Tragic Details About Lester Holt's Life

"I'm Lester Holt, and this is 'Dateline'" is a phrase all true crime addicts know quite well. Lester Holt has been a longtime staple on both the magazine show as well as "NBC Nightly News," but while he's remained stoic on camera, reporting on horrible stories that have happened to everyday people, he's also been dealing with his own issues behind the scenes.

Clearly, Holt has learned to take the good with the bad when it comes to his job, dealing with covering major tragedies all day long and the toll that can take on his own mental well-being — while simultaneously getting rich from it. All of his success during his decades-long career thus far has greatly padded Holt's bank account, reportedly making him a multimillionaire with a net worth of $35 million. 

From having to take an emergency break from his job and learning how to manage reporting on heartbreaking stories to receiving one vital rejection letter, Holt has suffered several setbacks in his life.

In February 2025, Lester Holt announced his departure as a head anchor of "NBC Nightly News." The job was one he's had for 10 years after taking over from Brian Williams in 2015 when Williams lied about being on a helicopter that was shot down in Iraq and ended up getting put on suspension (via New York Post).

"A smile comes to my face when I think that with 'Nightly News,' and 'Dateline,' I have now anchored two of the most successful and iconic television news programs in broadcast history," Holt told staffers in a memo. "As a 20-year-old radio reporter on the police beat chasing breaking news around San Francisco, I could never have imagined my career path would unfold in the way it has. What an amazing ride" (via NBC). Holt did not provide a reason for his departure, which will occur at the start of summer. However, he did share that his "time has come." Though he is leaving "NBC Nightly News," Holt will continue to work on "Dateline." 

Even if the decision to step down is 100% his own, it's still sad to think this chapter of his life is coming to a close. Conclusions can be tough, even if they're something you want, and Holt may be caught up in his feelings for the next few months as he finishes out his tenure at "NBC Nightly News." It's also tragic for longtime fans of the show, who have been used to seeing Holt on their screens in the living room for years.

It can be gut-wrenching to watch the news these days, but it sounds even harder for the journalists who have to cover it and interview victims and their families. Lester Holt stopped by "Today" in 2019 to discuss with Al Roker and Savannah Guthrie how reporting on tragedies is eating away at him.

Shortly after covering the mass shooting in El Paso, Texas that happened at a Walmart, Holt aired his frustrations and anger at the vicious gun violence cycle America is caught in right now. "How do you feel safe anywhere?" Holt asked after Roker talked about a man who was arrested at a Walmart in Missouri who people thought might have been about to carry out a mass shooting, since he had a rifle and body armor with him. Holt then shared how he takes a tourniquet with him when he travels overseas to cover stories just in case he needs it. After the shooting in El Paso, he now takes the tourniquet with him in his briefcase, because he never knows when it may prove useful. 

Lester Holt has been such a staple on NBC that it's hard to imagine a time when he wasn't on the network. But we almost lived in a world where Holt was never part of the broadcasting company. Back in 1977, two months after Holt graduated from high school, he received a rejection letter from the company for a job at NBC radio station WNBC. The letter read, "Thank you for your interest in WNBC. I was impressed with your credentials. However, it's not exactly what we're looking for at this time. Good luck with your career."

"I'm still just a little bitter," Holt joked when he told the story to Seth Meyers (via CNBC). Since Holt was fresh out of high school with limited real-world journalism experience, it's not a huge surprise the company rejected him at the time. Holt needed to get his feet wet in the industry, which he did and eventually made his way back to NBC with an established career.

Though things worked out in the end, getting that rejection letter must have felt devastating for the teenage Holt at the time.

Back in 2015, Lester Holt had to take off from work at "NBC Nightly News" to deal with a family emergency, according to Page Six sources. The situation seemed to have resolved itself quickly, because Holt tweeted to fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he would return to his job a day later. "Happy to report all is good. Back in the chair tonight."

Whatever the emergency was, it must have been extra difficult for Holt to deal with because he is constantly in the public eye and there are certain events he'd probably rather keep to himself.

Holt isn't the first NBC news anchor to take off for personal matters. "Today" host Sheinelle Jones had to step away from her job for a bit to deal with a family health matter. Jones kept things private, like Holt did, not disclosing what the actual problem was, but she still assured fans she'd be returning soon.