Age, Biography, and Wiki
Joe Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and spent his early years in various parts of the Northeast, including Massachusetts. He discovered martial arts in his teens, earning a black belt in Taekwondo, which contributed to his discipline and confidence. Rogan's career in comedy began in Boston in 1988, and he quickly gained recognition for his sharp wit and energetic delivery. For more details, his biography is available on Wikipedia.
| Occupation | Stand-up Comedians |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | 11 August 1967 |
| Age | 57 Years |
| Birth Place | Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Leo |
| Country | Jersey |
Height, Weight & Measurements
- Height: 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm)
- Weight: Approximately 88 kg (194 lbs)
- Measurements: Not publicly detailed
Rogan has been an outspoken critic of transgender women competing in women's sports, including MMA matches. In April 2022, he said that transgender swimmer Lia Thomas "might be the woke straw that breaks society's camel's back". Rogan has offered a critique of transgender martial arts artist Fallon Fox, saying "If you had a dick at one point in time, you also have all the bone structure that comes with having a dick. You have bigger hands, you have bigger shoulder joints. You're a fucking man".
| Height | 5 feet 8 inches |
| Weight | 194 lbs |
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Dating & Relationship Status
Joe Rogan is married to Jessica Ditzel, whom he wed in 2009. The couple has two daughters together and is also raising Jessica's daughter from a previous relationship.
His paternal grandfather was Irish, while his three other grandparents were all of Italian descent. His parents divorced when he was five, and he has not been in contact with his father, an architect, since he was seven. He recalled, "All I remember of my dad are these brief, violent flashes of domestic violence. But I don't want to complain about my childhood. Nothing bad ever really happened to me. I don't hate the guy." At the age of seven, he moved with his mother to San Francisco, California, and when he was 11 they moved to Gainesville, Florida. They later settled in Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts. He graduated from Newton South High School in 1985.
From 1995 to 1999, Rogan starred in the NBC sitcom NewsRadio as Joe Garrelli, an electrician and handyman at the show's fictional news radio station. The role was originally set to be played by actor Ray Romano, but Romano was let go from the cast after one rehearsal and Rogan was brought in. The switch caused Rogan to work with the show's writers to help develop the character before the show was set to launch, which he later described as a "very dumbed-down, censored version" of himself. Rogan befriended fellow cast member Phil Hartman, who confided his marital problems to him. Rogan claimed he tried to persuade Hartman to divorce his wife five times, but "he loved his kids and didn't want to leave". In 1998, Hartman was murdered by his wife. The loss affected Rogan's ability to perform stand-up, and he canceled a week of scheduled gigs. Rogan later saw acting as an easy job, but grew tired of "playing the same character every week", and only did so for the money. He later viewed his time on NewsRadio as "a dream gig" that allowed him to earn money while working on his stand-up as often as he could. During the series, he worked on a pilot for a show entitled Overseas.
Rogan's role as host of Fear Factor led to further television opportunities. In 2002, he appeared on the episode "A Beautiful Mind" of Just Shoot Me as Chris, the boyfriend of lead character Maya Gallo. In December 2002, Rogan was the emcee for the 2002 Blockbuster Hollywood Spectacular, a Christmas parade in Hollywood. In February 2003, Rogan became the new co-host of The Man Show on Comedy Central for its fifth season from August 2003, with fellow comedian Doug Stanhope, following the departure of original hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla. A year into the show, however, the hosts entered disagreements with Comedy Central and the show's producers over content. Rogan recalled: "I was a little misled ... I was told: 'Show nudity, and we'll blur it out. Swear and we'll bleep it out.' That hasn't been the case". The show ended in 2004. Around this time Rogan entered talks to host his own radio show, but they came to nothing due to his already busy schedule.
Rogan married Jessica Ditzel, a former cocktail waitress, in 2009. They have two daughters, who were born in 2008 and 2010. Rogan is also the stepfather or adopted father of Ditzel's daughter from a previous relationship. In 2008, they moved to Gold Hill, Colorado, but returned to Southern California four months later when Ditzel became pregnant. They settled in Bell Canyon, California, where Rogan had lived on and off since 2003. In 2018, they purchased a new home in the area for almost US$5 million. In 2020, the family moved into a US$14 million home on Lake Austin in Austin, Texas.
