Forbes Reveals Highest-Paid Podcaster of 2026 with Staggering $82M Earnings
Forbes Reveals Highest-Paid Podcaster of 2026 with Staggering $82M Earnings
Tabitha ParentThu, July 30, 2026 at 8:05 PM UTC
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Joe Rogan, Alex Cooper, Jay Shetty and Travis Kelce.Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC; Rob Kim/Getty; Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic; Jamie Squire/Getty -
Forbes released a list of the highest-paid podcasters of 2026, including their estimated podcast-related earnings
The winner in the No. 1 spot raked in an estimated $82 million over the last year – $15 million higher than the next-placed podcast on the list
The list included big-name podcasters like Dax Shepherd of Armchair Expert, Amy Poehler for her Good Hang podcast, Mel Robbins of The Mel Robbins Podcast and more
Forbes has released the estimated earnings of the highest-paid podcasters of 2026, and the person in the No. 1 spot took home an estimated $82 million on their popular podcast over the last year.The list, which was composed of the top 20 highest-paid podcasters of 2026, features some of the most popular, critically acclaimed podcasts of the day, including Jay Shetty’s On Purposepodcast, which has hosted guests from Matt Damon to Michelle Obama. Shetty recently inked a multiyear deal with both Netflix and Spotify for the podcast’s video rights, which is estimated to be worth about $100 million.Other celebrity-led podcasts like Will Arnett, Jason Bateman and Sean Hayes’SmartLess and Amy Poehler’sGood Hang made the list alongside creator-led shows like Alex Cooper’sCall Her Daddy and Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner’sGiggly Squad.
However, in the top spot, taking home $82 million in earnings between June 2025 and June 2026, was comedian and UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan’sThe Joe Rogan Experience, which lives on Spotify.
Joe Rogan during the UFC 24/7 event on May 7, 2022 in Phoenix, Ariz.Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty
Rogan’s popular show, which consistently tops ranking charts, did $12 million more in earnings than the next-highest-placed podcast, which was OpenAI-owned TBPN (Technology Business Programming Network), which did $70 million in earnings.The next three highest-earning shows were Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO at $45 million in earnings, Ashley Flowers’ Crime Junkie at $42 million and SmartLess at $37 million.
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Mel Robbins, author of Let Them, was tied with Jason and Travis Kelce’sNew Heights for her SiriusXM-owned The Mel Robbins Podcast at $35 million.Forbes said that its rankings were calculated as an estimate of the total amount earned by the talent or their business through everything related to revenue sharing, platform fees and other live events (think live episodes like Desorbo and Berner’s Club Giggly and Cooper’s The Unwell Tour).
Jay Shetty attends the pre-GRAMMY Gala on Jan. 31, 2026 in Beverly Hills, Calif.Credit: Amy Sussman/Getty
The publication’s estimates — which were calculated based on interviews with agents, lawyers, managers, executives and other experts — did not take into consideration shows that were broadcast live and later syndicated or shows that were only distributed on YouTube (“internet creator” shows, a note at the end of the article clarified).Other big names in the audio world, like creator Alex Cooper, whose Call Her Daddy podcast is often seen as a foil to Rogan’s more conservative show, appeared to bring in $32 million, per Forbes.Forbes was also clear that the figures had been calculated to represent the pretax earnings that were specifically for podcast-related work, though the publication acknowledged that many of the names behind podcasts on the list, like Amy Poehler’s Good Hang and SmartLess, earn other income from projects like movies, TV, endorsements and more.The full list of the top 20 highest paid creators is available on Forbes’ website.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
