Morley Safer was a Canadian-born American news reporter and television correspondent who had a net worth of $25 million at the time of his death in 2016. A significant portion of his fortune was tied to real estate, including his long-held Park Avenue carriage house in New York City, which today is likely worth well over $10 million and remains owned by his widow.
Safer was best known for his extraordinary, decades-long tenure on the CBS newsmagazine program 60 Minutes. Over a broadcast journalism career spanning more than 60 years, he became one of the most respected and influential correspondents in American television, earning a reputation for fearless reporting, sharp storytelling, and global coverage of major historical events. Throughout his career, he won 12 Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, and two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards, among many other honors. He died in 2016, just one week after announcing his retirement from CBS, at the age of 84.
- Morley Safer Net Worth: $20 Million
- Date of Birth: November 8, 1931
- Place of Birth: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Early Life
Morley Safer was born on November 8, 1931, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, to Austrian-Jewish parents Anna and Max Safer. He grew up with two siblings, an older brother Leon and an older sister Esther. He attended Harbord Collegiate Institute and Bloor Collegiate Institute before briefly studying at the University of Western Ontario. Safer ultimately left college early to pursue a career in journalism, a decision that launched his path into international reporting.
Career Beginnings
Safer began his journalism career working for several Ontario-based newspapers, including the Toronto Telegram and the Woodstock Sentinel-Review. He also spent time reporting in England for outlets such as the Oxford Mail and Reuters, gaining early experience in international news coverage.
CBC
In the late 1950s, Safer joined the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) as a correspondent and producer. One of his earliest major projects was CBC News Magazine, where he made his first on-screen appearance as a journalist in 1956. While with CBC, he later worked out of London and covered major global developments, including the Algerian War.
CBS and Vietnam Reporting
Safer joined CBS News in 1964 as a London-based correspondent. In 1965, he was assigned to Saigon, becoming the first full-time CBS News bureau reporter covering the Vietnam War. His reporting from Vietnam drew widespread attention for its unflinching portrayal of the conflict, challenging official narratives and drawing criticism from U.S. political and military leadership.
By 1967, he was named CBS News bureau chief in London, where he continued covering major international conflicts, including the Nigerian Civil War and the Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia. That same year, he was part of the CBS team that became the first American journalists to report from Communist China in the special broadcast Morley Safer’s Red China Diary.
60 Minutes Career
In 1970, Safer joined 60 Minutes, beginning what would become a 46-year run as the program’s longest-serving correspondent. Known for his calm, conversational interviewing style, he became one of the defining figures of the show alongside legends such as Mike Wallace, Dan Rather, and Ed Bradley.
Safer covered both hard-hitting investigative journalism and lighter human-interest stories. One of his most impactful reports helped exonerate Lenell Geter, an aerospace engineer wrongfully convicted of robbery in Texas. His investigative work exposed inconsistencies in the case and contributed to Geter’s release from prison.
Among his many notable interviews was his 1975 conversation with First Lady Betty Ford, along with numerous global stories ranging from war zones to political scandals. He retired from CBS in May 2016 after an extraordinary career.
Honors and Awards
Morley Safer received widespread recognition for his journalism, including 12 Emmy Awards, three Peabody Awards, three Overseas Press Awards, and two Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Awards. His accolades included a Lifetime Achievement Emmy and the 2003 George Polk Career Achievement Award. He was widely regarded as one of the most accomplished correspondents in television history.
Personal Life and Death
In 1968, Safer married anthropologist Jane Fearer while stationed in London as CBS bureau chief. The couple had one daughter, Sarah, who later became a freelance journalist.
Just one week after announcing his retirement, Safer died of pneumonia on May 19, 2016, at his home in New York City. He was 84 years old. He is buried at Roselawn Avenue Cemetery in Toronto.
Real Estate
Safer and his wife owned two primary East Coast properties. Their main residence was a 4,300-square-foot Park Avenue carriage house in New York City, purchased in 1996 for $2.2 million. Today, the home is estimated to be worth well over $10 million.
The couple also owned a country cottage in Chester, Connecticut for more than 30 years. The property was later listed for sale in 2020 for $1.45 million after Safer’s passing.
Author: Andrew Walyaula
Andrew Walyaula is a seasoned multimedia journalist. Email: [email protected]
