Dan Katz
- Net worth $12 million
- Birthday January 30, 1985
- Status -
- Country United States
- Source(-s) of wealth Commentator, Podcaster
How much is Dan Katz Worth? Dan Katz Net Worth in 2026
Dan Katz’s net worth is estimated at $12 million as of October 2026. Katz, known as Big Cat, is an American sports media personality who co-hosts Pardon My Take with PFT Commenter and has been a Barstool Sports fixture since 2012. Most of the wealth traces to his Barstool pay, a reported seven-figure bonus tied to equity, and the growth of the podcast he started in 2016.
| Net worth | $12 million (estimate) |
|---|---|
| Estimated annual income | About $2.5 million, our estimate, from Barstool, TV and book work |
| Born | January 30, 1985, Newton, Massachusetts (age 41) |
| Country | United States |
| Known for | Pardon My Take, The Yak and The Corp |
| Main income sources | Barstool salary and equity, podcast revenue, television work, books |
How much is Dan Katz worth in 2026?
We estimate Dan Katz’s net worth at about $12 million. Several 2026 pages say $10 million, but none shows how it was reached, so we looked at what was actually reported.
Two items stand out. A July 2026 report said Barstool founder Dave Portnoy pushed for a $7 million bonus plus equity for Katz, and that Katz confirmed the account. We saw this in a secondary write-up and treat it as a single-source report. A separate report says the move of Pardon My Take to Netflix came with a broader deal that is reportedly worth eight figures. Katz has not published terms.
The size of his Barstool equity is not public, so we leave it at a wide range. Taking a seven-figure bonus, a decade-plus of company pay, television work and a bestselling book, $12 million seems fair, and we call it an estimate.
How Dan Katz built it
- Started a podcast and stuck with it. He co-hosts Pardon My Take, which he began in 2016.
- Grew with one company. He has been at Barstool Sports since 2012, with a reported bonus tied to equity.
- Spread into TV and books. He works on Fox Sports shows and co-wrote the bestseller Pardon My Book.
Learn the wealth mindset behind Dan Katz’s career in the Alux app.
Get the Alux appDan Katz in 2026: what he has been working on
- August 27, 2026: Pardon My Book, co-written with Eric Sollenberger (PFT Commenter), reached New York Times bestseller status.
- 2026: Hosts or contributes to seasonal NFL YouTube shows and works as an analyst on the Barstool College Football Show.
- 2025: Became a co-host of the Tuesday lineup of Wake Up Barstool on Fox Sports 1 and contributes to Big Noon Kickoff.
- September 2025: Said he hopes to scale back his workload in the coming years to spend more time with his children.
- Ongoing: Pardon My Take reaches roughly 750,000 to 1.5 million listeners per episode, according to a reference summary.
How Dan Katz makes money
- Barstool pay and equity: Salary is private, and equity terms are undisclosed. A reported $7 million bonus plus equity is a single-source claim.
- Pardon My Take: The show he co-hosts has run since February 2016 and moved to Netflix in a reported eight-figure broader deal.
- Other shows: The Yak, a daily YouTube panel show, and The Corp, which he began hosting in December 2018.
- Television: Fox Sports appearances on Wake Up Barstool and Big Noon Kickoff.
- Business and books: A coffee brand, Stella Blue Coffee, launched in 2022 with Barstool’s owners, and the book Pardon My Book.
What Dan Katz teaches (and what to take from it)
- Start part-time and say yes. Katz began at Barstool in 2012 on a part-time basis and grew into the role. Offer to take on one small piece of a project this week that nobody else wants.
- Pair up with someone who completes you. Pardon My Take works partly because of the contrast between two hosts. List the skills you lack and find one person who has them, then propose a small joint project.
- Be the same, every week. A show that publishes on schedule builds a habit in listeners. Pick a recurring output of your own, a note or a post, and publish it on the same day for a month.
- Plan the exit while it is good. He has said he wants to scale back to spend time with his kids. Write down what a good year of work looks like for you in five years and move one step in that direction.
What owning a piece of the company does to a pay estimate
Hosts are paid a salary, but the biggest money in media often comes from equity. If a company is later sold or valued at a high multiple, a small percentage turns into a large check. One page claims Katz holds between five and ten percent of Barstool, but that is a single unverified claim and a second source says his exact stake is not disclosed.
That uncertainty is the main reason for our range. If his equity is tiny, $12 million is on the high side. If it is meaningful, the figure could be several times higher. We chose a number that respects the reports of a seven-figure bonus and a significant television income.
The new book is another small piece. A bestselling book from a podcast brand tends to sell through a loyal audience rather than through retail marketing, so profits can be strong even without a huge print run.
Career timeline
- 1985: Born in Newton, Massachusetts.
- 2007: Moves to Chicago after graduating from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- 2012: Starts at Barstool Sports, initially part-time.
- 2016: Launches Pardon My Take with PFT Commenter in February.
- 2018: Begins hosting The Corp in December.
- 2022: Launches Stella Blue Coffee with Barstool’s owners.
- 2023: Barstool’s Chicago office opens, and he heads it.
- 2025: Joins Fox Sports programs.
- 2026: Pardon My Book becomes a bestseller.
Early life and background
Daniel Katz was born on January 30, 1985, in Newton, Massachusetts. He studied at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and moved to Chicago in 2007 after graduating.
Dan Katz net worth FAQ
What is Dan Katz’s net worth?
We estimate about $12 million as of October 2026. Content pages put it at about $10 million.
How much did Dan Katz make from Barstool?
His salary is private. A July 2026 report said he received a $7 million bonus plus equity, which we treat as a single-source claim.
How does Dan Katz make money?
From Barstool pay and equity, podcast revenue, Fox Sports television work and book income.
How old is Dan Katz?
He was born on January 30, 1985, so he is 41 years old in October 2026.
What is Dan Katz known for?
He is known as Big Cat, the co-host of Pardon My Take and host on The Yak and The Corp.
How is Dan Katz’s net worth estimated?
We use reported bonus and deal figures, his years of Barstool pay, TV work and published estimates, then choose a figure in the upper part of the range.
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How we estimate net worth
Our estimates are based on public reporting, company valuations, and deal and earnings figures all compiled in an internal valuation model. They are approximate, and figures change over time as new information emerges.
Last updated: October 2026.
Photo: Philip Håkansson / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped (source, license)