Claus Kleber Net Worth in 2023 Career & Relationship

Estimated value:	€5 million
Age:	66
Born:	09/02/1955
Country of origin:	Germany
Source of Wealth:	entrepreneur
Last updated:	2021

Short introduction

Claus Kleber is a German television presenter and journalist who began his professional career as a doctor of law and later switched to the media world. He is one of the best-paid newscasters in Germany and is considered a formative force of the ZDF “heute-journal”. The striking presenter is known to many through his moderation of the events on September 11, 2001 in New York. Claus Kleber has not regretted his jump, because today he is treated as a star among journalists. A fact that gives the moderator an estimated annual income of 600,000 euros and an estimated Net Worth of 5 million euros.

early life

Claus Kleber was born as the eldest of 2 sons in Reutlingen/Baden Württemberg into a conservative family. His father, an aerospace engineer, awakened his early childhood dream of becoming an astronaut or pilot. During his school days, Claus Kleber wrote for the Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, a job that made him want to become a journalist. Claus Kleber studied law for the time being, according to his own statements, for reasons of reason, specializing in media law. In 1982 he married the doctor Renate Kleber, with whom he has two daughters. During the semester he works as a speaker at Südwestfunk. In 1985 he took over the management of his Konstanz studios. He stayed true to his dream of becoming a journalist. As a doctor of law, after completing his studies, he began his career at ARD as a USA correspondent. The foundation for his successful career was laid.

Career

From 1986, Claus Kleber reported for 15 years for ARD on current events in Washington DC and New York. His moderation of the terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York is legendary, when the real extent only became clear later in the day and it was revealed that a terrorist attack was behind the catastrophe. Claus Kleber later runs the ARD studio in Washington DC. In 2003, the successful presenter switched to ZDF and took over the “heute-journal”, which he also managed until 2009. Then “Der Spiegel” offered Claus Kleber a position as editor-in-chief, which the passionate journalist turned down. After the television presenter converted his permanent employment contract into freelance work, ZDF is said to have doubled his annual salary in 2008 to 600,000. Due to his sufficient insight into political processes, Claus Kleber also wrote some excellent books, which brought him further prosperity.

Career highlights

There are many highlights in Claus Kleber’s CV. By studying to become a doctor of law, the TV presenter has spun a safety net that would have caught him at any time when he initially dared to jump into journalism. Among his greatest professional successes are the years as a USA correspondent, during which he rose to fame. But his documentaries “America Omnipotence”, which deals with America’s global claims and the relationship to Europe, and “People in the Orient”, in which the viewer is kidnapped into the fascinating world of the Orient, also helped him to gain notoriety and reputation. Claus Kleber’s journalistic work has received several awards, for example the German Television Prize. His ZDF two-part series “America’s Crusades- What drives the world power”, in which he reports on the US’s actions in Afghanistan, was praised in 2005 as the “best non-fiction book”. The move to ZDF and the takeover of the “heute-journal” are among the achievements that Claus Kleber has not regretted.

Famous quotes

The television presenter polarized with quotes such as “The Americans carry their guns – we drive them” on the intended lifting of speed limits by the Hessian Ministry of Transport in 2010. Regarding the aggressive way in the discussion about freedom of expression and the joy of contradiction, the journalist says “”Freedom of expression has to be used”. He also offends in his interviews, such as in 2017 with the actress Maria Furtwängler. For his moderation, which seemed chauvinistic to some viewers, he was awarded the “sour pickle”, which he did not accept. Claus Kleber said at the time, quote: “Then you probably want to re-educate the viewers”. This was in response to the actress’ comments that a study shows that women are less present in the media than men. The interview with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also drew criticism when he asked him why he would not rule out a coalition with the right-wing nationalists on tonight’s election night.

tips for success

For Claus Kleber, the professional ladder of success led steeply up. The journalist says his biggest tip for success is to always follow your calling and do what you can really identify with. Claus Kleber has come a long way with it. An estimated Net Worth of 5 million euros is the result of his diverse activities as a lawyer, radio announcer, author and journalist.

Amazing Facts

TV presenter Claus Kleber is usually matter-of-fact and distanced when reading the news. But a report in 2015 brought him to tears emotionally and he struggled with a proverbial “lump in his throat”. The report about a bus driver who gave the refugees a warm welcome on his bus several times.

Estimated value:	€5 million