James May threatens to leave Top Gear!

ours only gets like AUD$230,000, officially owned by the tax payers.
 
maxorido said:
Yes it's true the president's salary isn't much relatively speaking. BUT!, you must realize that the president gets everything for free. Not to mention whatever under the table deals and kickbacks you can bet he recieves.
Click to expand...

That is exactly correct. Plus in most cases of the US Presidency they wouldn't have to EVER work if they didn't want to. Look at the Bush's, they have hundreds of millions of dollars through all their dealings so the tiny amount he gets from running the country probably doesn't even come into his mind.

Plus, as you said, they get everything for free for almost a decade and even if they weren't stinking rich already as soon as their presidency ends they will just go on the board of 100 different companies and earn 100 times what they were payed to run the country.
 
maxorido said:
Yes it's true the president's salary isn't much relatively speaking. BUT!, you must realize that the president gets everything for free. Not to mention whatever under the table deals and kickbacks you can bet he recieves.
Click to expand...
Not to forget, he has more power than most cucumbers in cucumberland, and he is a total burk.

n2_space said:
The president of the USA salary is $400K as of 2000, up from $200k.
Click to expand...
I Stand corrected.
 
Even though this is more than likely is rubbish. If it is true, maybe James will get a new haircut once he gets his fat paycheck! :p
 
Mr-Stabby said:
Actually on thinking about it, it doesn't make sense.

When the new Top Gear started, I could see Clarkson getting that much because the show was going to depend on him to get going again. But Richard was the newboy, and even in the 2003 series when James came along, the new series wasn't exactly an institution yet. So why would Richard be being paid a lot more than James at this point?
Click to expand...
Remember, Hammond's done one more series. So his contract probably came up for renewal six months to a year earlier.

In fact, I've just checked, and Hammond signed a "golden handcuffs" deal with the Beeb not long before his Crash (although every single site seems to be giving a different value), which is why he left Brainiac. That probably has something to do with any great disparity between him and James, as does the fact that Hammond's done more shows for the Beeb, IIRC.
 
What's not clear is whether or not Jezza's and Hamster's contracts are ?1m p.a. or if it's ?1m over, say 5 years. This would be ?200k p.a. Still a lot more than James on a claimed ?40k p.a, but not the big story News Of The World (despite being a quality, reputable, well-respected journal *cough*) would have you believe.

Either way, one of the great things with TG is that with Hamster and James, you get the sense that they are a couple of everyday working men who are as down to earth and as real as the next bloke in the street. Clarkson, OTOH, comes across as one of these self-made men who spent years building up an empire and is now (rightfully) enjoying the fruits of their labour. For all we know, Jezza could very well be a bloke who dropped out out school, became an apprentice, worked his arse off for 20 years and finished up owning a large plumbing business or engineering firm rather than being a top motoring journo - I know guys like this myself in real life (other than the motoring journo bit). I think this is why TG works so well with these three, because so many people feel they can relate to them.
 
Last edited:
I really really REALLY don't think that Clarkson and Hammond are on a million pounds a year. That is bollocks, complete and utter BOLLOCKS. How many cars would Clarkson own if he was making that kind of money? He would have thrown his crap Ford GT away and got another one after the tenth service visit for a start. And Hammond has just got a family wagon and that little Morgan. Does that sound like a car nut getting a million pounds a year? These kinds of contracts are very VERY secret and there's no way some tabloid shit rag is going to have the faintest idea what these guys earn, period.
 
I really really REALLY don't think that Clarkson and Hammond are on a million pounds a year

both clarkson and hammond are columnists in national newspapers, and they earn a fortune for that.

hammond does a hell of a lot of tv shows as well, and clarkson has his books. they'll both earn way more than a million a year. a million is peanuts in TV land.

jonathan ross for example earns a good ?5 million a year
 
If Clarkson makes a cool million a year (or more), why did he then state in his review of the Bugatti Veyron something along the lines of "the worst thing about this car is that I know I will never drive it again in my life", i.e. that he will never own one himself.

