Jay Leno is well-known for being a comedian and one of the United States’ longest-serving talk show hosts. In addition to his work on television, he is also a keen car collector, and is known for his huge collection of rare and high praised vehicles.
Leno is such a gearhead nowadays that arguably, he’s even more famous these days for his place in the motoring world than his successful career, especially after launching Jay Leno’s Garage on CNBC.
Leno collects not only modern cars, but vintage motorbikes, classic cars, pre-war vehicles, turbine-powered cars and even vehicles powered by steam. As long as it has a story, you’ll likely find it in Jay’s ownership.
Jay Leno doesn’t only collect these pieces of art, but his team of detailers and mechanics set to work restoring these vehicles to showroom condition. But while most in a collection would stay tucked up in the warm and out of the wet, Jay ensures that they’re driven and enjoyed.
What Is Jay Leno’s NetWorth?
Jay Leno’s net worth is $450 million as of 2021. In addition, he currently earns $15 million each year from his investments and TV work. In 2010, Jay Leno purchased the famous garage that houses his massive collection.
Jay Leno started presenting the Tonight Show from 1992 to 2009, where he gained fame as not only a comedian, but a brilliant interviewer. From here he started his own talk show, but quickly returned to the Tonight Show for another four years before leaving in 2014 for the last time.
According to HotCars, Jay earned a healthy $320 million each year before taxes, but according to the presenter himself, he saved this money and spent only what he earned from his comedy performances. Of course, these weren’t small gigs, with him having plenty of experience from when he started in the industry in 1973 where he started a comedy club in his university.
How Much Is Jay Leno’s Car Collection Worth?
Jay Leno’s car collection spans upwards of 180 cars, 160 motorbikes, and according to Celerity Net Worth, is valued up to $100 million. Within this collection sits a number of one-off vehicles, making it incredibly difficult to accurately value, so take that number with a pinch of salt.
On top of this, he is always adding and subtracting from his huge collection, plus restoring the cars that need it, so it’s almost impossible to keep up with what he owns.
This experience turned into a YouTube channel called Jay Leno’s Garage, and as this quickly gained traction, the show was moved to NBC by the same name.
How Did Jay Leno Make And Keep His Money?
It’s said that Jay Leno lived frugally during his early years, and while maintaining multiple revenue streams, only spent his smallest paycheque. On top of this, he didn’t buy on credit. He even bought his houses in cash so as to not have any debt to pay off in the future.
In the same manner, Jay always paid cash for his cars, avoiding any sort of finance or loan to acquire them. In doing so, he’s paid no interest on any of the vehicles he’s purchased over the years.
Hiis Garage
The Garage itself is larger than what most people would live in. I suppose you need this sort of space to house not only hundreds of cars and motorcycles, but a full garage for restorations and a detailing bay.
His collection, as mentioned, covers a huge variety of vehicle. He owns 5 EVs for example, many of which pre-date any current technology, and a host of steam-powered cars which he is very passionate about.
