José Díaz-Balart | MSNBC, Telemundo, Age, Height, Wife, Family, Salary & Net Worth
Biography
José Díaz-Balart is a renowned American journalist and television anchor best known for his work on Noticias Telemundo, NBC Nightly News, and MSNBC.
Díaz-Balart anchored the weeknight editions of Noticias Telemundo until 2021. He currently hosts José Díaz-Balart Reports on MSNBC and anchors the Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News.
With a career that spans decades and networks, he’s become one of the most respected bilingual broadcasters in the U.S. Known for bridging Spanish and English-speaking audiences, Díaz-Balart has made history multiple times throughout his career.
Career Highlights
Currently, Díaz-Balart serves as a key anchor and correspondent for Noticias Telemundo, and he hosts the network’s public affairs program, Enfoque con José Díaz-Balart. He also anchors NBC Nightly News on Saturdays.
His career includes:
Founding member of Noticias Telemundo in 1987.
First Cuban-American to anchor a network news program (CBS This Morning, 1996).
Anchor of Telemundo’s Esta Mañana and Cada Día in the early 2000s.
Host of MSNBC Live, The Daily Rundown, and later José Díaz-Balart Reports.
Moderator of the 2016 Democratic Town Hall (Clinton vs. Sanders) and 2019 Democratic presidential debates.
In February 2025, MSNBC announced the cancellation of José Díaz-Balart Reports, but he continues with NBC News as a weekend anchor and remains a key figure for breaking news and special events on Telemundo.
José Díaz-Balart Age
Born on November 7, 1960, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, José is now 64 years old (as of 2025). His family fled Cuba in 1959 and he was raised in Madrid, Spain.
Family| Parents
Parents: Rafael Díaz-Balart, a prominent Cuban politician, and Hilda Caballero Brunet.
Siblings:
Three brothers – Lincoln (former U.S. Rep.), Mario (current U.S. Rep.), and Rafael (banker).
Extended Family: His aunt Mirta was Fidel Castro’s first wife, making Castro his uncle by marriage and Fidelito his first cousin. His uncle Waldo Díaz-Balart is a celebrated painter.
Education
Díaz-Balart attended New College of Florida and the University of Cambridge, where he earned a degree in politics and history.
Wife & Children
José is married to Brenda Díaz-Balart, a Los Angeles native. The couple, who tied the knot in the early 2000s, are proud parents of two daughters, Sabrina and Katrina. While José is famously private about his personal life, he and Brenda are occasionally seen together at public events.
José Díaz-Balart Height
José stands at approximately 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters) tall.
Salary & Net Worth
Annual Salary: Estimated at $345,000.
Net Worth: Estimated at $15 million as of 2025, thanks to his long-standing career in journalism across major networks.
NBCUniversal 2010–Present:
By 2010, José Díaz-Balart had begun reporting for NBC News. In June 2011, he made history by filling in for Contessa Brewer on MSNBC Live, becoming the first U.S. journalist to anchor newscasts in both English and Spanish on two national networks simultaneously.
From 2014 to 2016, Díaz-Balart anchored MSNBC’s 10 a.m. news hour, taking over from Chris Jansing. On November 17, 2014, he assumed hosting duties for The Daily Rundown, which expanded to two hours and absorbed his previous program. The show was later rebranded as MSNBC Live with José Díaz-Balart in a broader revamp of the network’s daytime lineup in 2015.
Later that year, he began filling in for the Saturday edition of NBC Nightly News and was officially named its anchor in July 2016—a role he continues to hold.
Díaz-Balart has also played a central role in major political coverage. He moderated the 2016 Democratic Town Hall with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and co-moderated the first Democratic Presidential Debates on NBC and Telemundo in June 2019.
In September 2021, he stepped down from anchoring Noticias Telemundo weeknights to launch José Díaz-Balart Reports, a weekday 10 a.m. show on MSNBC. He continued anchoring Saturday editions of NBC Nightly News and remained involved with Telemundo’s special event and breaking news coverage.
On February 24, 2025, it was announced that José Díaz-Balart Reports would end, but Díaz-Balart would continue his work with NBC News as a weekend anchor.
Notable Achievements
First U.S. journalist to anchor daily newscasts in both English and Spanish across two networks.
Interviews with every U.S. president since Ronald Reagan.
A trusted face on both Telemundo and NBC News for breaking news, special events, and political coverage.
