Richard Hammond paid himself £2.5 MILLION after ditching Top Gear for The Grand Tour
RICHARD HAMMOND reportedly paid himself a whopping £2.5 million after quitting Top Gear.
Richard Hammond is said to have paid himself £2.5 million
The 47-year-old is said to have taken two dividend payments of £1.918 million and £527,000, accounts reveal, according to The Sun.
The money is thought to have been paid to him and his wife Mindy - who are the only two shareholders in the car fanatic’s TV company Hamster’s Wheel productions - within the last two years.
The publication stated that Richard’s company was left with a £2.3 million profit after the dividends were paid out, with it also stating that £18,000 was paid out in tax last year and £243,000 the previous year.
Richard - who was involved in another horrific near-fatal supercar crash in June - made the move to The Grand Tour from Top Gear after his co-host Jeremy Clarkson, 57, was axed for punching a producer. James May, 45, also followed suit.
Richard left Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson was axed
Richard, Jeremy and James now star on The Grand Tour
Trailer: The Grand Tour returns for season two
Richard’s wage is thought to have more than doubled since joining the Amazon show, with the trio allegedly being given a huge £35.8 million to make the first 13 episodes.
The latest news comes after the brand new trailer for The Grand Tour season 2 emerged online, with the clip including a sinister message from James to Richard before his recent accident.
Richard could be seen refuelling his vehicle while Jeremy stood by, before James advised: "You realise that could result in your death."
Richard broke his leg in a recent near-fatal supercar crash
In what could be a tongue-in-cheek nod to the risky side of their work, the trailer was set to the soundtrack of Live and Let Die.
The series will stream one episode per week starting next month.
The new season takes Jeremy, Richard and James across five continents, as they travel from Mozambique to Dubai, Spain and New York.
The Grand Tour returns December 8 on Amazon Prime.