What Was CBS Commentator Charles Osgood’s Net Worth?

After decades on TV and a career that ended less than a decade ago, news broke that CBS commentator Charles Osgood had died at the age of 91 on Jan. 23, 2024. Charles was best known for hosting CBS Sunday Morning for more than 20 years, a role he officially retired from in 2016.

Following the news of his death, many want to learn more about the breadth of Charles’s entire career as well as his net worth. Here’s what we know about how well off Charles was by the end of his life.

Estimates of Charles’s net worth suggest that he was worth roughly $5 million at the time of his death. Although he held a high-profile job for decades, it seems that he relied on the salary from that job to make his living, and spent most of his time working on the show and on related projects. High-profile television jobs can be highly lucrative, which is why his net worth was estimated at such a high level.

Prior to his retirement, Charles had worked for CBS for more than 45 years. His tenure as host of CBS Sunday Morning saw the show reach new ratings milestones, and elevated Charles to be one of the most prominent voices in the world of news.

When he announced his retirement in 2016, Charles seemed somewhat saddened that he would have to leave the show, even though he’d been doing it for more than 20 years.

“For years now people — even friends and family — have been asking me why I keep doing this considering my age,” Charles said at the time. “It’s just that it’s been such a joy doing it! Who wouldn’t want to be the one who gets to introduce these terrific storytellers and the producers and writers and others who put this wonderful show together.”

Charles was known in part for his use of music and poetry, both in interviews and in the writing style he used on the show.

“To say there’s no one like Charles Osgood is an understatement,” executive producer Rand Morrison. “He embodied the heart and soul of Sunday Morning. His signature bow tie, his poetry … just his presence was special for the audience, and for those of us who worked with him. At the piano, Charlie put our lives to music. Truly, he was one of a kind — in every sense.”

Now, many who remember his presence are mourning his loss, and remembering the life he led in public view for so long. Our thoughts and prayers are with Charles’s family and friends.