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Net Worth and Salary
As of 2025, Joe Rogan's net worth is estimated to be between $190 million and over $250 million, depending on the source. His earnings come from a variety of sources, including:
- Podcasting: His deal with Spotify is valued at over $200 million.
- Stand-up Comedy: Earns approximately $5-10 million annually.
- UFC Commentating: Receives about $500,000 per event.
- YouTube & Merchandise: Generates $3-5 million annually.
- Investments & Real Estate: Holds over $30 million in investments and real estate.
Rogan has voiced support for same-sex marriage, recreational drug legalization, universal health care, universal basic income, gun rights, and free speech, while opposing cancel culture and military adventurism. Rogan has been criticized for promoting conspiracy theories, COVID-19 misinformation, and for hosting guests who spread misinformation and pseudoscience. Having previously endorsed Ron Paul in 2012 and Bernie Sanders in 2020, Rogan supported Donald Trump in 2024.
Rogan began working for the mixed martial arts promotion Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) as a backstage and post-fight interviewer. His first show took place at UFC 12: Judgement Day in Dothan, Alabama, on February 7, 1997. He became interested in Brazilian jiu-jitsu in 1994 after watching Royce Gracie fight at UFC 2: No Way Out, and landed the position at the organization as Sussman was friends with its co-creator and original producer, Campbell McLaren. He quit after two years as his salary could not cover the cost of traveling to the events, which were often held in rural locations.
After the UFC was taken over by Zuffa in 2001, Rogan attended some events and became friends with its new president Dana White, who offered him a job as a color commentator. However, Rogan initially declined as he "just wanted to go to the fights and drink". In 2002, White was able to hire Rogan for free in exchange for prime event tickets for him and his friends. After about 15 free gigs as a commentator, Rogan accepted pay for the job, working alongside Mike Goldberg until the end of 2016. Rogan won the Wrestling Observer Newsletter Award for Best Television Announcer twice, and was named MMA Personality of the Year four times by the World MMA Awards.
In 2019–20, Rogan described himself as socially liberal, saying he supports same-sex marriage, gay rights, women's rights, recreational drug use, universal health care, universal basic income, gun rights, and the Second Amendment. He describes himself as a strong supporter of freedom of speech, and has criticized cancel culture and what he perceives to be suppression of those who hold right-wing views in the television and film industry. He has also criticized what he describes as an American foreign policy of military adventurism.
Career, Business, and Investments
Joe Rogan's career spans multiple industries:
- Comedy and Acting: Started performing stand-up in Boston in 1988 and later moved to Los Angeles, where he secured roles in TV shows like Hardball and NewsRadio.
- UFC Commentating: Became a prominent MMA commentator, known for his commentary in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
- Podcasting: Hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, one of the most popular podcasts globally.
- Business Ventures: Co-founded Onnit, a wellness and fitness company, and Comedy Mothership, a production company.
- Investments: Holds significant investments in real estate and other ventures.
After leaving Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up career and hosted more comedy specials. He launched The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009; by 2015, it was one of the most popular podcasts in the world, regularly receiving millions of plays per episode. Spotify obtained exclusive distribution rights to The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020 for US$200 million. Rogan's audience has since grown significantly, and in 2024, he renewed his deal with Spotify for an estimated US$250 million, but will no longer be exclusive to them.
After Fear Factor, Rogan focused his career on his stand-up comedy, as concentrating on television had made him feel lazy and uninspired to work on new material for his act. With the money he had earned from television, Rogan hired two people full-time to film him and his comedy friends on tour, and release clips on his website for his JoeShow web series. In May 2005, Rogan signed a deal with the Endeavor Talent Agency. Two months later, he filmed his second stand-up comedy special, Joe Rogan: Live, in Phoenix, Arizona. The special premiered on Showtime in 2007.
