How much do you pay a person who talks about money? Well, for a show about investments, stock markets, and financial news, you’d be curious to know just how much the CNBC Squawk Box cast earns.
We’ve used different financial sources to compile this list, and while doing so, we’ve learned that the cast members earn different salaries based on experience and expertise.
We’ve also considered their net worth, including houses, cars, and investment property.
So, here’s a list of the CNBC Squawk Box’s hosts’ salaries and net worths’ ranked from the highest to lowest.
1. Jim Cramer – $12 million
- Salary: $12 million annually
- Net worth: $150 million
Before Jim was employed by CNBC, he was an editor for the SmartMoney magazine.
Later on, in 1996, he started a financial news and investment website with Perertz called TheStreet.com. Later on, he sold the website for $16.5 million and started making appearances as a CNBC guest commentator.
In 2002, CNBC liked him so much that it asked him to co-host the show America Now with Larry Kudlow.
Soon, in 2005, he started his investment TV show, Mad Money With Jim Cramer. The show became popular with audiences thanks to Jim’s eccentricity and the use of unusual props.
With his hefty salary, it’s only natural that he would invest some of it. According to The Motley Fool, he likes to invest his wealth in index funds to avoid any conflicts of interest.
By 2021, he had invested in 80% U.S. stocks, 10% international stocks and 10% gold and cryptocurrency.
Moving away from his investments, he owns 19 cars in his garage, including the Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche and McLaren. Additionally, he owns vintage cars that he bought at auctions, which have a current value of $5 million.
Besides owning a fleet of cars, he owns a villa in Florida and a 5-bedroom luxe penthouse in California.
2. David Faber – $5 million
- Salary: $5 million annually
- Net worth: $19 million
David began studying English at Tufts University, where he gained writing and critical thinking skills.
After honing those skills at school, he joined CNBC in 1993 as a TV anchor and journalist.
Soon, he joined Squawk, where his work includes providing real-time updates on the latest market trends.
Besides co-hosting Squawk, he would also host The Faber Report. Through this segment, he reported on major financial news stories while offering insights into the business world.
Thanks to working on the two shows, he kept viewers tuned in by interviewing influential figures in finance.
Little is known about his real estate holdings. The only information is that he bought a townhouse in Manhattan for $5.5 million in 2007.
3. Becky Quick – $3 million
- Salary: $3 million annually
- Net worth: $20 million
Becky is a co-anchor for the CNBC shows Squawk Box and On the Money. She initially wrote for the Wall Street Journal and even helped the company launch its publication website in 1996.
While working with the Wall Street Journal, she oversaw the coverage of foreign affairs as an editor.
After co-hosting Squawk Box in 2005, she immediately gained national fame. Her co-hosts, Andrew Ross Sorkin, Joe Kernen and Carl Quintanilla, would join her later on.
Together, they made a great team due to lightening things up in the morning by bantering amongst themselves.
CNBC isn’t the only avenue that earns her money. Due to her popularity, she has been invited to moderate panels at prestigious conferences, such as the Microsoft CEO Conference.
Additionally, she is a board member of the Economic Club of New York which brings together influential leaders from various industries.
4. Joe Kernen – $3 million
- Salary: $3 million annually
- Net worth: $16 million
Joe’s hilarious on-air persona, quick wit, and humor have earned him a large social media following. As a result, he has been able to amass a salary of up to $3 million a year.
Before joining CNBC in 1991, Kernen worked as a stockbroker, assisting clients with investment decisions and achieving financial goals.
Although Joe joined CNBC in 1991, he didn’t become famous until 1995, when he became a co-host for Squawk Box. As you guessed, he became famous for his humor, unbiased reporting, and insightful analysis.
Although he is yet to get an award, you can’t deny his noteworthy contributions to financial journalism.
Joe lives with his wife, Penelope, in a century-old New Jersey home. Since the house was very old, he was able to renovate it with his CNBC earnings.
According to Architectural Digest, he redid the leaded windows and utilized original brass doorknobs and hinges for renovation.
5. Carl Quintanilla – $3 million
- Salary: $3 million annually
- Net worth: $9 million
Before joining Squawk, he was a reporter and columnist for the Boulder Daily Camera in Boulder (1991-1993).
From 1994 to 1999, he became a staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal, writing on airlines, manufacturing, and economic issues.
He joined Squawk Box in 2005 but left for Squawk on the Street in 2011.
In 2014, he joined HBO Real Sports as a correspondent. He is best remembered for covering Stephen Marbury’s story in 2015. The story was about his suicidal thoughts after his NBA career ended.
Together with his wife, they bought a luxe Hamptons 4,269-square-foot home on 0.96 acres of land with 6 bedrooms and 7 bathrooms.
The house has an open floor plan, vaulted ceilings, and a nautical flair. Finally, it has a bluestone patio and a heated gunite pool.
6. Rick Santelli – $2 million
- Salary: $2 million annually
- Net worth: $8 million
Rick (contributor for Squawk) graduated from the University of Illinois and soon met his mentor, RJ Abrams.
RJ taught him about customer relations, foreign exchange, and futures trading. Thanks to his knowledge of finance, he became a commodity trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange.
In the 1990s, Rick felt that the financial industry was changing and that his position as a trader would no longer help him financially.
As a result, he accepted a full-time job with CNBC in 1999. Since joining this media house, he has been known to speak his mind even on controversial issues.
For instance, in 2009, he talked about the Boston Tea Party (1773) in reference to President Obama’s mortgage relief plan during the financial crisis.
He opposed a bailout and urged people to protest government intervention in the housing market. He is also known for infamously claiming that to end the COVID-19 virus, it should be administered to everybody.
Rick owns a two-story, 5,502-square-foot Prairie-style house in west suburban Wayne. It sits on 3 acres of land and has 5 bedrooms and 4 bathrooms.
As for outdoor features, it has a five-car heated detached garage and a pond.
7. Sara Eisen – $1 million
- Salary: $1 million annually
- Net worth: $7 million
Sara graduated from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University and immediately joined ForexTV.
Soon, she joined Bloomberg Television, where she covered many global G20 and IMF meetings. Her work mainly focuses on macroeconomics and foreign exchange.
When she isn’t co-hosting for Squawk, she appears on an hour-long program called Lunch Money. She is also a correspondent for Bloomberg Surveillance, a morning show that discusses world financial affairs, business, and economics.
In 2014, she and her husband bought a 1,200-square-foot apartment in the Spears Building at 525 West 22nd Street.
The house cost them $2.33 million, but they later put it up for sale in 2018 for $2.595 million. Its twelve-foot beamed ceilings, polished concrete floors, and exposed bricks stand out.
8. Andrew Ross Sorkin – $650,000
- Salary: $650,000 annually
- Net worth: $12 million
Andrew began working as an intern at the New York Times as a high school senior all the way to university.
By the time he graduated from university, he had published at least 70 articles. After completing his journalism degree, he began working as a columnist for The Times and finally joined Squawk Box in 2011.
Before joining Squawk Box, he published a book titled, Too Big to Fail, in 2009. This book was featured on the hardcover of the New York Times for nine weeks. In 2011, HBO made a movie version of the book.
In 2010, he purchased a co-op in Manhattan for $2.315 million. Seven years later, he would sell it off for $3.25 million.
His passion for real estate didn’t end there. He would later acquire another co-op on the West Side for $4.25 million.