Tom Llamas – NBC News, Lester Holt, Biography, Age, Family, and Career
Who is Tom Llamas?
Tom Llamas is an award-winning American journalist and national correspondent currently with NBC News. He serves as the anchor of Top Story with Tom Llamas on NBC News Now and frequently fills in as a substitute anchor on Today and NBC Nightly News.
Previously, he spent seven years at ABC News, where he anchored the weekend edition of World News Tonight from 2014 to 2021. In March 2025, Llamas was announced as the next anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, succeeding Lester Holt beginning in summer 2025.
Over his career, Tom has earned multiple Emmy Awards and two Edward R. Murrow Awards for his distinguished reporting.
Early Life and Education
Born on July 2, 1979, in Miami, Florida, Tom is the son of Cuban immigrants who fled to the U.S. as political refugees. He graduated from Belen Jesuit Preparatory School in Miami and later attended Loyola University in New Orleans, where he earned bachelor’s degrees in broadcast journalism and drama and speech.
He also completed a specialized program at the University of Miami’s Institute for Cuban and Cuban American Studies, with a focus on Cuban American voters and the leadership of Raúl Castro.
Tom Llamas Age and Birthday
Tom Llamas is 44 years old as of 2025. He was born on July 2, 1979, and celebrates his birthday every year on the same date.
Nationality and Ethnicity
Tom holds American nationality and is of Cuban-American heritage.
Tom Llamas Height
Tom Llamas stands approximately 6 feet 2 inches tall (1.88 meters).
Family Background
Tom was raised in a loving Cuban-American household in Miami. Although he has kept details about his parents and possible siblings private, he often speaks with pride about his family’s immigrant roots and the values they instilled in him.
Tom Llamas Wife and Children
Tom is married to Jennifer Llamas, a Senior Producer at MSNBC. The couple tied the knot in June 2006 and have three children together: daughters Juliette and Malena, and a son named Tomas. They live a relatively private family life, though Tom occasionally shares glimpses of fatherhood on social media and in interviews.
Career Overview
Tom began his career in 2000 with NBC News Special Unit, later moving to MSNBC as a political campaign reporter. There, he covered major stories like the Afghanistan war and the September 11 attacks.
He then worked at WTVJ in Miami, where he reported on eight hurricanes, followed by a stint at NBC 4 New York in 2009 as a general assignment reporter.
In 2014, he joined ABC News, where he rose to prominence as the weekend anchor for World News Tonight. During the 2016 presidential election, he traveled across the country covering the Republican nominee’s campaign, often making headlines for his direct, fact-based questioning.
He returned to NBC in 2021 as a Senior National Correspondent, eventually launching Top Story with Tom Llamas on NBC News Now. His sharp journalistic instincts and trusted presence have made him one of NBC’s most recognizable faces.
Tom Llamas Salary and Net Worth
As of 2025, Tom Llamas earns an estimated $230,000 per year and has an estimated net worth of $8 million, built through more than two decades of dedicated work in broadcast journalism.
Tom Llamas NBC
Tom Llamas launched his journalism career in 2000 with the NBC News Specials Unit, then moved to MSNBC, where he reported primarily on politics from 2000 to 2005. He later returned to his hometown as a reporter for NBC’s WTVJ in Miami. In 2009, he relocated to New York to join WNBC and NBC News as a general assignment reporter and anchor.
In September 2014, Llamas made the jump to ABC News as a New York-based correspondent. That December, he filled in for David Muir on World News Tonight over the holiday season. By 2015, he had become the program’s Sunday anchor, and in January 2017, he was promoted to sole weekend anchor of ABC World News Tonight.
During the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Llamas spent the year embedded with Republican candidates, covering rallies, debates, and controversies. He drew national attention for challenging the use of the term “anchor baby” by Jeb Bush and Donald Trump—and made headlines when Trump publicly called him a “sleaze” after Llamas questioned the accuracy of the candidate’s charitable contributions.
In January 2021, Llamas announced his departure from ABC News. His final broadcast aired on January 31, 2021. He returned to NBC News in April 2021 as Senior National Correspondent, and on May 3, 2021, he launched a new primetime program, Top Story with Tom Llamas, on NBC News Now. The show was later added to NBC’s late-night lineup on March 28, 2022, replacing replays of Today’s fourth hour.
On March 5, 2025, NBC News announced that Tom Llamas would succeed Lester Holt as anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, with his official start date set for summer 2025. He will continue to anchor Top Story alongside his new role.
Tom Llamas and Kristen Welker at NBC News
Tom Llamas and Kristen Welker are two of NBC News’ most recognizable faces, both known for their sharp political reporting and calm authority in high-stakes broadcasts. Over the years, they’ve teamed up for major network events, including election coverage, presidential debates, and breaking news specials, earning widespread respect for their journalistic integrity and on-air chemistry.
Who Is Kristen Welker?
Kristen Welker, born on July 1, 1976, is a veteran television journalist at NBC News. She currently serves as the moderator of Meet the Press—the longest-running show in television history—taking over the role on September 17, 2023. Before that, she co-anchored Weekend Today alongside Peter Alexander from 2020 to 2023 and has long served as a White House correspondent.
Kristen Welker Early Life and Education
Welker was born to Harvey and Julie Welker—her father is an engineer and her mother a real estate agent. Of mixed racial heritage (White father, Black mother), Welker brings a unique perspective to the newsroom. She graduated from Germantown Friends School in 1994 and earned a Bachelor of Arts in American History from Harvard College in 1998, graduating magna cum laude. During college, she interned at Today in 1997.
Career Highlights
Welker launched her journalism career at ABC affiliates in Rhode Island and California before joining NBC in 2005 at WCAU in Philadelphia. By 2010, she was a correspondent for NBC News based in California and became a White House correspondent in 2011.
She’s frequently appeared on NBC Nightly News, Today, and MSNBC, and gained national acclaim for moderating the final 2020 presidential debate. In 2023, she was tapped to replace Chuck Todd on Meet the Press. Her first episode featured an interview with Donald Trump, which drew mixed reactions for its handling of controversial statements.
She also co-moderated the third GOP primary debate in November 2023, where she kept her composure after a heated remark from candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who accused her of being part of the “corrupt media establishment.”
Kristen Welker Husband
Kristen Welker married John Hughes, a marketing executive, on March 4, 2017 in Philadelphia. The couple welcomed a daughter, born via surrogate on June 12, 2021, and a son on May 30, 2024, also through surrogacy.
Will Tom Llamas Replace Lester Holt?
Yes. On March 5, 2025, NBC News announced that Tom Llamas would succeed Lester Holt as anchor and managing editor of NBC Nightly News, with his official start date set for summer 2025. He will continue to anchor Top Story alongside his new role.
Tom Llamas Face Surgery: Rumors vs. Reality
As a prominent broadcast journalist, Tom Llamas is no stranger to public attention—but with that visibility often comes speculation. One recurring topic is whether he has had facial cosmetic surgery. To date, there is no credible evidence or official confirmation to suggest that Llamas has undergone any type of plastic surgery.
His consistently youthful look and sharp on-camera appearance are most likely the result of natural features, healthy lifestyle choices, and professional grooming. The buzz around “Tom Llamas face surgery” appears to be fueled more by curiosity than fact.
Unless Llamas himself addresses the topic directly, these claims remain unfounded rumors rather than substantiated reports.
