Barbara Walters Married: Spouse, Relationships, and Personal Life
Barbara Walters married television producer Merv Griffin in 1981, after a high-profile engagement that ended in 1976. The marriage lasted until Griffin's death in 2007. Walters later married attorney Steven V. Scott in 1986, and the couple remained married until his death in 2010. She has one son, Jeffrey Walters, born in 1955 from her first marriage to producer Jack Larson. Walters has been open about the challenges of balancing a demanding broadcast career with personal commitments.
Barbara Walters married three times, with each marriage attracting significant media attention. Her first marriage to Jack Larson in 1955 ended in divorce in 1956. Her second marriage to Merv Griffin lasted 26 years and was widely covered in entertainment and business press, including reports on their combined assets and lifestyle. Her third marriage to Steven V. Scott in 1986 was a private ceremony, and the couple managed their finances through trusts and private investment vehicles. Walters has consistently maintained that her career in broadcasting was her primary focus throughout all marriages.
Barbara Walters Net Worth, Career Earnings, and Business Ventures
Barbara Walters net worth is estimated at $170 million as of the latest public financial disclosures and media reports. Her wealth comes primarily from a decades-long career in television journalism, including her roles at ABC News and NBC. Walters earned a reported $12 million annual salary at the peak of her career with Forbes noting her among the highest-paid TV journalists. She also generated income from book deals, speaking engagements, and production credits for several documentary specials.
Barbara Walters business ventures include production companies and media partnerships that contributed to her long-term financial portfolio. She co-founded Walters-Scott Productions with her third husband, which produced interview specials and documentary content for broadcast networks. Walters also held equity positions in media and entertainment companies through private investment arrangements. Her financial strategy focused on diversified assets including real estate, equities, and fixed-income instruments, as reported in industry profiles and financial disclosures.
Barbara Walters Career Milestones, Awards, and Legacy in Broadcasting
Barbara Walters became the first female co-anchor of a major U.S. network evening news program when she joined ABC's World News Tonight in 1976. She created and hosted The View, which premiered in 1997 and became one of the longest-running daytime talk shows in American television history. Walters conducted landmark interviews with world leaders, celebrities, and newsmakers, earning multiple Emmy Awards and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her interview style and journalistic approach influenced a generation of broadcast journalists and news programs.
Barbara Walters retired from regular broadcasting in 2014 after a 55-year career spanning NBC, ABC, and syndicated programming. She continued to make occasional appearances and produced retrospective specials through her production company. Walters' legacy includes breaking gender barriers in television news, setting standards for celebrity and political interviews, and building a media brand that extended across print, broadcast, and digital platforms. Her career is frequently cited in media studies and business analyses of television journalism, including coverage by The New York Times and profiles in Business Insider.