Who is Carol Hagen?
Carol Hagen is a renowned real estate dealer and developer, best known as the wife of Lester Holt. Lester Holt is an American journalist and news anchor, prominently known for his roles on NBC Nightly News, NBC Nightly News Kids Edition, and Dateline NBC.
Following the demotion of Brian Williams, Holt was appointed as the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News on June 18, 2015.
Age, Early Life and Education
Carol Hagen was born in Seattle, Washington, in 1959. While information about her education remains undisclosed, she is known to possess a strong educational background.
Carol Hagen’s Net Worth and Career
As of 2023, Carol Hagen’s estimated net worth is $1.4 million. Throughout her career, she has worked in various roles within the cosmetics industry, including sales, training, and management. Additionally, she has also ventured into the travel and hospitality business, establishing her presence in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Manhattan.
Although Carol Hagen has pursued diverse professions, her specific area of expertise remains unknown. However, she has found success in the real estate business, and her career is currently thriving.
On the other hand, Lester Holt, Carol’s husband, boasts a net worth of $75 million and receives an annual salary of $10 million.
Carol Hagen and Lester Holt’s Relationship
Carol Hagen and Lester Holt first crossed paths long before Lester’s tenure at NBC News. According to a 2004 profile by People, Carol, who had built an impressive career as a real estate agent, was working as a flight attendant when they initially met. At the time, Lester was a government student at California State University.
Although details about their early dating life in the 1980s are limited, Carol shared an interesting anecdote with Sactown Magazine. She recounted a time when Lester was called to cover a forest fire in Napa Valley and invited her to come along. Reflecting on the experience, she said, “I thought, ‘Wow, I’ve never been invited to go on a breaking news story before.’ I guess I knew what I was getting myself into with Lester and his career.”
Afterwards, when Lester secured a reporter position at WCBS-TV, Carol, who had reportedly been let go due to industry contraction in the airline industry, followed him to New York. They got married in 1982 and subsequently moved to Los Angeles, where Lester became a weekend anchor and reporter at KCBS-TV (then KNXT). Lester’s career later took them to Chicago, where he anchored the afternoon and evening news at WBBM-TV before joining MSNBC in 2000.
In 1987, Carol and Lester welcomed their first son, Stefan Holt, into the world while residing in Chicago. Stefan has followed in his father’s footsteps and established himself as an award-winning journalist and anchor at NBC 5 News, having previously worked at WNBC-TV.
A few years later, their second son, Cameron, was born. Cameron now works as an equity derivatives trader.
Throughout various milestones in their lives, including job relocations and challenges of parenthood, Carol and Lester have managed to maintain a strong bond. According to Lester, their ability to laugh together is the secret to their successful relationship. He expressed, “We laugh a lot, we really do. I can be silly, she can be sillier… We just laugh through things, and we know that everything, tough times will be a story at some point, and boy have I put her through some tough times with this job.”
Lester further emphasized Carol’s unwavering support, stating, “She understands that when the bell rings, I like to answer it, when the big story’s going on, I want
to be there… I love her to death, she’s been so wonderful, she knows this job is going to bring a lot of late-night phone calls… but she’s there for me, and that means an awful lot.”
Currently, the couple takes joy in their role as grandparents. Lester is affectionately referred to as “granddude” by their two grandsons, Henry (3 years old) and Sam (1 year old). Stefan and his wife, Morgan, are expecting their third baby boy, as reported by the Today show.
