David Attenborough's Net Worth In 2023 Proves Loving the Planet Pays Off
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David Attenborough's net worth could have been a lot lower, because he almost didn't get to be on TV at all.
During his early days as a producer at the BBC, he recalled in his memoir, he was told his teeth were too big to be an on-air presenter—and it was by chance, when a host fell ill, that he got his big break.
Since then, Attenborough has amassed significant personal wealth, but his true treasure is what he brings to the world: A relentless activist and advocate for wildlife, the environment and climate, Attenborough put a priceless spotlight on the precarious and beautiful nature of our planet.
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How did David Attenborough become famous?
Born to a British academic in Leicester, England, on May 8, 1926, David Attenborough spent his younger years fascinated by science, collecting fossils and other treasures from nature. He studied geology and zoology at Cambridge's Clare College, earning a natural sciences degree.
After serving in the British Navy during World War II, Attenborough edited children's science textbooks. Growing bored with the career, he applied to be a producer on BBC Radio. While he was rejected for that role, he enrolled in a three-month course on TV broadcasting with the BBC and was hired at the network for a full-time role in 1952 as a producer.
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After producing a segment featuring animals from the London Zoo, Attenborough met Jack Lester, who worked in the zoo's reptile house. Lester and Attenborough teamed up to produce the Zoo Quest series, but Lester fell ill, leaving Attenborough to be on air for the first time for the 1954 broadcast.
A star was born.
Since then, Attenborough's environmentalism and activism made him an icon, most famously for Life on Earth, The Living Planet and Planet Earth, expanding his broadcast horizons from the BBC to streamers including Netflix and Apple TV. He's earned an Emmy, a Peabody and a BAFTA fellowship; he has had 20 species named in his honor and even been nominated for one of the absolute most prestigious awards on the planet (more on that later).
What is David Attenborough's net worth in 2023?
David Attenborough's net worth in 2023 is estimated at $15 million.
How much is David Attenborough paid?
The Sun pegged Attenborough's annual salary in 2022 at about $1.6 million for 389 minutes of TV across four shows (at the time, Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard, Dinosaurs: The Final Day, and Attenborough’s Wonder of Song for the BBC, plus Global Adventure for Sky). That breaks down to be more than $4K per minute of TV work that year.
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How did David Attenborough make his money?
Attenborough earned his money first as a textbook editor, then as a TV producer, and then as a presenter, TV personality, writer and producer.
A source told Metro of Attenborough, "Sir David is very switched on when it comes to how he works. He’d spent over 60 years loyal to the [BBC] before he looked to streaming channels. It means sharing his fervent environmental message further, and reaching younger generations, but also makes great business sense."
How much was Richard Attenborough worth when he died?
At the time of his death in 2014, David Attenborough's brother, actor Richard Attenborough, was worth an estimated $20 million.
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Is David Attenborough up for a Nobel Prize?
Attenborough was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2022, alongside the likes of Pope Francis, imprisoned Russian opposition candidate Alexei Navalny, the World Health Organization, Black Lives Matter, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whistleblower Julian Assange, climate activist Greta Thunberg, activist Opal Lee (who advocated for Juneteenth to be recognized as a national holiday), Belarus dissident Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and the Myanmar National Unity Government, among several others.
The Nobel Peace Prize winners for 2022 were Ales Bialiatski of Belarus, the Russian human rights organization Memorial and the Ukrainian human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties.
