Lester Holt Wiki
Lester Holt (Born: Lester Don Holt Jr) is a popular American journalist who anchors the NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. He joined Dateline NBC in 2011 and on June 18, 2015, he was the first African-American anchor of NBC Nightly News after the demotion of Brian Williams. Lester followed in the professional footsteps of Max Robinson, an ABC News evening co-anchor, and was the first Black male solo host for a major network newscast.
Previously, he was a reporter, anchor, and international correspondent at CBS for 19 years. In 1981, Lester started working as a reporter for WCBS-TV in New York City. In 1982, he was a reporter and weekend anchor at KNXT in Los Angeles, and the following he returned to WCBS-TV as a reporter and weekend anchor. Lester went to WBBM-TV in Chicago in 1986, where he worked for 14 years anchoring the evening news.
Working at the anchor desk he also covered news extensively from troubled global spots. Lester joined MSNBC in 2000. In 2003, he started full-time duties at NBC News, where he worked as a substitute anchor at NBC Nightly News and Today. Lester became a full-time co-anchor of Weekend Today after the demise of previous co-anchor David Bloom.
Quick Facts
| Age | 65 years old (born March 8, 1959) |
| Wife | Carol Hagen (m. 1982) |
| Parents | June and Lester Holt Sr. |
| Salary | $10 million per year |
| Net Worth | $48 million |
Lester Holt Age
Lester was born on March 8, 1959, in Hamilton Air Force Base, California, in the United States. He is 65 years old. Lester celebrates his birthday on March 8, every year.
Early Life And Education
Lester was born on Hamilton Air Force Base, Marin County, California. His parents are June (DeRozario) and Lester Holt Sr. Lester’s maternal grandparents Canute DeRozario and May are from Jamaica. His maternal grandfather was of Anglo-Indian ethnicity from Spanish Town. May, was an Afro-Jamaican born in Manchester Parish, Jamaica but grew up in Harlem, New York, where his mom was born.
Lester’s dad is originally African American from Michigan, with roots in Tennessee. During the Vietnam War Lester Holt Sr worked at Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska for four years. His older brother who is a disc jockey at a local radio station in Anchorage, Alaska introduced him to journalism.
He studied at Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova. Later on, Lester studied government at California State University, Sacramento, but never graduated, earning an honorary degree in 2015. In 2020, he earned an honorary Doctorate(s) in Humane Letters from Rutgers Campus, and in 2023 from Villanova Campus.
Lester Holt Wife
Lester is married to his wife Carol Hagen. His wife works as a real estate agent. The couple met when Carol worked as a flight attendant while Lester worked as a radio reporter in California. Lester and his wife married on May 8, 1982, at the Mark Hopkins Hotel in San Francisco about two years after they began dating.
In 1987 the couple welcomed a son Stefan Holt who now serves at NBC 5 Chicago, where he anchors the nightly news broadcast on weeknights. A few years following the birth of Stefan, the couple welcomed their second son, Cameron. Cameron now works in New York as an executive director at Morgan Stanley. It is unknown if Lester was previously married to anyone.
NBC Lester Holt
He is a journalist currently working as a news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. Lester was named anchor of “NBC Nightly News” in June 2015 following anchoring the weekend editions of “NBC Nightly News” for eight years and co-anchoring “Weekend TODAY” for 12 years. He has worked as principal anchor of “Dateline NBC” since September 2011 and in 2000 joined NBC News. Lester has over four decades in journalism and has covered and anchored breaking news events across the world.
He came to MSNBC following 14 years at WBBM-TV in Chicago where he was the afternoon and evening news anchor. Following pursuing government at the California State Campus in Sacramento, Lester started his television journalism profession as a reporter at WCBS-TV in New York in 1981. The next year he went to Los Angeles to report for KCBS-TV (then KNXT) prior to returning to WCBS in 1984.
Some of Lester’s colleagues at NBC are:
Michelle Grossman – Meteorologist.
Angie Lassman – Meteorologist and Environmental Reporter.
Emilie Ikeda – News Correspondent.
Joan Lunden – Correspondent for Today.
News
In August 2019, Lester got rare access inside Tehran, Iran, where he talked to top diplomats and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, and before, he was in Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day.
White Face
In 2018, Lester wore a “whiteface” Halloween costume which Fox News host Tucker Carlson compared to that of Megyn Kelly a recently fired “Today” show host, deeming all people offended as “self-righteous.” The picture surfaced because he dressed the part for a segment on the “Today Show” on NBC.
Weight Loss
From the look of his former and current photos, Lester has lost weight. He may have lost weight by maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Email Address
To email Lester for press inquiries only, one can e-mail NBCNewsMediaRelations@nbcuni.com. You can also contact him using the number 212-413-6142.
Height
Lester is a man of above-average stature who stands at a height of 6 ft 2 in (approx. 1.88 m).
Salary
As the anchor of NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC, Lester’s average salary is $10 million per year. He covers the top stories in the US and around the globe.
Net Worth
Lester has accumulated a net worth of $48 million due to his work as a journalist. He is known for his work on NBC, working as co-anchor on Weekend Today from 2003 until 2015.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Old Lester Holt?
Lester is a 65-year-old who was born on March 8, 1959, on Hamilton Air Force Base, California, in the United States.
Is Lester Holt I’ll?
Lester is not sick, he is busy focusing on anchoring the top stories at @NBCNightlyNews.
Where Is Lester Holt?
He works as an anchor and reporter for NBC News in New York City. Lester anchors the weekday NBC Nightly News.
How Much Does Lester Holt Make?
As the current host for NBC’s Dateline, Lester makes $10 million per year.
Lester Holt How Tall?
Lester stands 6 ft 2 in (approx. 1.88 m) tall.
Who Is Lester Holt Married To?
Since 1982 Lester has been married to Carol Hagen.
What Is Lester Holt’s Annual Salary?
Lester’s annual salary at NBC is $10 million.
Who Is Lester Holt Wife?
Lester’s wife is Carol Hagen a real estate agent.
Does Lester Holt Have A Wife?
In 1982, Lester married his wife Carol Hagen.
How Do I Email Lester Holt?
One can email Lester using NBCNewsMediaRelations@nbcuni.com.
How Much Does Lester Holt Make Per Year?
Lester makes $10 million per year for his work at NBC.
Has Lester Holt Lost Weight?
From the look of his previous and current photos, Lester has lost weight.
How Much Does Lester Holt Get Paid?
NBC pays Lester $10 million annually due to his work as the anchor at NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC.
How Did Lester Holt Lose Weight?
Lester lost weight by maintaining a balanced diet and exercising regularly.
Social Media Accounts
Instagram – lesterholtnbc
Twitter – @LesterHoltNBC