What is Jon Wertheim’s Net Worth and Salary?
Jon Wertheim, an esteemed American journalist, author, and sports commentator, boasts a net worth of $4 million and earns an annual salary of $2 million.
Renowned as a veteran senior writer for Sports Illustrated and a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” Wertheim is highly regarded as one of America’s leading tennis journalists. Throughout his career, he has seamlessly navigated between print media, television, book authorship, documentary creation, and sports commentary, forging a reputation for insightful reporting that explores the intersection of sports with business, culture, politics, science, and societal issues.
Wertheim embarked on his journey with Sports Illustrated in the 1990s, gaining prominence for his detailed tennis reports while also covering sports-related business, controversies, social matters, and key personalities in athletics. His expertise soon extended to television, where he served as a commentator for the Tennis Channel and joined “60 Minutes” as a correspondent in 2017. By 2026, amidst significant upheaval at “60 Minutes,” Wertheim, along with Lesley Stahl and Bill Whitaker, reassured colleagues of their commitment to the program, emphasizing their desire to preserve the legacy of the iconic newsmagazine.
Early Life
Born in 1970 in Bloomington, Indiana, L. Jon Wertheim pursued his higher education at Yale University, graduating in 1993. His Midwestern roots and Ivy League education profoundly influenced his career, which is characterized by in-depth reporting, incisive analysis, and a wide-ranging curiosity about the dynamics shaping sports and culture.
Distinct from many sportswriters who primarily focus on scores and athlete profiles, Wertheim crafted a narrative style that views sports as a gateway to broader topics. This perspective became a hallmark of his contributions to Sports Illustrated, his numerous books, and his later work on “60 Minutes.”
Sports Illustrated
As a full-time staff writer at Sports Illustrated since the 1990s, Wertheim emerged as one of the publication’s leading voices. His writings span a wide array of subjects, including tennis, the business of sports, performance, corruption, gambling, athletes’ rights, media, and the cultural significance of sports.
His tennis coverage became a particular calling card. Wertheim covered the careers of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, Serena Williams, Venus Williams, Novak Djokovic, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and many of the other defining players of the modern era. His writing often went beyond match recaps and rankings, focusing instead on psychology, training, money, rivalries, and the changing business of global tennis.
Over time, Wertheim also became known as an enterprise writer who could handle major investigative or long-form projects. His Sports Illustrated work has covered subjects ranging from athlete abuse scandals to the economics of college sports and the growth of mixed martial arts.
Books
Wertheim has authored or co-authored numerous books, many of them rooted in sports but aimed at a broader audience. His best-known books include “Strokes of Genius,” which examined the 2008 Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, and “Scorecasting,” co-written with Tobias Moskowitz, which explored hidden patterns and myths in sports through economics and data.
He also wrote “Blood in the Cage,” about the rise of mixed martial arts and fighter Pat Miletich, and “Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed Sports and Culture Forever.” His books reflect the same approach that made him successful in magazine journalism: using sports as a doorway into larger questions about money, fame, rivalry, science, risk, and human behavior.
Television Career
In addition to his writing career, Wertheim became a familiar television presence through Tennis Channel, where he has worked as an analyst and commentator. His ability to explain the sport’s strategy, personalities, business, and historical context made him a natural fit for television, especially during major tournaments.
In 2017, Wertheim joined “60 Minutes” as a correspondent. His work for the program has ranged beyond sports into culture, foreign affairs, national issues, and investigative reporting. His CBS assignments have included stories about Saudi Arabia’s sports spending, the effects of Russia’s war in Ukraine on the ballet world, and other subjects where sports, politics, culture, and global power intersect.
“60 Minutes” Turmoil
In June 2026, Wertheim became one of the remaining central figures at “60 Minutes” during a major internal crisis at the program. After the firings of several senior producers and longtime correspondent Scott Pelley, Wertheim, Lesley Stahl, and Bill Whitaker wrote to colleagues that they had struggled with whether to remain at the show.
Ultimately, the three correspondents said they would stay, explaining that they did not want to see “60 Minutes” die. They also expressed frustration over the firings and defended the show’s values of independence and journalistic integrity.
For Wertheim, the decision underscored his position as part of the program’s next generation of institutional voices. Although he arrived at “60 Minutes” much later than Stahl or Pelley, his work across print, television, books, and documentary storytelling made him one of the correspondents positioned to help define what the newsmagazine becomes in its next era.
All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. While we work diligently to ensure that our numbers are as accurate as possible, unless otherwise indicated they are only estimates. We welcome all corrections and feedback using the button below.
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