Highlights
- Joe Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, has become incredibly popular and influential, attracting millions of fans to every episode.
- Rogan signed a multi-year contract with Spotify worth over $200 million, solidifying his success in the podcasting industry.
- The show's producer, Jamie Vernon, is estimated to make an annual salary of $200,000, benefiting from his role in the podcast and the networking opportunities it provides.
During the mid-2000s, podcasting became a popular way for celebrities and influencers to reach their audience and make some money in the process of doing so. Over the years, the medium gained traction and now more than 30 separate platforms exist to host podcasts on.
Even though many stars have podcasts these days, it is becoming increasingly more difficult to stand out among the sea of podcasts available and make a large fortune in doing so.
Joe Rogan is one of those celebrities who have managed to make his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, not only incredibly popular but influential as well. He has millions of fans who listen to every episode which is why he has been able to negotiate an incredibly high salary for himself to host the podcast.
While Rogan is the star of his podcast, several other people play a key role in the show’s production. With that in mind, it begs an obvious question, how much does Rogan pay the people who help make his podcast a reality?
Updated August 2023: Joe Rogan never intended for his podcast to be as successful as it is today when he started it in 2009. But with the number of followers he gained in short order, streaming platforms took notice. Because of this, Rogan was able to sign a multi-year contract with Spotify worth over $200 million.
While the podcast has had its troubles in more recent days, from using derogatory language to providing misinformation about COVID, Spotify did not pull the plug on the podcast completely. Instead, they chose to not cancel Rogan but to delete the podcasts that were offensive and misleading in nature.
This became a learning experience for Rogan, who was fortunate enough to not lose his most valued employee and friend, Jamie Vernon in the process.
'The Joe Rogan Experience' remains one of the most popular podcasts on Spotify. If it remains so, it would not be unheard of for the next deal negotiated to be worth more than the $200 million that was agreed upon in 2000.
How Did Joe Rogan Start His Podcast?
When The Joe Rogan Experience debuted in 2009, it was not started to become a primary means of making income. Instead, Rogan wanted to have a "discussion amongst friends." The UFC sportscaster had no idea that his podcast would take off and become as popular as it did.
"I’ve never tried to do anything with this podcast other than just talk to people and have interesting conversations," Rogan explained. "I didn’t plan it I can’t believe it’s as successful as it is. It was never really an idea that I had. The podcast started off to be... with my friends and having fun and talking and then when it became popular, other people wanted to come on. I was like, 'Oh it’d be cool to talk to that person. Oh, he’s interesting. Oh, she’s got a cool book out' and then boom it’s become what it is today. Which is like some out-of-control juggernaut that I barely have control of."
Now known for his unique interview style, Rogan has proven time and time again that he can get his guests to open up and reveal things they typically keep close to the chest. Once Rogan mastered his interviewing skills, the podcast seemed to become a huge deal practically overnight. He used his connections and Hollywood circle of friends to bring many celebrities onto the podcast.
Joe Rogan's $200 Million Deal With Spotify
In the years since The Joe Rogan Experience was launched, it has become so popular that its host became a "thought leader" for his devoted audience. Of course, anyone who has listened to The Joe Rogan Experience would know that Rogan would bristle at such a label. Still, Rogan hasn’t been shy about cashing in on all of his success as he is very open about the deal he struck with Spotify that was worth more than $200 million.
This figure was astounding when it was announced, given that the originally reported figure that Spotify agreed to pay Rogan was $100 million. As such, Rogan would be making over $200 million for a multi-year contract with the platform.
In addition to the massive amount of money that Rogan has made from his podcast, he has amassed his $120 million fortune in several other ways over the years.
Outside of his popular podcast, Rogan is known as a UFC broadcaster, a comedian, an actor, who appeared on News Radio, and the host of Fear Factor. He currently owns and operates a comedy club in Austin, Texas as well that requires club goers to get a facial scan on entry.
How Much Does Joe Rogan Pay Producer Jamie Vernon?
At the end of the day, there is one member of The Joe Rogan Experience staff who could never be replaced and that is the show’s titular host. As a result, it makes all the sense in the world that he would take the vast majority of the money that the podcast brings in. That said, considering how successful The JRE has become, it also seems reasonable to assume the show’s key staff members are doing quite well financially.
As of the time of this writing, none of The Joe Rogan Experience’s staff members have publicly stated how much money they make from the show. That said, there are reports about how much Rogan’s right-hand man (in terms of the podcast), producer Jamie Vernon, gets paid for his role.
Based on how much money The Joe Rogan Experience has brought in over the years and Vernon's net worth of $700,000, estimates put his annual salary at $200,000 per year. While there is no way to know for sure how accurate those numbers are at this time, it seems very clear that Vernon makes a tidy sum.
Of course, those figures are to say nothing about the fringe benefits Vernon’s The Joe Rogan Experience role affords him from meeting and networking with celebrities and being able to attend UFC matches from time to time.
While the producer of The Joe Rogan Experience is getting paid a pretty penny for his work on the podcast, guests are not paid for their time. This is not uncommon in the podcast community. Guests are interviewed by Rogan and are often provided funds for travel and hotels. But the real reason guests join The Joe Rogan Experience is for exposure and to reach a new audience to help build their brand or sell their products.