mag’s Road Test Year Book). As his writing skills developed, James began a weekly column (about cars, of course) in The Daily Telegraph.
