Hoda Kotb Is Going to ‘Earn Way More’ Than She Did on ‘Today’ After Show Exit: Source (Exclusive)

The sky’s the limit for Hoda Kotb after her recent Today show exit.

Kotb, 60, bid a tearful farewell to the NBC morning show on January 10. After nearly 30 years of working for the network, the TV personality plans to enter the wellness space by launching her very own wellness-focused company and app.

“She’s going to earn way more than she did at the Today show,” a source exclusively shares in the latest issue of Us Weekly. “Now that she’s not full-time at NBC, Hoda’s going to be working with brands and can be paid to endorse them. She also could make several hundred thousand dollars for speaking engagements on subjects like, ‘changing your life at 60.’”

Kotb announced she is “starting a wellness app and company” during a January 6 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, sharing, “[It will] involve retreats and a podcast and all kinds of things that we can get together [and do] … It’s not like going to Mexico with your girls, which is fun, but something that when you leave, you’ll go like, ‘Oh my gosh, I feel transformed. I feel different.’”

In an interview with Page Six earlier this month, Kotb also revealed that she signed a new deal to serve as a special correspondent for Today and NBC, which includes covering the next two Olympics. “I want to be a supporting character on a team that is already in place so that I’ll come in and just have a role there. And then I’m going to do my ‘Making Space’ podcast, which I enjoy and love so much,” she told the outlet. “And for the Today show, I think we talked about doing something every four to six weeks, just a little something.”

The source elaborated on Kotb’s new role with the network, telling Us that “she’ll be focusing on positive stories that she’s interested in, like female empowerment,” and will appear on Today “around 10 times” a year. “The sky’s the limit,” the insider notes.

For now, Kotb is enjoying some much-earned quality time with her two daughters — Haley, 8, and Hope, 5 — who she shares with her ex-fiancé Joel Schiffman. The exes, who announced their split after eight years together in January 2022, recently spent Christmas together with their kids and reunited to celebrate Haley’s birthday on January 9.

“Hoda’s open to using this time to focus on her life [as well],” the source teases to Us. “She’s ready to date again.” (Kotb shared in August 2024 that she “tabled” her relationship with a mystery man after three dates.)

Since stepping down from Today, Jenna Bush Hager has continued to cohost the fourth hour, retitled Today With Jenna & Friends, with a lineup of celebrity guest hosts. Craig Melvin, meanwhile, has filled in Kotb’s role as Savannah Guthrie’s coanchor.

Kotb surprised Melvin, 45, with a heartfelt poem for his first episode in the new role on January 13. “Craig! I’m moving forward, so reach back your hand. Grab the baton, your world will expand. The adventures are endless … the people so dear. Great memories await, year after year,” he read on air. “Day One! You are ready surrounded by love. Your team is the kind you can only dream of. Savannah, Al [Roker] and Carson [Daly] are here! With partners like these, your runway is clear. From out on the plaza, to inside 30 Rock, your fans are so eager, they’re watching the clock. The time has arrived to rise like the sun. I am cheering for you, and a fabulous run! XOXO Hoda.”

For more on Kotb, watch the video above and pick up the latest issue of Us Weekly, on newsstands now.

With reporting by Andrea Simpson