Why Howard Stern Owes His Massive Fortune To Something Revolting

Looking back at Howard Stern's career, it quickly becomes clear that he is one of the most fascinating celebrities of all time. These days, Howard is one of the richest radio hosts ever, he has famous friends, and he seems to care about people like his former sidekick Artie Lange. Part of the reason Howard is so successful is that he is such a great interviewer that he got Donald Trump to talk about his prenup and Matt Lauer to admit having a crush on his co-worker.

While he can be great at connecting with guests, Howard has said things that were so scandalous that he got beaten up. Howard also made Dolly Parton so upset she threatened to sue him and Michael Jackson sought him out to lead a protest. On top of all those scandals, Howard also built his career based partially on something revolting he once did.

Howard Stern Mocking A Horrific Tragedy In A Revolting Way Led To His Immense Success

Over the years, there have been several radio hosts who seemed to take immense pride in being so-called "shock jocks." While that description almost seems quaint now, people who've forgotten Howard Stern's past conduct would truly be shocked by the things he has said and done.

Over the last several years, there have been many public figures whose careers were ruined after they were "canceled." When Howard did offensive things in the past, it had the exact opposite effect on his radio career.

Amazingly enough, looking back at his career reveals that Howard got rich because of something truly revolting he did.

In April 2021, the website Inside Radio, which chronicles news about the radio business, published an article based on Howard's shock jock past.

That article began by stating that the most infamous moment from Howard's radio career in the '80s was focused on a plane crash. Since Howard built his career on his reputation for being a shock jock, the repulsive joke he made about that horrific incident played a major role in him becoming so rich.

On January 13th, 1982, a plane took off from a Virginia airport with it supposed to land in Florida. As a 2022 article from The Washington Post looking back at what happened next reveals, that plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge over the Potomac River right after takeoff. The plane then plunged into the water below.

According to The Washington Post's aforementioned 2022 article about the tragedy, the plane crashed due to pilot error. It was deemed that the pilot failed to engage ice protection systems and didn't abandon takeoff once it became clear something was wrong.

When the plane took off, there were 79 occupants made up of 74 passengers and five members of the crew. Only four of the passengers and one crew member survived the crash. In addition to the 74 people from the plane who lost their lives, another four people from the seven vehicles the plane struck when it crashed also died. That means that a total of 78 people lost their lives in the tragedy.

Notably, a passenger named Arland D. Williams Jr. helped the five survivors from the plane escape death. After the crash, he helped the survivors to reach a rope that had been dropped by a helicopter, which allowed them to be pulled up. When the five survivors were in the helicopter and being taken to safety, the plane shifted and sank in the water and dragged Arland with it, which led to his passing.

After this horrific series of events took place, most observers were in utter shock. On the other hand, Howard went on the radio the next day and made jokes about what happened.

In 1982, when the plane crash took place, Howard Stern was working for a radio station called DC-101.

In February 1999, The Washington Post published an article about shock jocks. That article chronicled how Howard reacted to the plane crash and some of the fallout from his actions.

After the plane crash, Howard went on the air and called Florida Air, the company whose plane went down.

Howard then asked the person who picked up how much it would cost him to get a one-way ticket to the 14th Street Bridge. To say that was a shocking "joke" for Howard to make after the plane crashed into the 14th Street Bridge is a colossal understatement.

While Howard's joke about the plane crash caused outrage, it actually thrust him into the superstar he became.

As The Washington Post's article details, Howard was only fired from DC-101 a year after his infamous plane crash joke. Not only that, the outlet reported that when Howard was let go, it was over a salary dispute.

According to an article about Howard Stern from The Richest, it is estimated that he has a $650 million net worth. While that is an unconfirmed estimate, it gives readers an idea of the kind of fortune Howard is believed to have.

After that, Howard's infamous reputation, which was largely built on the plane crash joke, allowed him to get hired by a New York radio station. That opportunity allowed Howard to become immensely rich and famous.

Howard Stern's Reputation After The Plane Crash Joke Was So Intense That David Letterman Feared Him

In September 2022, David Letterman appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live!. As a YouTube upload of the resulting interview shows, David went on to tell Jimmy how freaked out by Howard Stern he once was.

During that discussion it was revealed that when Howard moved to New York, he and David worked on their shows in the same building.

Howard Stern's Biggest Feuds, According to Us Weekly

• David Letterman
• Lena Dunham
• Kathie Lee Gifford
• Simon Cowell
• Wendy Williams
• Meghan Markle and Prince Harry
• Jon Bon Jovi
• Adam Sandler
• Donald Trump
• Bill Maher

As David explained, he did everything he could to avoid Howard at the time because he was afraid of the shock jock. Still, David told Jimmy that avoiding Howard didn't work.

"In those days Howard was 'shock jock Howard,' and I was always afraid of Howard. I didn't want Howard to say unpleasant things about me—but he did."

As he went on to explain to Jimmy, David thought that Howard was cruel because he was emotionless.

"I kept thinking to myself, he must not have any feelings because he would say hurtful things and the more hurtful things he would say, the greater his audience would become, and I thought, 'I'm in the wrong business here.'"

That said, David told Jimmy that Howard later apologized to him. "Howard and I have spent some time together, and I've gotten to know Howard, and he was such a sweet man to apologize for intimidating me. 'I'm sorry I frightened you,' and I got to know him as a completely different guy."