Connie Chung shattered the glass ceiling in broadcast journalism when she became the second woman to co-anchor a major network’s national weekday news broadcast. She and her husband Maury Povich have built an impressive net worth of $80 million.
Her remarkable career spans every major television network – ABC, CNN, NBC, MSNBC, and CBS. She developed a unique interviewing style that blends a gentle approach with tough questions, making her the go-to journalist for controversial figures. Her success reaches beyond the newsroom into smart real estate investments. The couple owns a stunning 12,500-square-foot house worth $9 million in Washington D.C.’s elite Kalorama neighborhood.
Let’s break down how this pioneering journalist built her fortune, look at her career’s defining moments, and understand the financial dynamics of her partnership with Maury Povich.
Connie Chung’s Rise in Broadcast Journalism
Connie Chung’s experience in journalism started with pure determination. She barged into a local TV station and declared, “I can learn. I don’t have experience, but I can do this job”. She started as a copier at WTTG-TV in Washington D.C. and quickly moved up to secretary, then writer, before becoming an on-air reporter.
Early career breakthroughs and first contracts
A CBS bureau chief spotted her confronting a restaurant cited for health violations, which became her big break. “He saw me, and he gave me his card, and he said: Call me“. Chung entered what she called “a sea of men” after joining CBS News in 1971. She adopted a tactical approach to survive: “I looked around and I said, ‘Well, heck, I’m gonna be a guy, too.’ So, I took on their characteristics. I had bravado; I would walk into a room as if I owned it!”
During the 1972 presidential campaign, Chung found that male reporters got their scoops at the hotel bar while she prepared in her room. She recalls, “It suddenly dawned on me they were saucing up the campaign manager and everyone who worked for the candidate, and letting them spill the beans”. Her adaptability earned respect, and her hustle led to a scoop on McGovern’s vice presidential choice.
Network-hopping and salary negotiations
Chung became one of America’s highest-paid local anchors at KNXT in Los Angeles by 1976, earning a reported $600,000 annually. NBC attracted her in 1983 with a multi-role position. She anchored “NBC News at Sunrise,” Saturday “NBC Nightly News,” and worked as a correspondent.
CBS brought her back in 1989 with a substantial raise—$1.8 million for the first year, $2 million for the second, and $2.2 million for the third. This three-year, multimillion-dollar contract showed her growing market value and CBS’s commitment to bring her back.
How controversial interviews boosted her market value
Chung secured what the industry called “The Get”—exclusive interviews with high-profile subjects throughout her career. She camped at Magic Johnson’s agent’s office after he announced his HIV-positive status in 1991: “I squatted. I wouldn’t leave until he left the office”. She also landed the first interview with the Exxon Valdez captain after the Alaska oil spill.
The 1995 interview with Newt Gingrich’s mother proved career-changing. Kathleen Gingrich whispered that her son called Hillary Clinton a “bitch,” and the resulting “B****gate” controversy led to Chung’s departure from CBS. These high-profile interviews established her as a premier journalist who commanded top dollar across networks, despite the controversy.
Breaking Down Connie Chung’s $80 Million Fortune
Connie Chung and her husband Maury Povich have built a combined fortune of $80 million. Their wealth comes from smart career choices and well-planned financial decisions.
Journalism salary progression through decades
Her earnings grew remarkably as her career advanced. She started small in the early 1970s, making about $10,000 yearly as a local TV news anchor. Her salary jumped to $34,000 at major networks by the 1980s. The real breakthrough came at CBS, where typical anchors earned $51,000 in 1993. Chung earned way more than her peers, pulling in $2 million yearly at both CBS and later at CNN. These premium paychecks showed her unique value as a game-changer who brought viewers to every network she joined.
Book deals and speaking engagements
Her wealth grew even more with her 2024 memoir “Connie: A Memoir.” The book tells her unique story and the challenges she faced as an Asian woman in a “white male-centered world”. Her speaking career brings in substantial money too. She charges $50,000-$100,000 for in-person events and $20,000-$30,000 for virtual talks. These rates put her among journalism’s top-paid speakers.
Investment portfolio highlights
Her investment details stay private, but her career background points to strong financial wisdom. A financial advisor named Connie Chung works at Merrill Lynch managing client assets, though this happens to be someone else with the same name.
