Richard Hammond's Net Worth: $45 Million in 2024

Richard Hammond's Net Worth: $45 Million in 2024.

What Is Richard Hammond's Net Worth and Salary?

Richard Hammond is a British TV host, author, and journalist with a net worth of around $45 million. He’s most famous for being a co-host on the car show "Top Gear," where he teamed up with Jeremy Clarkson and James May.

Early Life and Career

Richard Mark Hammond was born on December 19, 1969, in Solihull, Warwickshire, England. In the mid-1980s, his family relocated to Ripon, where he went to Ripon Grammar School and later attended Harrogate College of Art and Technology.

After completing his education, Hammond kicked off his career at various BBC radio stations, including Radio Cleveland, Radio York, Radio Cumbria, Radio Leeds, and Radio Newcastle. While at Radio Lancashire, he crossed paths with motoring journalist Zogg Zieglar during his afternoon show. Hammond would call Zieglar for a weekly car review segment, and it was Zieglar who inspired him to explore motoring reviews on TV.

Top Gear

Richard Hammond tried out for the British car show "Top Gear" and joined as a presenter in 2002 when it got a fresh new look. He was part of the show for several years until his contract ended in March 2015, but he made a comeback for a special episode in June 2015 that lasted 75 minutes.

During his time on "Top Gear," fans started calling him "The Hamster" because he was smaller than his co-hosts, Jeremy Clarkson and James May. This nickname stuck, especially in series 7, where he famously munched on cardboard and acted all hamster-like. In September 2006, Richard had a terrifying accident while filming a segment for the show. He was zooming along at 288 mph (463 km/h) in a Vampire dragster when disaster struck—the front right tire blew out, causing the car to flip onto the grass.

He was found unconscious inside the wreck but came to after the car was righted. When he appeared on "Friday Night with Jonathan Ross" in December 2006, he shared that he had been in a deep coma for two weeks after the crash and dealt with post-traumatic amnesia, struggling with a five-second memory. By 2011, he confessed that he couldn’t even remember the Jonathan Ross interview, highlighting just how serious his memory issues were.

RELATED: Jeremy Clarkson's Net Worth: How He Built His $70 Million Fortune.

Wider Television Career

Hammond kicked off his role as a presenter on the Sky1 entertainment docuseries "Brainiac: Science Abuse" back in 2003. For the second season, he teamed up with Jon Tickle and Charlotte Hudson. After signing an exclusive contract with the BBC, he exited the show after its fourth season and was succeeded by Vic Reeves.

Aside from that, Hammond has been part of several other projects, including hosting the "Crufts" dog show in 2005 and the British Parking Awards in both 2004 and 2005. He has also presented a variety of shows and specials such as "The Gunpowder Plot: Exploding The Legend," "Should I Worry About…?," "Time Commanders," "Petrolheads," "Richard Hammond's 5 O'Clock Show," "Richard Hammond and the Holy Grail," "Good Friday," "Richard Hammond's Engineering Connections," "Total Wipeout," "Richard Hammond's Blast Lab," "Richard Hammond's Invisible Worlds," "Time Commanders," "Richard Hammond's Journey to the Centre of the Planet," "Richard Hammond's Crash Course," "Planet Earth Live," "Science of Stupid," "Richard Hammond's Jungle Quest," and "The Grand Tour."

Richard Hammond launched his own workshop project to bring his passion for cars and engineering to life. His interest in cars led him to create a personal workshop to restore, modify, and work on various vehicles. Located in the UK, Hammond's workshop has become a place where he experiments with new ideas, often sharing insights into the world of car restoration and custom builds. It highlights his deep-rooted love for engineering and hands-on car culture.

Salary

When the crew transitioned from the BBC to Amazon Studios in 2016, Richard began pulling in a yearly salary of $7 million.

Personal Life

Richard has been happily married to Amanda "Mindy" Hammond (formerly Etheridge) since May 2002. Mindy writes a column for the "Daily Express." The couple has two daughters and a whole bunch of pets, including horses, dogs, cats, chickens, ducks, sheep, and even a peacock.

Car Collection

Hammond is really into Porsche cars, especially the Porsche 911, and he's had a few different models over the years. He even calls the Pagani Zonda the ultimate supercar. One of his past rides was a 1982 Porsche 911 SC, which he sold in the mid-2000s, and he later got a 2006 Porsche 911 (997) Carrera S. Back in 2004, he picked up a Porsche 928 for his daily commute.

He's also dabbled in American muscle cars, owning a 1969 Dodge Charger R/T, a 1967 Ford Mustang GT 390, and a 2008 Dodge Challenger SRT-8, which he bought during a Series 12 episode of "Top Gear." On top of that, he has a BMW 850Ci, which he raced against Jeremy Clarkson's Mercedes CL600. In Series 18 of "Top Gear," it came out that he also had a Fiat 500 TwinAir, and by Series 21, he revealed he had just snagged a Porsche 911 GT3.

In March 2012, Hammond got his B206 LST helicopter license and later added a Robinson R44 Raven II helicopter to his collection.

Residences

The Hammond family resides in a faux castle in Herefordshire. They also own a flat in London and a villa in Saint-Tropez. It's said that Richard dropped 2 million pounds on Bollitree Castle back in October 2012.

Richard Hammond's journey from a radio presenter to a global TV personality showcases his passion for cars, engineering, and entertainment. Despite his challenges, including a life-threatening accident, Hammond has continued to thrive in his career. His role in "Top Gear" and subsequent ventures, including "The Grand Tour" and his personal workshop project, have solidified his reputation as a beloved figure in the automotive world.

With a significant net worth, diverse career, and a growing car collection, Hammond’s influence and success continue to inspire fans. His dedication to both his craft and personal passions remains a key to his enduring appeal.