Bill Kurtis Net Worth

May 2024 · 7 minute read

William Horton Kuretich net worth is
$15 Million

William Horton Kuretich Wiki Biography

William Horton Kureich is an American journalist, television presenter, narrator, and producer, from Pensacola, Florida, born on the 21st of September 1940 of part-Croatian ancestry, known for hosting a number of varied shows on US TV stations.

How rich is Bill Kurtis? As of early 2017, sources estimate his net worth at $15 million, earned over his television and radio career which began in the 1960s.

Bill Kurtis Net Worth $15 million

Kurtis moved from Florida to Independence, Kansas, after his father retired from the military. At 16, he had his first foray into the media, working in radio for KIND-AM as an announcer, whilst still attending Independence High School. He matriculated in 1958 to the University of Kansas, graduating in 1962 with a degree in Journalism, and going on to study at the Washburn University School of Law, leaving with a Juris Doctor Degree. Between 1962 and 1966, Kurtis was enlisted in the US Marine Corps Reserve as a Lieutenant, and then in the Navy Reserve for three years, until 1969.

After filling in for an absent friend at a radio station, Kurtis was bitten by the broadcasting bug. He stayed on air for 24 hours due to a violent storm hitting Topeka, where the station was based. His coverage of the natural disaster, which killed 16 people and injured many others, brought him to the attention of several news stations. Deciding a career in law was not for him, Kurtis instead deciding to pursue broadcasting.

Kurtis moved to Chicago to work for WBBM-TV, where he was a reporter and anchor. During his career, he has covered such important events as the assassination of Dr Martin Luther King, and the Vietnam War protests. In the 1980s, he branched out into wider presenting work, narrating hundreds of documentaries, and began producing documentaries too, as part of his new company, “Kurtis Productions”. His career went from strength to strength through the decades, along with the growth in his net worth, for example Kurtis’s reporting on notorious murderer Richard Speck in 1994 leading to a complete reform of the Illinois penal system.

In 2005, Kurtis founded the Tallgrass Beef Company, based in Kansas and specialising in grass-fed beef from local, family-run farms. He has also written books including “Bill Kurtis on Assignment” and “The Death Penalty on Trial: Crisis in American Justice”. As of 2017, he is the current judge and scorekeeper on the gameshow “Wait, Wait… Don’t Tell Me!”

Over his distinguished career, Kurtis has been nominated for, and has won, a number of awards. He was nominated for two Primetime Emmys, in 2004 and 2005, both times for “Outstanding Nonfiction Series” with “Cold Case Files”. He has also won several CableACE awards in connection with his various documentaries. He has two Peabody Awards, and is a member of both the Illinois and Kansas Halls of Fame.

In his personal life, Kurtis participates in philanthropic activities, including serving on the board of directors for the National Park Foundation. He first married in 1963, to Helen Kurtis and remained together until her death in 1977, and had two children together. He is now in a relationship with Donna La Pietra. He suffered tragedy when, on the 20th of July, 2009, his son was found dead on the family’s Kansas cattle ranch. He was just 38, and had suffered from mental health problems, including schizophrenia.


Net Worth$15 Million
Date Of BirthSeptember 21, 1940
Place Of BirthPensacola, Florida, USA
ProfessionProducer
EducationUniversity of Kansas, Washburn University School of Law, Washburn University
NationalityAmerican
SpouseHelen Kurtis (m. 1963–1977)
ChildrenScott Kurtis, Mary Kristin Kurtis
ParentsWilliam A. Kuretich, Wilma Mary Horton
SiblingsJean Schodorf
PartnerDonna La Pietra
IMDBhttp://www.imdb.com/name/nm0475997/
NominationsPrimetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Non-fiction Series
MoviesAnchorman 2: The Legend Continues, Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
TV ShowsParking Wars, Ebert Presents: At the Movies, American Justice, Cold Case Files, Investigative Reports, The New Explorers, CBS Morning News, Investigating History

Producer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The American Tax Cheat2011TV Movie executive producer
The Abduction of Jaycee Dugard2010TV Movie documentary executive producer
CNBC Investigates: Illegal Gambling2009TV Movie documentary executive producer
The Oprah Effect2009TV Movie documentary executive producer
The Entrepreneurs (Toms Shoes and Frontera Foods)2009TV Series documentary executive producer
Parking Wars2008TV Series executive producer
American Originals2008TV Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Day Under Fire: The Civil War2007TV Movie documentary series producer
Day Under Fire: Vietnam War2007TV Movie documentary series producer
Madness in the White City2007TV Movie documentary series producer
Day Under Fire: World War II2007Documentary series producer
American Justice1992-2005TV Series documentary executive producer - 12 episodes
High Tech Lincoln2005TV Movie documentary executive producer
Investigating History2004TV Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Cold Case Files1999-2004TV Series documentary executive producer - 4 episodes
The Secrets of Genghis Khan2004executive producer
Saudi Arabia: A Complicated Ally2003TV Movie documentary executive producer
Investigative ReportsTV Series executive producer - 16 episodes, 1991 - 2002 producer - 1 episode, 1998
The Farm: Angola, USA1998Documentary executive producer: Investigative Reports
The New Explorers1993-1996TV Series documentary executive producer - 11 episodes
The Science of Star Trek1995TV Movie documentary executive producer
American Justice: Target - Mafia1993TV Mini-Series documentary executive producer - 1 episode
Nova1989TV Series documentary producer - 1 episode

