Nick Cannon frequently makes headlines by announcing pregnancies and births of his many children (the total is currently 12).
While the notorious baby daddy appears to be thrilled about becoming a dad once again, we can’t help but wonder how his rapidly expanding brood is affecting his wallet. Here’s a look into Nick Cannon’s net worth and how his kids are affecting his fortune.
He Has Earned A Pretty Penny Thanks To His Early Success
Born on October 8th, 1980, Nick Cannon has been working since he was a kid. He got his start as a teenager on the Nickelodeon sketch show All That and its spin-off, The Nick Cannon Show. He then went on to create and host the hit MTV improv game show, Nick Cannon Presents: Wild ‘N Out.
Cannon also has two studio albums under his belt, as well as guest and recurring roles on TV shows like Up All Night, Real Husbands of Hollywood, and Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
But hosting seems to be his go-to go, with credits including the Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards and Caught on Camera with Nick Cannon. Cannon’s longest-running hosting gig was for America’s Got Talent, which he emceed from 2009 until 2016.
The fact that he started working and found success at such a young age gave him a great start at building his wealth early—as long as he got good financial advice and invested his money wisely.
His Firing From ViacomCBS In 2020 Hurt His Bottom Line
In 2020, the TV host created controversy after interviewing rapper Professor Griff on an episode of his podcast, Cannon’s Class.
In 1989, Professor Griff was famously kicked out of Public Enemy after saying he believed Jews were responsible for “the majority of wickedness that goes on across the globe.”
When Griff reasserted this position during Cannon’s podcast, the host replied, “You’re speaking fact. There’s no reason to be scared of anything when you’re speaking the truth.”
Unsurprisingly, Cannon’s words sparked outrage. After initially refusing to apologize for his comments, he was fired by ViacomCBS, the parent company of MTV, VH1, and Nickelodeon.
Two days later, however, Cannon changed his tune and issued a lengthy apology via Twitter, apologizing for his words and promising to continue educating himself and pursuing connections between different cultures.
While the belated apology did not win Cannon his ViacomCBS jobs back (which included Wild ‘N Out), Fox allowed him to continue hosting The Masked Singer.
Then in February 2021, MTV had a change of heart and agreed to bring Cannon back to Wild ‘N Out, saying they believed the host had “taken responsibility for his comments” and “worked to educate himself.”
While he ultimately landed on his feet, his hiatus from Wild ‘N Out certainly reduced his earning potential, at least temporarily.
His 12 Children Cost Him Over $3 Million A Year
Now onto Nick Cannon’s kids. The controversial host has fathered 12 children with six different mothers.
He had his first two kids, twins Moroccan and Monroe, with Mariah Carey back in April of 2011. Cannon and Carey were married in 2008, separated in 2014, and finalized their divorce in 2016. While he does not have to pay child support to his superstar ex, he is required to put away $5,000 a month in a trust for the twins.
In 2017, the former AGT host had his next child, Golden Sagon, with model Brittany Bell. Three years later, the duo had a daughter named Powerful Queen. Then in September 2022, they had their third child named Rise Messiah Cannon.
Wasting no time, Cannon welcomed another pair of twins into the world—this time with baby mamma Abby De La Rosa. Zillion and Zion were born in June 2021, bringing Cannon’s kid count to six.
Shortly after the birth of Zillion and Zion, model Alyssa Scott confirmed via Instagram that she was expecting a child with Nick Cannon, a son they named Zen. Sadly, Zen passed away from cancer at five months old. Almost a year later in December 2022, the pair welcomed a daughter, Halo Marie.
In June of 2022, it was revealed that Abby De La Rosa was pregnant once again and that Cannon is the father. Just a month later, in late July 2022, Cannon welcomed his 8th child with Bre Tiesi.
In September 2022, Cannon announced a surprise birth—his ninth child chronologically by birth order—Onyx Ice Cole Cannon, whom he fathered with photographer LaNisha Cole.
On November 11, 2022, Cannon announced that Abby De La Rosa had given birth to their third child together, Beautiful Zeppelin Cannon.
It’s not clear what Cannon’s financial obligations are for all of his children, other than his twins with Carey. In a September 2022 Instagram Stories exchange, Bre Tiesi told a commenter that Cannon was not her “sugar daddy” and made it clear that she did not expect him to hire a night nurse (via People).
Other reports have circulated claiming Cannon pays $3 million a year in child support. Cannon himself has refuted this, claiming the actual number is much higher.
Nick Cannon’s Net Worth
According to CelebrityNetWorth.com, Nick Cannon’s net worth is estimated at $20 million. This figure includes a reported annual salary of $5 million for his current hosting duties. It’s also reported that the entertainer made $70,000 an episode while on America’s Got Talent, which he hosted for seven years.
While supporting so many kids will certainly be pricey for Cannon, we think he’ll be able to manage it. With all of his current hosting and producing credits—plus the years of income he earned and (hopefully) saved smartly as a teen and young adult—Cannon should be able to manage his costly fatherhood duties.