If Clarkson was making a million a year, he would surely have a Veyron on order...
 
Danish said:
If Clarkson was making a million a year, he would surely have a Veyron on order...
Click to expand...

Taxes, housing, food, stuff for the family, etc? I doubt he has a million in cash sitting around. ;)
 
cmotd said:
I really really REALLY don't think that Clarkson and Hammond are on a million pounds a year. That is bollocks, complete and utter BOLLOCKS. How many cars would Clarkson own if he was making that kind of money? He would have thrown his crap Ford GT away and got another one after the tenth service visit for a start. And Hammond has just got a family wagon and that little Morgan. Does that sound like a car nut getting a million pounds a year? These kinds of contracts are very VERY secret and there's no way some tabloid shit rag is going to have the faintest idea what these guys earn, period.
Click to expand...

the pay of people employed by the bbc is not secret, because they are paid with our money, under the freedom of information act they have to reveal what they pay everyone, hence why stars pay such as jonathan ross is always in the news.

clarkson only owns one car because he only needs one car! his wife has about 3 or 4 i think. hammond owns about 7 cars but there all quite cheap, with some exceptions!

clarkson must earn a fortune from his tv, dvd's and writing. they probably invest there money in property or other investments. at the end of the day if they want a car they can just ring the manufacturer up and have one sent to them.
 
If the salaries of all BBC employees are public and everyone knows em can anyone find a list? I searched and couldn't find one.
About JM, if he is truely on a 40K salary that's just disgraceful....for about 6 years to walk around making 4% of what your mates make? who do about the same job you do? I would not be able to take that and probably neither can he...I doubt it would hold for 6 years. I doubt it would hold for 2....
 
Hmm...interesting article read.
Maybe there is some discussions about salary going on now. However, I'm skeptical about the timing of this. I mean, now that Richard Hammond has gotten better and the next season starts in late January, how else will you create some media attention around the show? :)
 
I love it when people spend other people's money for them...

If Clarkson was making a million a year, he would surely have a Veyron on order

I really really REALLY don't think that Clarkson and Hammond are on a million pounds a year. That is bollocks, complete and utter BOLLOCKS. How many cars would Clarkson own if he was making that kind of money? He would have thrown his crap Ford GT away and got another one after the tenth service visit for a start. And Hammond has just got a family wagon and that little Morgan. Does that sound like a car nut getting a million pounds a year? These kinds of contracts are very VERY secret and there's no way some tabloid shit rag is going to have the faintest idea what these guys earn, period....
Click to expand...

I am a huge auto enthusiast, I have 4 cars, their combined value is less than $20,000usd. My wife and I make enough money that we can easily afford say a new BMW Z4 and a Volvo XC90...But why would we waste our money on new cars? We don't have Hammond and Clarkson money, but if that tabloid rag is to believed, we make more than May (slightly).

I guess my point is, just because someone has money doesn't mean they waste it on cars, you don't accumulate wealth by being stupid.
 
I did not dislike Jason he just did not fit the programme very well. I watch Jason's second hand car prog when it is on sky no probs. James May was the missing piece that made a really good show just great IMHO.
 
eMKay said:
I love it when people spend other people's money for them...



I am a huge auto enthusiast, I have 4 cars, their combined value is less than $20,000usd. My wife and I make enough money that we can easily afford say a new BMW Z4 and a Volvo XC90...But why would we waste our money on new cars? We don't have Hammond and Clarkson money, but if that tabloid rag is to believed, we make more than May (slightly).

I guess my point is, just because someone has money doesn't mean they waste it on cars, you don't accumulate wealth by being stupid.
Click to expand...


accumulate wealth?! we are petrol heads....we get an alpha 166 and live in a tunnel :D But on a more serious note doesn't Hammond have a bunch of motorcycles and like 5 cars including a Morgan and a 911?
 
He made mention about getting a Morgan when Jeremy got his Ford GT (episode 06x03) and Richard pulls away in the Morgan the next episode when the GT wouldn't start.

He also got a Land Rover Defender (episode 08x07) where the paint can blew up on his wife.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top