The Edward R. Murrow Award recipient Don Lemon currently works as the presenter of CNN Tonight and is correspondent of CNN, ever since he joined in 2006. The American TV journalist covered many breaking news stories including Hurricane Florence (2018), Las Vegas shooting (2017) and the Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub (2016) for CNN.
Lemon, openly a gay, formerly worked for NBC5 News for 3 years as a correspondent as well as a reporter and has worked for WCAU-TV, KTVI-TV, and WBRC-TV. Apart from hands in journalism, the 3-time Chicago / Midwest Emmy Awards winner is on the Board of Trustees at Brooklyn College.
Earnings From Professional Career: How Much Net Worth Don Lemon Owns?
The Brooklyn College graduate began his journalism career while in college and was a news assistant at WNYW.
After stints in many NBC affiliates and Fox affiliates, he became a news anchor for NBC5 and NBC News and later, joined CNN where he currently hosts CNN Tonight with Don Lemon.
Image Source: Black Past
Without a doubt, Don Lemon’s journalism career of over 2 decades earns him a massive sum.
According to Celebrity Net Worth, the 53-year-old journalist owns the net worth of $10 million as of December 2019 and pockets salary of $4 million per year.
As reported, a news anchor for the CNN earns $58,432 per year on average, while the salaries in NBC ranges from $41,950 to $138,613 per year.
Million Dollars Worth Residence: Where Does He Live?
Currently, the Louisiana-born TV journalist lives in New York where he owns many properties. After selling 2 apartments in the Harlem building in Frederick Douglass Boulevard, Don Lemon now owns an apartment 11B which he bought in 2013 for $1.5 million.
READ MORE: Emílio Dantas-Movies, Songs, TV Shows, Wife, Kids, Height, Net Worth, Age
The property spread on 1,417-square-foot features 3 bedrooms and 2-and-a-half bathroom.
Formerly, Lemon had ownership of 859-square-foot condo boasting 1-bedroom and 1-bathroom in 11A of the Harlem building; he sold it in January 2017 for $969,000 (bought in 2014 for $867,780) and another apartment 6D in the same building that he snagged off for $710,000 in 2014, earning a chunk of $499,000 profit.
Image Source: 6 sq ft
Also, the CNN Tonight anchor owns another vintage style home on Rysam Street in Sag Harbor, purchased in August 2016 for $3.1 million.
The 4 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms property feature a mahogany bar and guest suite in the lower level along with a pool house and swimming pool.
Surely, the millionaire journalist drives luxurious cars, though, is yet to open up the details.
Journey To Prominence: Serves In CNN Since 2006
In September 2006, Don Lemon joined CNN and is associated with the channel ever since. Currently, he serves as correspondent of CNN and is the presenter of CNN Tonight With Don Lemon, that airs weeknights live from 10:00 pm (ET) to midnight since 2014.
Lemon is famous as the outspoken figure in CNN; with voices on the state of cable news to satire comments on racism and American politics.
For CNN, the American journalist anchored the news coverage: Earthquake and tsunami in Japan, the Arab Spring, the death of Osama Bin Laden and Joplin tornado.
Image Source: Ad Week
Lemon has reported breaking news for CNN including Hurricane Florence (2018), Philadelphia building collapse (2013), the death of Michael Jackson (2009), Hurricane Gustav in Louisiana (2008) and the Minneapolis bridge collapse (2007).
Moreover, the journalist anchored on-the-scene stories of the Orlando shooting at Pulse Nightclub (2016), Charleston church shooting (2015), the Colorado Theater Shooting (2012) and Hook Elementary School shooting (2012).
What Did He Do Before Joining CNN?
Don worked for WNYW as an assistant news anchor and later was hired by Fox to work in its affiliates, followed by hiring in NBC affiliates in Philadelphia and Chicago.
Thereafter, he briefly served at WBRC in Birmingham and at WCAU in Philadelphia and became an anchor and investigative reporter for KTVI in St. Louis. Having worked as an anchor on Weekend Today and on MSNBC, Lemon became news correspondent for NBC owned-and-operated station WMAQ-TV in Chicago in the early 2000s that won him 3 local Emmy Awards.
In 2003, Don Lemon joined NBC News where he covered the highlighted news: Explosion of Space Shuttle Columbia and SARS in Canada in 2003. By August 2003, he joined NBC5 News as co-anchor for the 5 p.m. newscast based in Chicago until 2006.
Is Openly Gay: Relationship With Boyfriend Turned Fiance
Lemon is one of the few black people in broadcasting who came out as gay; he publicly talked about his sexuality in his 2011 memoir Transparent and also discussed the sexual abuse he suffered and commented on colorism in the black community.
Currently, Don Lemon is in a relationship with his boyfriend-turned-fiance Tim Malone, a real estate agent. The couple is met in summer 2016 and started dating soon after; later they announced their engagement in April 2019 via Instagram.
Image Source: Page Six
No announcement about their wedding plans is out yet.
The couple shares their time between their residence in an apartment in Harlem and home in Sag Harbor on Long Island, New York.
Graduated From Brooklyn College
Don Lemon was born on March 1, 1966, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the USA to Katherine Clark. The journalist went to Baker High School and attended Brooklyn College where he graduated with majors in broadcast journalism.
Thereafter, she attended Louisiana State University.
The American journalist holds an American nationality and hails from a mixed ethnicity- has French, Nigerian, Cameroonian, and Congolese ancestry.
Did you know? Lemon’s sister L’Tanya “Leisa” Lemon Grimes died at the age of 58, on January 31, 2018, after accidental drowning in a pond while fishing.
A Frequent Face Of Controversy
With his outspoken talks, the 6 ft. tall news anchor has been in numerous controversies to date. During an interview with an alleged rape victim of Bill Cosby in 2014, Don’s inappropriate remarks got him in the list of worst journalism.
Moreover, in January 2018, he criticized Trump administration and accused racism against President Trump in his on-air show. In August 2019, Don Lemon was accused by New York bartender for offensive assault and sought damages on emotional stress & earning opportunities, however, the CNN reporter denied the claims.
Interesting Fact: Don received death threats in October 2017 with racial slurs, and filed a police report seeking for protection.