In 2011, Rogan resumed his role as Fear Factor host for its seventh and final season (until 2012). Rogan took the job, saying he "would hate to see somebody else do it". Later in 2011, Rogan played his first major film character, Gale, in the comedy film Zookeeper. He was also working on a book around this time that he tentatively titled Irresponsible Advice from a Man with No Credibility, based on his blog entries on his website. Rogan played himself in Here Comes the Boom, another action-comedy film starring Kevin James that was released in 2012.
Rogan is a co-founder of the supplements and fitness company Onnit, which was sold to Unilever in 2021. Rogan frequently advertises for Onnit products on his podcast. In April 2024 a lawsuit was filed against Onnit, alleging that its 'Alpha BRAIN' supplement performed no better than a placebo in a clinical study and that the product was surrounded by "false, misleading and deceptive advertising".
Rogan supports the legalized use of cannabis and believes it holds numerous benefits. He hosted the documentary film The Union: The Business Behind Getting High and was featured in Marijuana: A Chronic History and The Culture High. He also supports the use of LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and DMT toward the exploration and enhancement of consciousness, as well as introspection. He was the presenter in the 2010 documentary DMT: The Spirit Molecule.
Social Network
Joe Rogan is active on various social media platforms, including:
- YouTube: Features his podcast and other content.
- Twitter: Shares updates and viewpoints with his large following.
- Instagram: Engages with fans and promotes his business ventures.
Rogan had no intention of being a professional comedian, but was a fan of comedy from a young age, later saying of Richard Pryor's special Live on the Sunset Strip, "It affected me in such a profound way. Nothing had made me laugh like that." His friends from gym and Taekwondo school, whom he would make laugh with impressions and jokes, convinced him to try stand-up. At 21, after six months preparing material and practicing his delivery, he performed his first stand-up routine on August 27, 1988, at an open-mic night at a Stitches comedy club in Boston.
In 2005, Rogan wrote a blog entry on his website accusing comedian Carlos Mencia of joke thievery, a claim he had made since 1993. The situation culminated in February 2007 when Rogan confronted Mencia on stage at The Comedy Store in Hollywood. A video of the incident was uploaded onto YouTube and included evidence and comments from other comedians, including George Lopez, "The Reverend" Bob Levy, Bobby Lee, and Ari Shaffir. The incident led to Rogan's talent agent expelling him as a client of The Gersh Agency, who also managed Mencia, and his ban from The Comedy Store, causing him to relocate his regular venue to the Hollywood Improv Comedy Club. Rogan later said that every comic he had talked to was happy and thankful that he did it, and went on to sign with William Morris Agency.
On May 19, 2020, Rogan announced that he had signed a multiyear licensing deal with Spotify worth an estimated US$200 million, making it one of the largest licensing agreements in the podcast business. The deal made The Joe Rogan Experience available on Spotify starting September 1, 2020, and exclusive on the platform from January 2021. The podcast is available with both audio and video within the Spotify app and video is no longer streamed or uploaded to YouTube. The podcasts are typically released one day after recording, to allow time for the producers to make clips of the podcast. Clips from the video version will continue to be available on YouTube. In February 2022, Spotify removed 113 episodes of The Joe Rogan Experience over the course of a few days owing in part to some of the episodes having been perceived to have racist and insensitive language.
In February 2022, singer India Arie shared a compilation of Rogan saying the racial slur "nigger" on The Joe Rogan Experience on Instagram. Rogan apologized, calling his past language "regretful and shameful" while also saying that the clips were taken out of context and that he only quoted the slur to discuss its use by others. The footage in question was first published by the political action committee PatriotTakes, an affiliate of the liberal PAC MeidasTouch. This resulted in allegations of a defamation attempt by MeidasTouch, which the founders denied in an interview with Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy, instead attributing the source of the footage to Alex Jones who was a recurring guest on Rogan's show. Rogan described the video compilation as a "political hit job". A number of UFC fighters, including Israel Adesanya, Terrance McKinney, Michael Chandler, Aljamain Sterling, Frankie Edgar, Darren Till, Marlon Vera, Ben Askren, and Brendan Schaub, defended Rogan.
