Unimaginable amounts: Here's how much Salman Khan has charged for every Bigg Boss season

The numbers are nothing short of mind-boggling

Bigg Boss, the popular Indian reality television show, has seen several hosts over the years since its debut in 2006. However, it was Salman Khan who took the reins as the host from season 4 onwards and has continued to charm the audience with his charismatic presence. 

Salman's earnings throughout the numerous seasons he has hosted have become an intriguing point of conversation. While the star has often joked on-screen about payments, it is evident that Salman has enough swing to sway a sizable income from the wildly popular show alone. 

Salman replaced Amitabh Bachchan as the host of Bigg Boss in season four. From seasons four to six, Hindustan Times reported that he was paid INR2.5 crore ($25 million) per episode. It is worth noting that this was despite the fact that the fifth season had Sanjay Dutt as a host as well. Shweta Tiwari, Juhi Parmar, and Urvashi Dholakia emerged as the winners of seasons four, five, and six, respectively.

For season seven, Salman doubled his fee to INR5 crore ($50 million) per episode, as reported by Hindustan Times. Gauahar Khan emerged as the winner of that season. For each episode of Bigg Boss 8, which was won by Gautam Gulati, Salman hiked his fee up to INR 5.5 crore ($55 million), according to the aforementioned news outlet.

Hindustan Times also reported that for seasons nine and ten, Salman charged between INR7 crore to INR8 crore ($70 to $80 million) per episode. Prince Narula and Manveer Gurjar were the respective winners of these seasons. Reports vary regarding Salman's fee for the next two offerings of Bigg Boss. While media speculated his fee to be around INR11 crore ($110 million) per episode for season 11, the actual amount remains undisclosed. Shilpa Shinde and Dipika Kakkar emerged as the winners of seasons 11 and 12, respectively.

According to Midday, Salman charged INR15.50 ($155 million) crore per episode for season 13, which was won by the late Siddharth Shukla. As per India Times, Midday, and News18, Salman is believed to have charged INR20 crore ($200 million) per episode for season 14. Rubina Dilaik emerged as the winner that year.

Times of India reported that Salman earned INR15 crore ($150 million) per episode for season 15, accumulating a total of approximately INR350 crore ($3.5 billion) for the season where Tejasswi Prakash emerged as the winner. For the 16th instalment of Bigg Boss, won by MC Stan, Salman reportedly demanded a significant increase in his fee.

Financial Express reported that he charged a whopping INR1,000 crore ($10 billion) for the entire season, marking a threefold increase from his previous earnings. However, Koimoi refuted this claim, stating that the star was paid INR43.75 crores ($437.5 million) for hosting a single episode of the season. 

Salman's association with Bigg Boss has been instrumental in the show's success. Over the years, he has not only entertained the audience but has also been actively involved in the politics of the house, making it one of the most-watched shows on Indian television.

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