Beloved television personality and past host of “The Tonight Show,” Jay Leno is a fixture in Hollywood. So, does this big personality stay in the area, or has he settled in a quieter area?
Jay Leno and his wife, Mavis Nicholson, own a home in Beverly Hills, California, and a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island. Jay Leno purchased the mansion in Newport in 2017 for $13.5 million.
Jay Leno spends his spare time fixing up classic cars and motorcycles, and apparently, he has quite the collection. Otherwise, Jay Leno has spent most of his working life in the entertainment industry, with a long and storied history in Hollywood leading to his amassing quite an impressive amount of wealth!
Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island
Jay Leno is typically quite responsible with his fortune, claiming only to spend the money that he earns through his stand-up comedy routines and save all his money from his television appearances.
In a Parade Magazine profile, Jay Leno said, “I live on the money I make as a comedian, and I put all the TV money in the bank. I’ve never spent a dime of TV money—ever.”
Still, it’s okay to splurge once in a while, and Jay Leno splurged big — on a mansion in Newport, Rhode Island.
The waterfront home cost a purported $13.5 million, which Jay Leno purchased in 2017.
CNBC noted that Jay Leno frequented Newport prior to the purchase of the luxurious home, apparently enjoying his visits to the Audrain Automobile Museum due to his love for classic cars.
According to an Architectural Digest profile on his new home, Jay Leno purchased the home on a whim.
“My wife and I were driving on Ocean Drive, and she said, ‘Look at that house!’” He said they inquired to see if the house was for sale. “They said it was, but it’s not currently listed. So, I said, ‘Get the owner on the phone!’ and I bought it on the spot.”
Life in Los Angeles
Jay Leno grew up in Andover, Massachusetts but moved to Los Angeles to begin his career in show business.
When he moved in the early 1970s, Jay Leno was not the massive celebrity that he’s known as today. In fact, CNBC noted in an interview with Leno that he actually would sleep in his car and squat in empty homes while trying to make it big.
In the interview, Jay Leno said that he prioritized getting a car over an apartment due to the poor public transit in Los Angeles.
“In L.A., you actually need a car before you need a place to live because you can’t get to the place you live if you don’t have a car because there’s really no public transportation.”
However, he now owns two homes in Beverly Hills — right next door to one another! Apparently, Jay Leno doesn’t have to deal with noisy neighbors at all.
