STEPHEN COLBERT – EST. $60 MILLION

Not many are aware, but Stephen Tyrone Colbert initially wanted to be a dramatic actor and was interested in improvisational theater when he was pursuing a degree at Northwestern University. He would later professionally perform as an understudy for another genius comedian, Steve Carell, while they were part of the Second City, which is based in Chicago. Here, he was introduced to Amy Sedaris and Paul Dinello— his collaborators for the cult favorite, Strangers with Candy.

Although his late-night talk show program airs after most of us have already gone to bed, Stephen still has many followers who are fond of his witty and cynical humor. It’s a show that some of us find worth staying up late for. Of course, we know Stephen best for The Colbert Report— the show which helped him gain public recognition. He hosted the show from 2004 to 2014, before moving on to The Late Show.