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Frank Elstner Net Worth in 2024 Career & Relationship

Estimated value: €20 million
Age: 80
Born: 04/19/1942
Country of origin: Austria
Source of Wealth: Radio and TV presenter
Last updated: 2021

Short introduction

Frank Elstner is one of the best-known German-speaking radio and television presenters of the past decades. As early as the 1960s, he made a significant contribution to the popularity of radio stations such as Radio Luxemburg. From the 1980s, Frank Elstner appeared as a show host in larger to large television shows and developed concepts for television shows himself. From 1981 there was the now world-famous television show “Wetten, dass..?”, whose inventor is Frank Elstner. This program has become one of the most successful television shows in Europe over time.

early life

Frank Elstner was born with a talent for shows and programs of all kinds as a child. His parents are the two Austrian actors Erich Elstner and Hilde Engel-Elstner. Frank Elstner was born in Linz on the Danube, he later grew up in Baden-Baden and Rastatt. After attending the Ludwig-Wilhelm-Gymnasium in Rastatt and the Markgraf-Ludwig-Gymnasium in Baden-Baden, Frank Elstner became an altar boy. He was able to make his first experiences with the medium of radio early on, as he was allowed to produce radio plays for Südwestfunk. Since he had not passed his Abitur, Frank Elstner was unable to pursue his dream of studying theater in Freiburg.

Career

Frank Elstner was really known from 1964, when he worked as speaker and moderator and later as program director until 1983 for the four happy waves of Radio Luxembourg. Since Frank Elstner’s first name was actually Tom and there was already a speaker with the first name at Radio Luxembourg, Elstner was asked to present his programs under the first name Frank. By the way, this was his brother’s first name. From that moment on, Elstner’s name was no longer Tom, but Frank. One of Frank Elstner’s most well-known programs was the Sunday “Hitparade”, “The Big 8” and the weekday program “Funkkantine”, which was moderated by other radio and television veterans such as Dieter Thomas Heck. The television career began with “Look up the Basic Law!”, which was broadcast from 1964 to 1968. Frank Elstner also became known with “Spiel ohne Grenzen”, where he took over the moderation, succeeding his former boss at Radio Luxembourg, Camillo Felgen.

Career highlights

The highlight of Frank Elstner’s career is without a doubt “Wetten, dass….”. Elstner is the inventor of the now famous show, with which he first appeared on German television in the Federal Republic of Germany and Austria in 1981. After presenting the program a total of 39 times, he handed it over to Thomas Gottschalk in 1987. On the occasion of the summer broadcast of Wetten, dass..? In 2011 on Mallorca, Frank Elstner took over the moderation of a bet again.

In addition to the famous show “Wetter dass…”, Frank Elstner developed other formats that later also achieved a high level of awareness. He was able to develop several programs such as “Nase vorn” and “Elstner und die Detektive” for the ZDF broadcaster, but the audience ratings did not meet the broadcaster’s wishes, which is why they were discontinued. Therefore, from the 1980s, he also turned to the newly emerging channels such as RTL. The show “Jeopardy!” broadcast there from the late 1980s is a television show developed by Frank Elstner. Frank Elstner also moderated the format “Aber Hallo” on RTL from the 1990s. Frank Elstner later founded his own entertainment company, which he called Elstnertainment. In recent years, Frank Elstner has performed a lot for Südwestrundfunk, so he was able to announce the Saturday evening talk show “People of the Week” in its third television program. He was also the successor to Cherno Jobatey in his show “Do you understand fun?”, which was broadcast on the ARD program “Das Erste”. During the last broadcast he introduced his successor Guido Cantz. He also repeatedly moderated the show “Einfach Millionär” and the ARD television lottery “Ein Platz an der Sonne” on public television.

Famous quotes

“Microphones are the only thing that politicians like to be held up to.” Frank Elstner

Amazing Facts

Frank Elstner is considered by many viewers today to be a veteran who decisively shaped the German-speaking television landscape. At the same time, Frank Elstner is something special because no other moderator has managed to stay in business for so long. He received awards for his achievements like no other moderator before him or after him. The party on his 75th birthday is therefore also unique, when ARD television threw the party “Top, die Wette applies” for him and broadcast it on television. Frank Elstner has won many prestigious prizes, for example he was awarded the “Golden Camera” prize three times. Shows by and with Frank Elstner are repeated on television at regular intervals.

Estimated value: €20 million