Joe Rogan is back in the spotlight once again after Forbes released its list of the highest-paid podcasters of 2026. The 58-year-old topped the rankings, earning a staggering $82 million from The Joe Rogan Experience. While Rogan’s admirers would celebrate his remarkable and continued financial success, fellow comedian Chelsea Handler criticized him over it.

Forbes shared its list of the highest-paid podcasters of 2026 on Instagram, where Handler questioned how anyone could pay Rogan an $82 million salary for regularly spreading misinformation.

“Who is paying Joe Rogan $82 million?” Handler wrote in the comments. “Give that to our vets, our children!!! 82 million to be completely uninformed and ‘whoopsie doodle’ every time he is wrong, which is frequent?”

This is not the first time Joe Rogan has faced criticism for spreading misinformation. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the renowned podcaster made several controversial claims that discouraged vaccinations and promoted alternative treatments such as ivermectin. In response, musicians Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removed their music from Spotify, citing objections to Rogan’s comments.

While he apologized for his comments at the time, Rogan has continued hosting several controversial guests on his podcast who are known for furthering misinformation and conspiracy theories. Most notably, the UFC color commentator sat down with American biochemist Dr. Robert Malone, who drew widespread criticism for making numerous unverified scientific claims, including comparing U.S. pandemic mandates to Nazi Germany, and suggesting that getting vaccinated after having COVID-19 posed higher risks. Despite such controversies, it doesn’t seem to have affected Joe Rogan’s bottom line.

At present, Rogan is enjoying the success of his podcast, which has made him one of the wealthiest figures in the industry.

However, his journey began from the ground up when he launched the platform in 2009. After years of consistent effort, JRE has reached a point where millions of listeners tune in every month. As a result, platforms like Spotify have continued to invest in Rogan, reportedly signing him to a $200 million multi-year deal.

With that in mind, it is not surprising that Rogan topped the list of the highest-paid podcasters. What is equally unsurprising, however, is Chelsea Handler’s criticism of the 58-year-old, as she has slammed him previously as well.  

In 2022, Handler guest-hosted Jimmy Kimmel Live!, where she took shots at Rogan, saying he should not open his mouth unless he is chanting, “Her body, her choice.” But that was not all. The comedian also targeted Rogan, along with his fellow Austin-based comedians such as Tony Hinchcliffe and Shane Gillis, during Netflix’s The Roast of Kevin Hart.

That said, Rogan was not the only podcaster to earn a substantial amount of money in 2026. According to Forbes’ Instagram post, John Coogan and Jordy Hayes’ TBPN earned them $70 million, Steven Bartlett’s Diary of a CEO brought in $45 million, and Ashley Flowers’ Crime Junkie generated $42 million for her. Lastly, Will Arnett, Jason Bateman, and Sean Hayes’ SmartLess has earned them $37 million so far this year.

It is also worth noting that Chelsea Handler is not alone in criticizing Joe Rogan. Apparently, the podcaster and UFC commentator’s criticism of Donald Trump also rubbed another notable personality on the other side of the aisle the wrong way.

Laura Loomer thrashes Joe Rogan for criticizing US President Donald Trump

During the 2024 US presidential election, Joe Rogan played a crucial role in Donald Trump’s campaign by hosting Trump on his podcast that attracted millions of viewers. Their conversation remained cordial, and Rogan later acknowledged that he recorded the podcast as part of Trump’s election campaign. However, the 58-year-old’s dynamic with the current US president changed after he became an outspoken critic of several policies introduced by the current administration.

The 58-year-old particularly opposed the United States’ involvement in the Iran conflict in the Middle East and discussed the war’s potential repercussions on his podcast. His criticism prompted backlash from political activists who supported Trump’s decision. One of them was far-right political activist Laura Loomer, who questioned Rogan’s credibility by arguing that he was neither a journalist nor a reporter, but simply an entertainer.

“Joe Rogan @joerogan sits around and smokes w–d all day on his show while he bashes the President,” Loomer wrote on social media.

“Joe Rogan is not a journalist or a serious news source,” she added later. “He’s an entertainer. And he bashes Trump every week. People who get their news and political updates from him are extremely uninformed.”

Loomer’s post also included Rogan’s comments on Iran and several other political issues, making it clear what prompted her criticism. Nevertheless, these criticisms from either side once again demonstrate that the UFC commentator has successfully built a platform influential enough to provoke strong reactions.