Actor

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Scary Ham2016Short completedCommercial Voice Over
The Jellies2015TV Series
HOMEWARD.2014John James
Santa Hunters2014TV MovieSanta Hunters V.O. Narrator (voice)
Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues2013Narrator (voice)
Parking Wars2012TV Series
Stull2010ShortNarrator (voice)
30 Rock2008TV SeriesBill Kurtis
Biography2005-2006TV Series documentaryNarrator
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie2004VideoBill Lawson
Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy2004Bill Lawson - Narrator (voice)
The Unexplained1996TV SeriesNarrator

Miscellaneous

TitleYearStatusCharacter
The Unexplained1997-1999TV Series narrator - 4 episodes

Writer

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Investigating History2003TV Series documentary writer
Nova1989TV Series documentary written by - 1 episode

Thanks

TitleYearStatusCharacter
Jayhawkers2014special thanks
The Only Good Indian2009special thanks
The Battle for Bunker Hill2008special thanks
Wake Up, Ron Burgundy: The Lost Movie2004Video thanks

Self

TitleYearStatusCharacter
'85: The Greatest Team in Pro Football History2016Himself
Svengoolie2016TV SeriesHimself
Heroes on Deck: World War II on Lake Michigan2016DocumentaryNarrator
Wanda Sykes Presents Herlarious2013TV SeriesHimself
Ebert Presents: At the Movies2011TV SeriesHimself - Speaking for Roger Ebert
Carbon Nation2010DocumentaryHimself - Narrator
The Good Wife2010TV SeriesHimself
The Abduction of Jaycee Dugard2010TV Movie documentaryHimself - Host
A Better Life2009DocumentaryHimself
Discovering Deerpath2009DocumentaryNarrator
The Last Four Miles: A Legacy to Complete2009ShortHimself - Host
Cold Case Files1999-2008TV Series documentaryHimself - Host / Narrator / Himself - Presenter / ...
A Killer on Campus: A Bill Kurtis Special Report2007TV Movie documentaryHimself
Chasing October2007DocumentaryOpening Narrator
For God's Sake Take Cover2006TV MovieHimself - Host
The Sopranos2006TV SeriesHimself
American Justice1992-2005TV Series documentaryHimself - Host / Himself / Host / ...
Criss Angel Mindfreak2005TV SeriesHimself
American Justice: Marty Tankleff2005TV Series documentaryHimself - Host
Investigating History2004-2005TV Series documentaryHimself - Presenter / Himself - Narrator
Deadly Deception: The Mark Hacking Story2004TV Movie documentary
Reel Comedy2004TV SeriesHimself - Host
History Makers2004TV MovieHimself - Host
Saudi Arabia: A Complicated Ally2003TV Movie documentaryHimself - Host
MIA: Solved2003TV MovieHimself - Host
The Real Story2002TV SeriesHost
Medicine on the Kansas Prairie2002TV Short documentaryNarrator
The Rosie O'Donnell Show2002TV SeriesHimself
Investigative Reports1991-2002TV SeriesHimself - Host / Himself / Narrator / ...
Biography1995-1999TV Series documentaryHimself - Investigative Journalist / Himself / Himself - Host
The Unexplained1998-1999TV SeriesHimself - Host
Guns in America: Gun Life1999TV MovieHimself - Host
Inside Story1999TV Series documentaryHimself - Host
Polluting the Fountain of Youth1998TV Movie documentaryHimself - Host
L.A. Detectives1998TV Series documentary
Saturday Night Live1997TV SeriesHimself
The Best of American Justice: The Mob1996Video documentaryHimself - Host
The New Explorers1995TV Series documentaryHimself - Host
The Science of Star Trek1995TV Movie documentaryHimself - Host
The American Revolution1994TV Movie documentaryHimself - Host
Eight-Tray Gangster: The Making of a Crip1993DocumentaryHimself - Host
American Justice: Target - Mafia1993TV Mini-Series documentaryNarrator / Himself / Host / ...
Secret Intelligence1989TV Series documentaryCorrespondent / Narrator
The Men Who Killed Kennedy1988TV Mini-Series documentaryNarrator (initial A&E presentations only)
The American Parade1984TV SeriesCorrespondent
CBS Early Morning News1982TV SeriesHimself - Co-Anchor (1982-1985)
Morning1979TV SeriesHimself - Co-Anchor (1982-1985)

Archive Footage

Won Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
1999Bronze WranglerWestern Heritage AwardsFactual NarrativeThe New Explorers (1990)
1995CableACECableACE AwardsEnvironmental/Nature Documentary SpecialInvestigative Reports (1991)
1995CableACECableACE AwardsBusiness or Consumer Programming Special or SeriesInvestigative Reports (1991)
1993CableACECableACE AwardsBusiness or Consumer Special or SeriesInvestigative Reports (1991)

Nominated Awards

YearAwardCeremonyNominationMovie
2005Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Nonfiction SeriesCold Case Files (1999)
2004Primetime EmmyPrimetime Emmy AwardsOutstanding Nonfiction SeriesCold Case Files (1999)
1995CableACECableACE AwardsNews Special or SeriesInvestigative Reports (1991)
1995CableACECableACE AwardsEnvironmental/Nature Documentary SpecialInvestigative Reports (1991)
1995CableACECableACE AwardsDocumentary SeriesAmerican Justice (1992)
1994CableACECableACE AwardsNews Special or SeriesInvestigative Reports (1991)
1993CableACECableACE AwardsNews Special or SeriesInvestigative Reports (1991)

Known for movies


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