From McDonald’s Employee to The Tonight Show! How Did Jay Leno Do It?

Way of LifeSeptember 25, 2019

Jay Leno is a popular figure in America, having hosted The Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009. He is now a relatively wealthy man, having a $400 million net worth. As The Tonight Show host, Leno made $30 million a year, making his net worth a fathomable figure. He held onto his high-paying job for more than fifteen years.

The Tonight Show former host, Jay Leno, is worth $400 million

You’ve Got to Start Somewhere

However, life wasn’t always a swimming-in-wealth affair for the comedian cum television host. Back in the day, when Jay was just starting, he had to live on minimum wage working at a McDonald’s in Andover, Massachusetts. From 1966 to 1968, this was where Leno earned his living, cutting and frying French fries, flipping burgers and serving happy meals.

Luckily for Leno, he had mastered a strong work ethic from an early age. Even in his early working days, he ensured that he always had more than one source of income. His reason for this, he says, was that he figured having two jobs would be the easiest and quickest way to becoming a millionaire.

Employing a lot of financial self-control, Jay Leno always lived off his lesser paycheck, saving all he earned from the better-paying job. When he was starting up as a stand-up comedian, he also worked at a car dealership. Obviously, the money he made from the dealership was more –, and it all went to his savings account. Soon, when he established himself as a comedian worth his salt. Money made from telling jokes became more than what he was getting at the dealership, and the two sources of income switched role, in line with his principles.

Even when he made it big and landed a coveted spot on late-night television, he still kept to his fundamental belief. As he put it, he assumed that he was hosting The Tonight Show for free. This way, he was able to save up all he earned from the show, and live off his stand-up comedy gigs. With a $30 million-a-year package, you can make a wild guess of how much he saved up in the two decades he played host.

Before becoming a late night show host, Leno was a stand-up comedian

Keep Off Debt

Another strong belief Leno has held over the years is that there is no good debt. He has never been for credit cards and has never been in debt. Whenever he uses a card, he ensures that he pays it off by the end of the month. So strict is his policy against debt that he didn’t buy a house until he could pay off the whole amount in cash.

According to him, a strong work ethic is what drives you to the greatest heights of success. This, he says, he learned while working at McDonald’s. If one ensures that their end product is excellent, their work will speak volumes, and propel them towards their goals. Speaking in one of his show’s episodes, Leno admitted that putting on a great show was always his number one goal. And even after he’d spent hours on set prepping for the show, he would go home to work on his on-stage comedy material.

Jay Leno interviewing another popular millionaire in the entertainment business, Jerry Seinfeld

He also adds that mistakes along the way are a great learning process, and they sow seeds of empathy towards others who may make similar mistakes. Also, according to Jay Leno, mistakes breed humility.