Melissa Lee Biography & Net Worth

Melissa Lee Biography & Net Worth

Melissa Lee is an American journalist and news anchor for CNBC who was born and raised in Great Neck, New York, in the United States of America. Since January 2009, she has infrequently hosted “Closing Bell” when the show’s anchor is unavailable. She has previously hosted “Options Action”, and currently anchors CNBC’s daily show “Fast Money” which she hosts from the Nasdaq’s MarketSite workspace in New York’s Times Square. The program, “Fast Money”, gives viewers the information normally reserved for the Wall Street trading floor, which helps people make decisions that can make them money. Lee is also the host of “Options Action”, a weekly half-hour broadcast that provides insight on the advantages of options trading. In addition, she is a member of the cast of CNBC’s “Power Lunch”. Previously, the reporter served as the host of CNBC’s “Money in Motion Currency Trading” and was a co-anchor of “Squawk on the Street”. She also covered investment banking, private equity and hedge funds for the nationally renowned network.

Lee has reported sixty-minute documentaries for the network, including “Porn: Business of Pleasure” and ”Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing” in 2009, “Code Wars: America’s Cyber Threat” in 2011, and “Rise of the Machines in 2013. In 2008, from Beijing and Shanghai, she reported and hosted a sixty-minute documentary, “Made in China: People’s Republic of Profit”. She reported extensively for CNBC on issues concerning China, from the country’s development to its challenges to the opportunities for American businesses.

Before landing the role at CNBC in 2004, the news anchor and TV host had stints with CNN Financial News and Bloomberg Television. However, before she ventured into journalism, Lee started her career as a consultant at Mercer Management Consulting where her job was centered around the banking and credit card sectors. She also served as an Assistant Managing Editor of the Harvard Crimson.

Early Life: Childhood, Family, Education

Melissa Lee was born on November 4, 1974, in Great Neck, New York, United States. Her grandfather was a Chinese immigrant who moved from to Buffalo, New York, along with his wife and children. Lee’s father attended Columbia University and then relocated to Great Neck, New York after his graduation.

She was brought up in Great Neck, New York, by her parents, along with her siblings. Her father worked as a writer and English teacher, and her mother was a well-known fashion designer.

Growing up, Lee idolized New York news reporter Kaity Tong, and was inspired Lee by the lady she frequently watched on TV to become a reporter. As life would have it, she eventually started her professional career as a journalist for her hometown newspaper, “the Great Neck Record”.

She is a graduate of Government from Harvard College, earning her Bachelor of Arts degree upon her graduation in 1995.

Professional Life: Broadcasting Career

After graduating from college, Lee started working as a consultant at Mercer Management Consulting, playing her role in the banking and credit card sectors.

At the moment, Lee works as a reporter for CNBC. She infrequently fills in for the anchor of “Closing Bell” and was formerly the presenter of the program “Options Action”. She is the host of “Fast Money”, a CNBC’s daily show that is being broadcast from Nasdaq’s New York Times Square MarketSite studio.

Lee is also the presenter of the weekly thirty-minutes broadcast “Options Action”. She is a member of the cast of CNBC’s “Power Lunch”, and previously served as the host of CNBC’s “Money in Motion Currency Trading”. Additionally, she has served as a co-anchor of “Squawk on the Street” for CNBC and has also covered investment banking, private equity and hedge funds for the network.

Lee has reported several hour-long documentaries for CNBC, namely “Porn: Business of Pleasure”, ”Coca-Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing”, “Code Wars: America’s Cyber Threat”, and “Rise of the Machines. In 2008, from Beijing and Shanghai, she reported and hosted the documentary, “Made in China: People’s Republic of Profit”.

Before landing the role at CNBC in 2004, the Harvard College graduate had stints with CNN Financial News and Bloomberg Television.

Achievements: Awards & Honors

Lee bagged a Gracie Award in 2010 and a Gerald Loeb Award nomination in 2009 for her performances on various CNBC programs and special reports.

In 2007, she was recognized and appreciated for her report, “The $50M Con”. The report was about a college student who turned scammer and ran a fake hedge fund until he was ultimately apprehended by the FBI.

In 2003, she earned an award nomination for her reporting on the proxy voting of mutual funds. She has also been nominated for Emmy Awards in Business News on two separate occasions.

Personal Life: Family, Husband, Children, Private Interests

Lee is equally enjoying her private life just as she enjoys her daily work as a TV personality. The beautiful and confident news anchor is a married woman, who has been spending her matrimonial life with her spouse, a man named Benjamin Kallo. The couple said their wedding vows on 8 August 2017 and has been waxing strong in their union for more than three years.

Lee’s heartthrob, Benjamin, is employed as a research analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. The lovebirds spend their free time in each other’s arms, visiting new places and trying out new things. As part of their honeymoon trip, Lee and Benjamin went to Jungle Safari, before welcoming their baby girl in 2019.

Melissa Lee Net Worth: Salary, Income Sources, Expenses, Assets

For her work as a CNBC anchor, this lady takes home an average annual salary of $300,000 due to her position at the network.  Our team has verified that Melissa Lee’s net worth is currently estimated at $5 million, and together with her beloved husband, Benjamin, who works as a senior research analyst, the couple makes enough money to fund their fancy lifestyle and also cater for their 2-year-old baby girl.