Rogan described the way that President Vladimir Putin leads Russia as "evil" but "impressive". He called Putin a "strong leader" and said, "Isn't there always a longing for a strong man". In November 2024, Rogan said the Russian invasion of Ukraine was "100% wrong". He criticized outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden for allowing Ukraine to strike back at mainland Russia with US-supplied missiles. He also criticized Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, saying "Fuck you, man. You fucking people are about to start world war three". Ukrainian world heavyweight boxing champion, Wladimir Klitschko, accused Rogan of "repeating Russian propaganda". Klitschko posted a video offering to debate Rogan on his podcast "like free men".
In 2020, Rogan had endorsed left-wing Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, saying "I believe in him, I like him, I like him a lot". In 2022, Rogan said Republican Ron DeSantis would be "a good president".
The episode was criticized for promoting conspiracy theories, including "an unfounded theory that societal leaders have 'hypnotized' the public". The signatories wrote that "Dr. Malone is one of two recent JRE guests who has compared pandemic policies to the Holocaust. These actions are not only objectionable and offensive, but also medically and culturally dangerous." The signatories also note that Malone was suspended from Twitter "for spreading misinformation about COVID-19".
On January 10, 2025, Joe Rogan published an interview with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, where Zuckerberg alleged that the Biden administration had pressured Facebook to take down posts claiming that the COVID-19 vaccine had side effects.
During an episode of his podcast in February 2023, Rogan stated the "idea that Jewish people are not into money is ridiculous. That's like saying Italians aren't into pizza. It's fucking stupid." Rogan made the comment in defense of Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, who faced allegations of antisemitism for saying that political support for Israel was "all about the benjamins". Jonathan Greenblatt, the Director of the Anti-Defamation League, condemned Rogan's comment as reflecting "antisemitic tropes about Jews and money".
Education
Joe Rogan attended Newton South High School in Massachusetts but did not pursue higher education. Instead, he focused on developing his skills in martial arts and comedy.
Rogan participated in Little League Baseball and developed an interest in martial arts in his early teens. He recalled being "terrified of being a loser" as a child and said, "Martial arts gave me not just confidence, but also a different perspective of myself and what I was capable of. I knew that I could do something I was terrified of, and that was really difficult, and that I could excel at it. It was a big deal for me." Martial arts were "the first thing that ever gave me hope that I wasn't going to be a loser. So I really, really gravitated toward it." At age 14, he took up karate and started taekwondo a year later. When he was 19, he won the US Open Championship taekwondo tournament as a lightweight. He was a Massachusetts full-contact state champion for four consecutive years and became a taekwondo instructor. He also practiced amateur kickboxing and held a 2–1 record; he retired from competition at age 21, as he began to suffer from frequent headaches and feared he might sustain worse injuries. He attended the University of Massachusetts Boston but found the endeavor "pointless" and dropped out early.
While living in Boston and working on his stand-up, Rogan held several jobs to secure himself financially, including teaching martial arts at Boston University and in nearby Revere, delivering newspapers, driving a limousine, doing construction work, and assisting a private investigator. Meanwhile, his blue comedy style earned him gigs at bachelor parties and strip clubs. One night, he persuaded the owner of a comedy club in Boston to allow him to try a new five-minute routine. At the show was talent manager Jeff Sussman, who liked the act and offered to become his manager, which Rogan accepted.
Rogan became interested in jiu-jitsu after watching Royce Gracie fight at UFC 2: No Way Out in 1994. In 1996, he began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Carlson Gracie at his school in Los Angeles, California. He is a black belt under Eddie Bravo's 10th Planet Jiu-Jitsu, a style of no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu, and a black belt in gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu under Jean Jacques Machado.
Rogan was raised and baptized Roman Catholic, having attended Catholic school in first grade, and once abandoned organized religion and called himself agnostic. However, when questioned by Zahi Hawass, he affirmed his belief in religion. According to Christian apologist Wesley Huff, Rogan attends church every Sunday.
