Who is Lester Holt? Biography | Wiki
Lester Holt is an American news anchor who currently leads the weekday editions of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. Holt became the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News on June 18, 2015, after Brian Williams was demoted. Holt made history as the first Black male solo anchor for a major network newscast, following in the footsteps of Max Robinson, the ABC News evening co-anchor.
In 2018, Holt was named the most trusted TV news anchor in America, according to a poll. He also gained attention for moderating the first presidential debate of 2016, where he was praised for fact-checking candidates’ false statements, although he faced criticism for struggling to maintain control of the debate and keep time.
Under Holt’s leadership, NBC Nightly News faced a decline in ratings, dropping from first place to second during his tenure, after decades of dominance under Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams.
On February 24, 2025, it was announced that Holt would step down from NBC Nightly News in the summer of 2025, after a decade as anchor. He will transition to becoming the full-time host of NBC’s Dateline following his departure.
How old is Lester Holt? Age and Birthday
Lester is 66 years old as of 2025. He was born on March 8, 1959, in Hamilton Air Force Base, California, in the United States of America. In addition, he celebrates his birthday on the 8th of March every year.
Lester Holt High School and College
Which school did Holt attend? He joined and graduated from Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova where he received his high school diploma. Later on, he joined the University of California State majoring in Government but he never graduated.
READ MORE: Who is Brian Williams? NBC, MSNBC, Age, Height, 11th Hour, Wife, Family, Salary, and Net Worth
What is Lester Holt’s Nationality and Ethnicity?
Lester is of American nationality and citizenship. In addition, he was born and raised in Hamilton Air Force Base, California, in the United States of America. Besides, he belongs to the white ethnicity.
How tall is Lester Holt? Height and Measurements
How tall is Holt? Approximately he stands at a height of 6 feet and 2 inches ( 1.88 m) tall, as he is a man of average stature. However, he has not revealed any data concerning his other body measurements in public places.
Lester Holt Family | Parents and Early Life
He was born and raised in California, United States to his parents, Lester Don Holt Sr and June. He is the youngest child of four. Besides, Holts’s maternal grandparents originated from Jamaica. However, Lester has not disclosed more details concerning his family in public places.
Is Lester Holt married? Wife | Wedding
Lester is married to his lovely wife Carol Hagen. Besides, the pair are honored with two sons namely Cameron and Stefan. Stefan graduated from the University of Pepperdine in 2009. Moreover, he worked as the morning news reporter at NBC owned and operated channel called WMAQ-TV in Chicago. However, he moved to the same floor as his father. However, he has not revealed much data concerning his marital status.
How much does Lester Holt Make? Salary
He mainly receives his income from his role as a senior journalist for NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. Therefore, he has an annual average salary of $100,000 as of 2025.
Lester Holt’s Net Worth
Holt can credit the largest percentage of his wealth to his journalism profession. Therefore, he has an estimated net worth of $2 million as of 2025.
Lester Holt Nightly News
Lester Holt is an American news anchor who currently leads the weekday editions of NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC. Holt became the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News on June 18, 2015, after Brian Williams was demoted. Holt made history as the first Black male solo anchor for a major network newscast, following in the footsteps of Max Robinson, the ABC News evening co-anchor.
In 2018, Holt was named the most trusted TV news anchor in America, according to a poll. He also gained attention for moderating the first presidential debate of 2016, where he was praised for fact-checking candidates’ false statements, although he faced criticism for struggling to maintain control of the debate and keep time.
Under Holt’s leadership, NBC Nightly News faced a decline in ratings, dropping from first place to second during his tenure, after decades of dominance under Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams.
Holt served for 19 years with CBS, as a reporter, international correspondent, and anchor. Later on, he became an anchor for WCBS-TV based in New York. He later moved to WBBM-TV based in Chicago and served for fourteen years as a reporter for the evening news. Lester not only served at the anchor desk but also served as an anchor extensively from troubled spots around the globe such as Northern Ireland, Somalia, Haiti, Iraq, and El Salvador.
Moreover, he joined MSNBC in 2000. In 2003, Lester assumed full-time duties at NBC News as a substitute reporter of the weekday edition, However, following the death of former co-anchor David Bloom, Holt became a full-time reporter of Weekend Today. Besides, he held the position until 2005. During that stint, he reported a two-hour daily newscast on MSNBC.
Later on, he became the reporter of the weekend edition of NBC Nightly News. Holt reported the show for 8 years before replacing Brian Williams as a permanent reporter of the weekday edition. Presently, he is the host for NBC Dateline. Apart from his main responsibilities at the NBC News channel, Holt hosted a special for The History Channel about the 9/11 conspiracy theories.
On February 24, 2025, it was announced that Holt would step down from NBC Nightly News in the summer of 2025, after a decade as anchor. He will transition to becoming the full-time host of NBC’s Dateline following his departure.