Real estate holdings in Washington D.C. and Montana
Property makes up much of their wealth. They bought a historic 12,500-square-foot Tudor-style mansion in Washington D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood for $9 million in 2009. This 1929 estate boasts seven bedrooms, eleven bathrooms, and luxury features like a pool, koi pond, gazebo, and rooftop terrace. They also own a ranch in Bigfork, Montana, where they spend several months each year.
Who is Connie Chung Married To? The Povich Financial Connection
Maury Povich and Connie Chung’s story of love and finances started at WTTG-TV in Washington back in 1969. Chung worked as a copy girl at the station at the time Povich was already a seasoned professional. Their romance blossomed later after they met again on the West Coast in 1977.
Meeting Maury Povich and combining assets
The couple dated across different cities for seven years before getting married in 1984. People often called them an “odd couple”, yet their marriage has lasted over 40 years now. Chung adapted to Judaism after marriage and maintains a kosher lifestyle.
Their successful careers helped build their wealth. The power couple amassed a combined net worth of $80 million. Life brought its challenges as they faced multiple miscarriages before welcoming their adopted son Matthew in 1995.
Chung credits her success to her husband’s support: “Were it not for Maury, I could never have had the career I had. He has been my foundation, my support beam, my love, my partner in every way, for decades”.
Joint ventures and business decisions
The couple expanded beyond their TV careers with several business projects. They launched the Flathead Beacon in 2007, a weekly newspaper that serves Montana’s Flathead Valley. “We felt that the community where we lived in the Flathead Valley deserved more in a daily newspaper than what they were getting,” Povich said.
Their smart real estate choices show their business sense. The couple bought a $9 million Tudor-style mansion in Washington D.C.’s Kalorama neighborhood in 2009. The home spans 12,500 square feet of living space.
The couple splits their time between homes in:
- New York
- Florida
- Montana
Povich added another project to their portfolio with “On Par with Maury Povich,” a video podcast produced by his company MoPo Productions.
From 2021 to 2025: Projecting Connie Chung’s Net Worth Growth
Connie Chung, now 78 years old, keeps building her wealth, which looks set to grow even more between 2021 and 2025. She’s proven herself not just as a pioneering journalist but as a smart investor right next to her husband Maury Povich.
Connie Chung net worth 2021 baseline
Recent financial estimates show different numbers for Chung’s wealth. Most reliable sources say she and Povich have $80 million together. Other reports put her personal wealth between $15 million and $20 million. These differences likely come from various ways of counting shared assets. Her 40-year journalism career built these financial foundations.
Asset appreciation factors
Real estate is the life-blood of Chung’s growing wealth. She bought an eight-room apartment in New York’s exclusive Dakota building for $5.8 million in 1995. Similar seven-room apartments now sell for $10.9 million in 2022. The couple also owns a 12,500-square-foot Washington D.C. home in Kalorama, which they bought for $9 million in 2009. This prestigious neighborhood keeps pushing property values up.
They’ve spread their property investments to Montana, where they have a vacation home and own the Flathead Beacon newspaper. They used to own a historic manor in Middletown, New Jersey, which was listed at $2.3 million in 2010.
Potential new income sources
Chung’s 2023 memoir “Connie” brings in fresh revenue. She’s always been smart about creating lasting income streams, even in retirement. Her book, which shares her journey as a trailblazing Asian-American journalist, has got lots of attention.
Her lasting impact as a pioneer shows in the “Connie generation” of Asian Americans named after her. This boosts her value for speaking events and appearances. One expert put it perfectly: “Connie Chung blazed the trail that a lot of others didn’t even understand there was a trail to be blazed”.
She keeps exploring new ventures and investments. Her net worth will likely grow, and her influence will stay strong well past 2025.
Conclusion
Connie Chung’s remarkable trip from a copy girl to a broadcasting legend stands as proof of her steadfast spirit. Her combined net worth with Maury Povich of $80 million showcases not just decades of groundbreaking journalism but also smart financial decisions in real estate investments and business ventures.
Smart career moves, high-profile interviews, and quick adaptation in a male-dominated industry helped Chung pave the way for future journalists. Her impressive property portfolio, which includes the prestigious Kalorama mansion and Dakota apartment, without doubt strengthens her financial foundation for years ahead.
Her wealth shows promising growth potential through memoir sales, speaking engagements, and property appreciation as we approach 2025. Chung’s legacy reaches beyond monetary success – she revolutionized American journalism and proved that determination and authenticity break through any barrier.
