Thomas Gottschalk Biography
Gottschalk was born as the son of a lawyer in Bamberg, Bavaria. He studied history and German philology at the Humanistisches Gymnasium in Kulmbach, eventually taking his exams as a primary and secondary school teacher; however, it was during this time that he discovered his true vocation: entertainment.
Thomas Gottschalk Career
Thomas Johannes Gottschalk is a radio and television host and entertainer from Germany. He is best known for hosting Wetten, dass…?, Europe’s biggest television show for many years, which he guided to massive success in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and South Tyrol between 1987 and 2011. He was also the brand ambassador for Haribo confectionery in television advertisements until 2015. Gottschalk began his career as a freelancer for the Bayerischer Rundfunk’s youth program in 1971; in 1973, he became an anchor for a news program. After a brief stint at the newspaper Münchner Merkur, he became a regular contributor at the Bayerischer Rundfunk in 1976, and later rose to prominence as the host of the show Pop nach acht. In 1978, he received the Kurt-Magnus-Preis for his “outstanding talents” as a radio host.
Apart from the awards mentioned above, Gottschalk has received a number of others for his work. The Telestar debuted in 1987, followed by the Goldenes Schlitzohr (golden rascal) and Goldenes Kabel (golden cable) in 1991, and the Goldene Feder (“golden feather”) in 2001. He also received three Bambi awards, which he returned in 1988 following a disagreement with the publisher Burda. He did, however, accept a “Bambi of honor” award in 2001. Gottschalk co-hosted the show Das Supertalent in 2012.
Gottschalk and Günther Jauch co-host the German TV show Die 2 – Gottschalk und Jauch gegen alle.
Thomas Gottschalk Personal Life
In 1976, Gottschalk married his wife Thea. He has two sons, Roman and Tristan, as well as a grandson (born 2010). He announced in 2019 that he and Thea were divorcing after 43 years of marriage.
Gottschalk purchased Castle Marienfels in Remagen, Germany, on November 16, 2004. He lived there between 2006 and 2013. At the end of January 2013, it was announced that he had sold the castle to Frank Asbeck. He’s had a second home in Malibu, California, since the early 1990s. The house was destroyed by wildfires in California in 2018. Gottschalk was inducted into the Guinness World Records in 2005 for having appeared in the longest running ad featuring one person; between 1991 and 2015, he appeared in ads for the candy company Haribo on a regular basis.
Thomas Gottschalk Net Worth
Thomas Gottschalk has an estimated net worth of approximately $130 million.
