Kelly is making $69 million for about three years as the host of the latter program, Megyn Kelly Today, which has Kelly attempting to shed her controversial political role from her Fox News days in favor of a more typical morning show inoffensive-to-all vibe. All except Matt Lauer and Jimmy Fallon perhaps, who it’s been suggested that as NBC vets might feel slighted by newcomer Kelly being paid so handsomely. Laurer makes a reported $25 million as a Today anchor, while Fallon makes “only” $15 million a year to host The Tonight Show. That puts Kelly either in their league or above it, pay-wise. One anonymous source lamented this dynamic, comparing Kelly’s $23 million salary to the ones earned by Lauer, Fallon, and various other NBC stalwarts: It might be a different situation if Kelly had the ratings to justify such a lofty salary, but as of now her viewership numbers are far, far below what NBC must have been expecting when they hired her. But, thanks again to that same contract, she has plenty of time to try and pull those numbers up.
