Harald Schmidt: The Entertainer’s Fortune

How much money does Harald Schmidt have?

Harald Schmidt’s fortune and salary can sometimes be hotly debated. After all, it is rumored that the German entertainment giant collects a whopping 100,000 euros per appearance. His annual salary should also be up to 9 million euros. One of the best-known moderators in Germany should therefore have no financial problems when it comes to ensuring the livelihood of his partner and five children. The talent was able to lay the foundation of his career between 1995 and 2014 with his numerous late night shows. The cherished Harald Schmidt’s fortune is 20 million euros.

The beginning of the career

Harald Schmidt has certainly studied his craft. From 1978 to 1981 he was at the State College of Music and Performing Arts enrolled in the field of drama at the Stuttgart location. The ambitious actor hoped to get in touch with television by attending the Henri Nannen School of Journalism in Hamburg. However, today’s star, who lives with his family in Cologne-Marienburg, could not pass the final selection of what is probably the most prestigious journalism school in Germany.

The Harald Schmidt Show

Before Harald made his career in television, he performed on the municipal theaters in Augsburg from 1981 to 1984. From 1984 onwards, Schmidt was finally able to deepen the talents that later made him so rich and successful. Under the guidance of Lore Lorentz, he learned what it means to be a cabaret artist. As early as 1985, the young star was able to go on tour with his solo program called “I have already covered again”. Although his early television appearances on “Do you understand fun?” Were only moderately successful, started his own show in 1995, the “Harald Schmidt Show”. It was broadcast extremely successfully from Sat.1 from 1995 to 2003. Then the show followed in 2005 on ARD. Schmidt’s production company received 8 million euros from ARD for 60 programs per year. From 2007 to 2009 a joint show followed with Oliver Pocher, under the name “Schmidt & Pocher”. The Harald Schmidt Show was then broadcast on Sat.1 from 2011 to 2012, and on Sky from 2012 to 2014.

Great TV success

Even if the media quickly dismisses Harald Schmidt Missed the nickname “Dirty Harry”, as the entertainer is known for his cynical and disrespectful humor, exactly that was very well received by the audience. It was not for nothing that Schmidt was continuously seen on TV with various late-night shows until 2014, with Sat.1, Das Erste and Sky stations. From 2007 to 2009 even together with Oliver Pocher. Although Harald Schmidt sometimes exceeded the limits of good taste, even a few complaints could not bring his TV career to an early end.

Schmidt was able to make a name for himself not only as an entertainer, but also as a serious actor. Since 2008 he has been seen repeatedly as cruise director “Oskar Schifferle” in the ZDF production “Das Traumschiff” (with Florian Silbereisen, among others). He’s also shown his acting talent with “Rosamunde Pilcher”. In an interview in November 2019, he even stated that in future only in “heartbreak productions” wanting to participate. An entertainer comeback was categorically ruled out.

Merit as an advertising medium

However, it should also be clear that not all Germans love Harald Schmidt. This has been shown, for example, in the evaluation of his advertising appearances, which began with a cooperation with McDonald’s. As part of the 1998 World Cup, the star moderated the “McSchmidt Studio” as part of the collaboration with the fast food giant. The entertainer has also advertised T-Online and even a drug manufacturer called Hexal was one of his advertisers.

A market research institute in Munich carried out a nationwide survey in 2006, which came to the conclusion that only 36 percent of German consumers saw Harald Schmidt as a likeable advertising medium. Günther Jauch was able to achieve a sympathy value of 69 percent in this survey. As controversial as this person may be, Harald Schmidt has already used his star status to do good. For example, since 2008 he has been the patron of the German Depression Aid Foundation.

Image sources:
Cover picture: Kandschwar [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
TVNOW