Lester Holt Biography and Wiki
Lester Holt is a well-respected American journalist, widely recognized for his long-standing role as an anchor on NBC News. He has been the weekday anchor for NBC Nightly News and also hosted NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition. Currently, he’s the face of Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, he took on the role of permanent anchor for NBC Nightly News, stepping into the spotlight after the controversy surrounding Brian Williams’ reporting on the Iraq War. In doing so, Holt made history as the first Black male solo anchor of a major network evening newscast, following in the footsteps of Max Robinson from ABC News.
Viewers have come to trust Holt, and his credibility is well-documented. A 2018 poll even named him the most trusted television news anchor in the United States. He also moderated the first presidential debate in 2016, which received mixed reviews—while he was praised for fact-checking inaccuracies, he faced some criticism for struggling with time management and debate control. Despite NBC Nightly News having a stronghold on evening news ratings for over thirty years during the Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams eras, the program fell to second place after Holt took over as anchor.
On May 30, 2025, Holt decided to step down from NBC Nightly News after nearly a decade to fully embrace his role as the host of NBC’s news magazine program, Dateline.
Outside of journalism, Holt is also a skilled bass guitarist. He enjoys playing blues and rock music and often performs with various bands at charity events and private gatherings, revealing a creative flair that beautifully complements his impressive broadcasting career.
Lester Holt Age and Birthday
How old is Lester? Holt is 67 years old as of 2026. She was born on March 8, 1959, in San Francisco, California, United States of America. His birthday is always celebrated on March 8th of every year.
Lester Holt Education | High School | College
Lester graduated from Rancho Cordova High School in 1977 and studied government at California State University, Sacramento, though he never graduated. ALSO READ: Amy Waters
Lester Holt Height
How tall is Lester? Lester stands at an average height of 6 feet 3 inches (1.87 m).
Lester Holt Nationality and Ethnicity
What is Lester’s nationality? Holt holds American nationality and citizenship by birth. He was born and raised in San Francisco, California, United States of America. He is of mixed ethnicity/heritage/ancestry.
Lester Holt Family | Parents
Lester Don Holt Jr. was born in San Francisco, the youngest of four children born to Lester Don Holt, Sr., and June DeRozario (Holt). His maternal grandfather was born to an Indo-Jamaican and White Jamaican mother, and his paternal grandparents were born in Jamaica.
Lester Holt Wife| Married
Is Lester married? Holt is happily married to Carol Hagen. The couple lives in Manhattan and has two children.
Lester Holt Children | Kids | Son
Holt is the father of two sons, Stefan and Cameron. Stefan has continued in his father’s footsteps as a journalist. He worked as a news anchor for NBC-owned station WMAQ-TV in Chicago. In 2016, he joined WNBC and worked on the same floor as his father. After succeeding Chuck Scarborough as anchor of NBC’s 11 p.m. newscast, he rose to prominence.
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Lester Holt Salary
Lester working as an NBC’s Nightly News anchor earns an estimated annual salary of $15 million.
Lester Holt Net Worth
Holt has a net worth of $35 million. He amassed a modest wealth through the revenues of his job as an anchor/reporter and producer.
Lester Holt Retiring
Lester Holt, who has served as the anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News for the past decade, announced Monday 24th February 2025, that he will be stepping down from the broadcast at the beginning of the summer.
Holt will remain a key presence at NBC News, transitioning to a full-time role at Dateline, where he has been the principal anchor for nearly 15 years, according to a memo shared with network staff.
NBC News has not yet announced a successor for Nightly News.
Holt took over as anchor of Nightly News in June 2015 after previously leading the weekend editions of the broadcast for eight years and co-anchoring Weekend TODAY for 12 years. He has served as Dateline’s principal anchor since September 2011.
Lester Holt Dateline NBC
Lester Holt is a well-respected American journalist, widely recognized for his long-standing role as an anchor on NBC News. He has been the weekday anchor for NBC Nightly News and also hosted NBC Nightly News: Kids Edition. Currently, he’s the face of Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, he took on the role of permanent anchor for NBC Nightly News, stepping into the spotlight after the controversy surrounding Brian Williams’ reporting on the Iraq War. In doing so, Holt made history as the first Black male solo anchor of a major network evening newscast, following in the footsteps of Max Robinson from ABC News.
Viewers have come to trust Holt, and his credibility is well-documented. A 2018 poll even named him the most trusted television news anchor in the United States. He also moderated the first presidential debate in 2016, which received mixed reviews—while he was praised for fact-checking inaccuracies, he faced some criticism for struggling with time management and debate control. Despite NBC Nightly News having a stronghold on evening news ratings for over thirty years during the Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams eras, the program fell to second place after Holt took over as anchor.
On May 30, 2025, Holt decided to step down from NBC Nightly News after nearly a decade to fully embrace his role as the host of NBC’s news magazine program, Dateline.
Outside of journalism, Holt is also a skilled bass guitarist. He enjoys playing blues and rock music and often performs with various bands at charity events and private gatherings, revealing a creative flair that beautifully complements his impressive broadcasting career.
