Larry King’s Net Worth, Cause of Death, and Inheritance

Few broadcasters became as familiar to American households as Larry King, the man with the suspenders and the nightly talk show. When he died at 87, the headlines focused on his career, but the quiet story unfolding in a California probate court was just as fascinating: roughly $144 million in assets, a handwritten will, and a family divided. This article traces how King built his fortune, what caused his death, and who ended up with his money.

Born: November 19, 1933 ·
Died: January 23, 2021 ·
Age at Death: 87 ·
Known For: Host of Larry King Live ·
Estimated Net Worth: $150 million

Here is a quick reference of Larry King’s vital statistics.

What did Larry King pass away from?

Larry King died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles on January 23, 2021, after a short hospitalization. The immediate cause of death listed on the death certificate was sepsis, with acute hypoxic respiratory failure and end-stage renal disease as underlying conditions (Entertainment Tonight (celebrity news outlet)).

Details of his hospitalization

• King was admitted to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles in late December 2020 after testing positive for COVID-19 (Fox News (media outlet)).
• He had preexisting conditions including type 2 diabetes and heart disease, which complicated his recovery.
• On January 23, 2021, he died at the same hospital.

The pattern: a celebrity death initially attributed to COVID-19, but the official certificate pinned it on sepsis—a common complication in elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. For estate planners, that distinction can change the way “natural causes” clauses in trusts are interpreted.

Why was Larry King so famous?

Larry King became a household name through Larry King Live, the nightly interview show he hosted on CNN from 1985 to 2010. Over those 25 years, he conducted more than 50,000 interviews with world leaders, celebrities, and ordinary people, building a reputation for a relaxed, non-confrontational style that made guests open up.

The Larry King Live show on CNN

• The show aired at 9 p.m. Eastern and was CNN’s highest-rated program for much of its run.
• King’s trademark suspenders and direct questions became pop-culture icons.
• He won a Peabody Award in 1982 for his radio show and later earned two Emmy Awards (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher)).

His interview style and notable guests

• King interviewed every sitting U.S. president from Gerald Ford to Barack Obama.
• He famously interviewed Marlon Brando, Frank Sinatra, and even showed restraint when interviewing Donald Trump—a relationship that later drew scrutiny (CNN (news network)).
• He published several books, including a memoir titled My Remarkable Journey.

Why this matters: King’s fame directly translated into financial leverage. His CNN contract reportedly paid him $7–8 million per year, and his brand allowed him to command speaking fees and endorsement deals that built his $150 million net worth.

How much was Larry King worth when he died?

Public estimates of Larry King’s net worth at death vary from $144 million to $150 million. The majority of that wealth was accumulated during his 25-year run on CNN, supplemented by book royalties, real estate, and a short-lived talk show on Ora TV (Nelson Mullins (law firm analysis)).

Estimated net worth at death

• $150 million was the figure widely reported in entertainment and business outlets.
• A law-firm analysis pegged the total at $144 million (Talbot Law PC (probate litigation firm)).
• Of that, only about $2 million was in the probate estate subject to the will contest—most assets were held in revocable trusts or passed directly to beneficiaries outside probate (Nelson Mullins (law firm analysis)).

Sources of wealth

• CNN salary: Peak earnings of $8–9 million annually.
• Book advances: Several bestsellers including How to Talk to Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere.
• Speaking engagements: King charged up to $100,000 per appearance.
• Endorsements: Spokesman for brands like DirectTV and King’s Hawaiian bread.

The trade-off: King’s income was largely tied to his personal brand, not a corporate entity. That made his estate vulnerable to disputes because the lion’s share of his assets were intangible—rights to his name, image, and future earning potential—which are harder to value and divide.

Who did Larry King leave his money to?

Larry King’s handwritten will, dated October 17, 2019, left 100% of his funds to his five children equally—but two of those children, Andy and Chaia, had died before him, so their shares were in limbo (Fox News (media outlet)). The will did not mention his estranged wife, Shawn Southwick King, from whom he was in the middle of a divorce (Talbot Law PC (probate litigation firm)).

Inheritance to his children

• King’s five biological children: Larry Jr., Chaia (d. 2021), Andy (d. 2020), Danny, and Cannon.
• A law-firm analysis noted that the handwritten will “left everything to the children equally,” but the predecease of two created a question of whether their shares would go to their descendants or be redistributed (Venable (law firm guidance)).

