One of the most recognizable faces in not just the SEC football world, but in the entire college football landscape, is Paul Finebaum. So, it should come as no surprise that the famed sports reporter has built a net worth in the millions.
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The best-selling author has his own radio show, makes appearances on some of the biggest sports talk-shows and is deep into a long, successful career in sports journalism. Every college football fan probably know either Finebaum's name, face or voice, but how much has Finebaum actually made over the years and how much is "PAWWWWLLLLLL" worth today?
Early Life
Long hair, don’t care. #FinebaumFriday pic.twitter.com/9XLYJcChR7
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 29, 2017
Finebaum has had his hands on college sports journalism for decades, but he didn't begin his career covering sports at all. He began his career at the University of Tennessee writing about the student government for the school newspaper, having first been a political science major.
Before he was a writer-host-producer, Paul Alan Finebaum was the second-born child of Gloria Filderman and Benjamin Finebaum, who worked as an optometrist. Born in Nashville, Tennessee, Finebaum grew up alongside his sister Pam Finebaum in Memphis and attended both Christian Brothers High School and White Station High School before going off to the University of Tennessee, from where he'd later earn an Accomplished Alumni Award. He has been living the married life since 1990 after tying the knot with his wife Linda Hudson.
Radio Career
On MLK Day, we remember when Jay from Huntsville called into The Paul @finebaum Show.
One of the most memorable stories in talk radio history. pic.twitter.com/YJ1qpiRVQL
— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) January 18, 2021
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After graduating from Tennessee, he moved to Birmingham, Alabama and became a reporter and columnist for the Birmingham Post-Herald.
This explains why he has such a connection to Alabama-based teams and why his radio show always seems to gravitate back to the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn University. It is also a large reason why he was able to play a large role in the ESPN documentary "Roll Tide/War Eagle".
He has been a part of sports-talk radio for almost 40 years, most notably in his early career running the Mark and Brian Radio Show at WAPI-FM. The future radio personality would eventually become a radio host with his own show on that same network. In 2001, Finebaum launched the Paul Finebaum Radio Network on WJOX-FM. It was an immediate success and remains on air today.
Best-Selling Sports Author
Though he got his start at a newspaper, the former columnist boasts additional journalistic experience, including writing books. Some of his most famous are in the "I Hate..." series, the most famous of the bunch being "I Hate Michigan: 303 Reasons Why You Should, Too." He also penned the popular books, "The Worst of Paul Finebaum" and "Finebaum Said."
His most recent book was titled "My Conference Can Beat Your Conference: Why the SEC Still Rules College Football." This spent five months on the New York Times Best Seller List and is one of his most successful books he has written.
Television Career
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJ54UOJBrqY
Despite getting his claim to fame as a writer, Finebaum has moved more into the TV sector. The American TV personality has featured on various shows on the ESPN Network, such as "Outside the Lines" and "College Gameday." He may not be one of the main voices on the show, but he is definitely a go-to for all-things football in the Southeast and can be counted on to take part in the show every week of the college football season.
He is probably one of the most recognizable faces on the SEC Network largely due to his popular radio show, "The Paul Finebaum Show," which airs to audiences across the United States of America out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Maybe one of the more entertaining parts of the show is when he has fans call into the program, which has hosted some pretty colorful characters over the years.
Paul Finebaum Net Worth
With so much experience over so many mediums, it is not really much of a surprise that Finebaum is rich.
Paul Finebaum has built up an estimated net worth of $2 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. His salary at ESPN is reportedly $5 million, and he's worth every penny. Whether you believe his net worth is lower than his yearly income is completely up to you.
Finebaum may not be a person that screams money, but when you become one of the best and most-respected professionals in your field, you can expect to get a pretty big payday.
