Larry King- Biography

Larry King was an American radio and television journalist.

Larry King’s Net Worth & Salary

Larry King was an American radio and television journalist who died with a net worth of $50 million. He was best known for hosting CNN’s “Larry King Live” show. She died at the age of 87 on January 23, 2021.

Larry King’s Birth, Parents, Siblings & Education

Larry King was born on November 19, 1933, in Brooklyn, New York. He was the son of Lithuanian-born Jennie, a garment worker, and Aaron Zeiger, an Austria-Hungarian restaurant owner.

Larry was deeply affected by the loss of his father when he was young, and he eventually lost interest in school.

He had always wanted to work in radio since he was a child. To kick-start his radio career, King would have to travel to Miami, Florida.

Larry King’s Professional Career

After some initial setbacks with settling in Miami, he first hit the airwaves on WAHR in 1957. Initially hired to clean up around the studio and do odd jobs around the office, one of the station’s announcers abruptly quit, and Larry was given the opportunity to go on air.

On May 1, 1957, he made his first broadcast as a disc jockey from 9 a.m. to noon. In addition, he did two afternoon newscasts and a sportscast. He received a weekly salary of $50.

The station manager advised him to change his name to something less “ethnic.” Within two years, he had legally changed his name to Larry King, which he had gotten from a Miami Herald advertisement for King’s Wholesale Liquor.

He began interviewing for a WIOD mid-morning show at Pumpernik’s restaurant in Miami Beach. He’d interview anyone who came in–his first interview was with a waiter at a restaurant. Two days later, singer Bobby Darin walked in on the spur of the moment and became King’s first celebrity interview.

Three years later, King made the transition to television, hosting a show called “Miami Undercover.” Larry became a local celebrity as a result of the show. He gained additional exposure when he was hired as a color commentator for the Miami Dolphins football team.

In December 1971, King’s popularity could not save him from a run-in with the law when he was accused of grand larceny by former business partner Louis Wolfson. In Miami, he was arrested and temporarily fired.

He was eventually hired to work on the Mutual Radio Network (now the Mutual Broadcast System), where he quickly went national with “The Larry King Show,” which gained a loyal following and over 500 affiliates.

In June 1985, King made a name for himself with “Larry King Live,” which is now CNN’s longest-running television program. He would conduct interviews with prominent leaders, politicians, and members of the entertainment industry.

From 9 p.m. to 10 p.m., King would do his CNN show, then travel to the Mutual Broadcasting System studios to do his radio show.

In his interviewing style, King became known for his direct, non-confrontational approach. He developed a reputation for asking simple, open-ended questions to his interviewees.

Throughout his career, King has conducted over 30,000 interviews. Besides hosting “Larry King Live,” King also had a newspaper column in USA Today for over 20 years.

During his peak, millions of people tuned in to CNN to watch “Larry King Live.” King has received ten Cable ACE Awards, two Peabody Awards, and a Golden Mike Award. During his time on CNN, King was replaced by a number of celebrities, including comedian Kathy Griffin, journalist/news anchor Dan Rather, and Kermit the Frog.

On June 29, 2010, King announced his retirement from his nightly hosting gig after 25 years. Piers Morgan, a British journalist and TV personality, has been named as King’s replacement. On December 16, 2010, the final episode of “Larry King Live” aired.

King co-founded the production company Ora TV in March 2012, where he began hosting “Larry King Now.” The show is only available on Hulu and RT America.

“Politicking with Larry King,” a Thursday night political talk show, is also hosted by King. In 2017, King stated that he has no plans to retire and will continue to host his talk show programs until he dies.

Other Projects

King has appeared in a number of films and television shows, including Ghostbusters, Shrek 2, and 30 Rock. King also appeared in “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story” in 2016. He moderated the third-party presidential debate on Ora TV in 2012.

In October 2011, he moderated the sixth Kazenergy Eurasian Forum in Kazakhstan. Larry King hosted the educational television series “In View with Larry King” from 2012 to 2013.

King is very active on Twitter, where he posts comments and thoughts on a wide range of topics. King also produces a number of TV infomercials.

Larry King’s Personal Life

Perhaps as much attention has been paid to King’s personal life as to his popular show. He is the father of five children from eight marriages.

At the age of 19, he married his high school sweetheart Freda Miller, but the marriage was annulled a year later. He had two marriages with Playboy Bunny Alene Akins! Their first marriage lasted only a year, from 1962 to 1963.

They reconciled and remarried in 1969, but divorced again in 1972. His most recent marriage, to Shawn Southwick, lasted from 1997 to 2019, when he filed for divorce.

Larry has also had a number of medical issues, the majority of which have been related to his heart. In 1987, he had his first major heart attack, which necessitated a quintuple bypass surgery.

Following that, he established the Larry King Cardiac Foundation, which pays for life-saving heart operations and procedures for people who would not be able to afford them otherwise.

He had a heart attack in April of this year. He revealed in November of that same year that he had also suffered a stroke, which had left him in a coma for weeks. Suicidal thoughts plagued him after his stroke.

It was reported in August 2020 that two of King’s children, Andy and Chaia King, had died within a few weeks of each other.

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Quick Facts of Larry King

• He was best known for hosting his CNN show “Larry King Live” on CNN.
• In June 1985, King became a household name with “Larry King Live”, which currently ranks as CNN’s longest-running television program.
• The final episode of “Larry King Live” aired on December 16, 2010. In March 2012, King co-founded production company Ora TV, where he began hosting “Larry King Now.”
• Other Ventures: King has made numerous self-appearances in film and television including Ghostbusters, Shrek 2, and 30 Rock.
• He has five children from eight marriages.