Spousal provisions

• King and Shawn Southwick King were legally married at the time of his death, but the divorce was active.
• Under California law, a spouse can claim a “spousal share” even if disinherited in a will, unless a valid prenuptial or postnuptial agreement exists (Baron Family Law (estate planning firm)).

Charitable bequests

• No specific charitable bequests were mentioned in the research notes; King’s philanthropic activities appear to have been limited to informal donations.

The catch: Because the will was a holographic will (handwritten and not formally notarized under California’s strict requirements), its legal validity was immediately challenged. Son Larry King Jr. filed a petition in probate court claiming the estate was worth at least $2 million and that the will should be upheld—but that the real fight was over the tens of millions in trusts that flowed to Shawn and others outside probate (Talbot Law PC (probate litigation firm)). For more on similar estate conflicts, see our coverage of Eamonn Holmes: Divorce, Health, and Net Worth.

Did Larry King support Trump?

Larry King described himself as an independent voter. He interviewed Donald Trump multiple times on Larry King Live and later on his Ora TV show, and the two maintained a cordial relationship. However, King never publicly endorsed a presidential candidate in 2016 or 2020 (CNN (news network)).

Larry King’s political leanings

• In a 2013 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, King said, “I’m an independent. I’ve voted for Democrats and Republicans.”
• He criticized both parties at times, calling the media “too partisan” in a 2018 tweet.

Interviews with Trump

• King interviewed Trump on Larry King Live annually from the 1990s onward.
• After Trump became president, King said he still considered him a friend but would “ask the tough questions.”

Public statements and controversies

• King’s neutrality frustrated some viewers, but he insisted it was his journalistic style.
• He once said, “I don’t want to influence anybody. I want to get the story.”

What this means: King’s political independence served his interview style well, but it also meant that no major party or politician could leverage his endorsement. His final years were free of the partisan feuds that defined many media figures’ legacies.

Timeline

• 1933: Born in Brooklyn, New York. (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
• 1957: Began radio career in Miami. (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
• 1978: Started hosting “The Larry King Show” on Mutual Broadcasting System. (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
• 1985: Launched “Larry King Live” on CNN. (Encyclopaedia Britannica (reference publisher))
• 2010: Ended “Larry King Live”; moved to Ora Media. (CNN (news network))
• 2021: Died at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center from sepsis with underlying COVID-19 complications. (Entertainment Tonight (celebrity news outlet))

Clarity

Confirmed facts

• Larry King died on January 23, 2021, at age 87. (Entertainment Tonight (celebrity news outlet))
• Cause of death was sepsis, with underlying conditions including COVID-19. (Fox News (media outlet))
• He had five biological children; two predeceased him. (Baron Family Law (estate planning firm))
• A handwritten will dated October 17, 2019, left everything to his children equally. (Fox News (media outlet))
• He was in the middle of a divorce from Shawn Southwick King. (Talbot Law PC (probate litigation firm))

What’s unclear

• Exact distribution of the $150 million among probate vs. non-probate assets. (Nelson Mullins (law firm analysis))
• Legal validity of the holographic will under California law. (Venable (law firm guidance))
• Final outcome of the probate litigation. (Talbot Law PC (probate litigation firm))
• Whether any assets passed to Shawn King outside the will. (Baron Family Law (estate planning firm))
• Net worth figure discrepancy between $144 million and $150 million. (Nelson Mullins (law firm analysis))

Quotes

“Ora Media announces the death of our co-founder, host, and friend Larry King, who passed away this morning at age 87 at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Our hearts are broken.”

— Ora Media statement, 2021 (CNN (news network))

“Larry was an incredible husband, father, and friend. My heart is broken. He was a fighter and he fought until the very end.”

— Shawn Southwick King, via social media (Fox News (media outlet))

“Larry King was one of the most talented and durable television interviewers of his generation. He set a standard for live, unscripted engagement that few have matched.”

— CNN executive statement, 2021 (CNN (news network))

Summary

Larry King’s death sparked a probate battle that reveals a hard truth for high-net-worth individuals: a handwritten will is rarely enough. The vast majority of his fortune was already spoken for by trusts, beneficiary designations, and contractual obligations—leaving only $2 million for the courts to fight over. For estate planners and wealthy media personalities in the U.S., the lesson is clear: update your estate documents as life changes, or risk leaving your family to litigate what you thought was settled.

Frequently asked questions

For more on similar celebrity legacies, see Bob Monkhouse: Career, Family, Catchphrases, and Death.