Jeremy Clarkson's Net Worth (Updated 2022) | Wealthy Gorilla

Net Worth:$70 Million
Age:65
Born:April 11, 1960
Gender:Male
Height:1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Country of Origin:United Kingdom
Source of Wealth:Professional Journalist
Last Updated:Feb 9, 2026

Table of Contents

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  • Introduction
  • Newspaper Journalism
  • Motoring Press Agency
  • Amstrad Computer User
  • Top Gear
  • The Grand Tour
  • Other Notable Moments
  • Highlights
  • Summary

Introduction

Jeremy Clarkson is an English journalist, broadcaster, and writer with an estimated net worth of $70 Million.

Clarkson specializes in motoring and is best known for previously hosting Top Gear and The Grand Tour with Richard Hammond and James May. He also writes weekly for the magazines ‘The Sunday Times’ and ‘The Sun’.

Quick Facts

  • Peak upfront salary of £1 million ($1.8 million) per year from Top Gear
  • Earned additional millions from the show on the backend through his production company, Bedder 6.
  • Signed a multi-year, £160 million ($216 million) deal with Amazon Prime
  • Earned roughly £10 million ($13.5 million) per year from The Grand Tour

Newspaper Journalism

Jeremy Clarkson’s long, relatively controversial career has been marked by many ups and downs. Let’s discuss Clarkson’s successful yet controversial career as a writer, journalist, and TV presenter. The very first stage of Clarkson’s career involved being a traveling salesman for his parents’ business, selling Paddington Bears.

However, his passion lay in journalism, first training at Rotherham Advertiser and then going on to work for various newspapers such as:

  • Lincolnshire Life
  • Rochdale Observer
  • Shropshire Star
  • Wolverhampton Express and Star

As Clarkson’s writing began to gain traction, he received the opportunity to work for more prominent companies with larger audiences.

Motoring Press Agency

In 1984, Clarkson co-founded the Motoring Press Agency with his friend Jonathan Gill. The duo conducted vehicle road tests, which were then published in local newspapers and automotive magazines. Jeremy left the company when he became a presenter for Top Gear; however, it still exists today and has grown quite significantly in size and revenue.

Amstrad Computer User

Most people don’t know that Jeremy Clarkson’s early career involved him reviewing video games for Amstrad Computer User. Clarkson started writing articles for the service in 1987.

In typical Clarkson fashion, a former editor of Amstrad took to a forum several years ago to comment on his work. The editor mentioned that they had commissioned three articles from Clarkson, with only two being completed, and “neither were particularly good.”

Top Gear

In 1988, he had his big breakthrough when he became a TV presenter for the British motoring program Top Gear. His signature sarcastic style in his reviews brought him wide mainstream fame.

In 2002, the BBC presented Top Gear in a new format. The host trio made the show one of the most-watched programs ever. Clarkson, Hammond, and May became one of the most popular trios on TV, and Top Gear’s audience skyrocketed. Some of the most popular episodes the show produced were their ‘specials’, which involved treks throughout several destinations, including:

  • Africa
  • Bolivia
  • Botswana
  • Burma
  • Middle East
  • Patagonia
  • United States
  • Vietnam

The Special episodes, in particular, involved each of the trio picking their own car, often with a limited budget, and having to modify their vehicles based on the location they were going to explore. Some of the moments throughout these episodes made for comedy gold.

However, Many controversial things happened behind the scenes of the show. In 2015, Clarkson’s disagreements with the producers led to him physically assaulting one of them, and he had to pay £100,000 ($153,000) in compensation. This was ultimately what led to Clarkson’s firing from Top Gear the same year, with Richard Hammond and James May deciding to leave with him. The presenters were replaced by Chris Evans, Matt Le Blanc, and Rory Reid, but the show never returned to its original form.

Bedder 6 Limited (Top Gear Earnings)

During the show’s prime years, Jeremy Clarkson established a production company with Top Gear’s executive producer Andy Wilman, called Bedder 6, which handled merchandising and international distribution. In essence, this allowed Clarkson to earn money from the show in more ways than one. Not only did he receive an upfront salary along with his co-stars, but he also received dividends from the company in relation to Top Gear’s commercial profits. This included things like revenue from DVD sales, merchandise, and syndication.

Some reports suggest that Clarkson earned £1 million ($1.8 million at the time) per year in salary from Top Gear, plus an additional £9 million from Bedder 6, bringing his total to £10 million ($18 million). The company was officially dissolved in September 2017, following Clarkson’s departure from Top Gear.

The Grand Tour

Top Gear would soon have competition, as the former presenters would quickly move on to produce their own show, The Grand Tour. The show first aired on Amazon Prime Video in November 2016 and has produced close to 50 episodes thus far. Unfortunately, Clarkson got himself into trouble once again, this time over comments he made about Meghan Markle. In 2023, Amazon decided to drop Jeremy Clarkson, leading to the cancellation of both his Amazon-hosted shows, including The Grand Tour.

Nonetheless, TGT’s contract with Amazon was reportedly worth £160 million ($216 million) and spanned multiple seasons. Clarkson personally earned at least £10 million ($13.5 million) per year. The partnership with Amazon and The Grand Tour lasted roughly six years, leading us to believe that Jeremy earned within the neighborhood of £60 million ($81 million).

Other Notable Moments

In 1997, Clarkson appeared on the comedy show Room 101, which made him a celebrity. After that, he appeared on shows such as Friday Night with Jonathan Ross and Parkinson.

Clarkson reached a high point in his career with his talk show, Clarkson, which consisted of 27 30-minute episodes and aired from 1998 to 2000. He also kept himself busy with multiple non-motoring ventures, such as producing documentaries on history and engineering. In 2018, Clarkson announced he would host a revamped version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire.

Highlights

Here are some of the best highlights of Jeremy Clarkson’s career:

  • Robot Wars (TV Show, 1998)
  • Top Gear (TV Show, 2002-2015)
  • The Grand Tour (TV Show, 2016-2023)
  • The Sunday Times (Newspaper, 1993-present)
  • The Sun (Newspaper)
  • Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? (2018)

Summary

Jeremy Clarkson is mainly known as the former host of the internationally acclaimed sports car show Top Gear, which is considered one of the most-well-viewed television shows in the world. He has also been a journalist for The Sun and The Sunday Times for over 30 years. While his career has seen him share his controversial political opinions with the public, Clarkson has achieved incredible success throughout, with several missteps in between.

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