Entertainment magnate, financier, television producer, comedian, and talk show host Byron Allen donated $5,000 to actor-comedian Alex Duong’s GoFundMe in the aftermath of his demise. Allen has an estimated net worth of $1 billion according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Duong died in Santa Monica, California, on March 28, at the age of 42, a few hours after his family friend Hilarie Steele announced that he was in septic shock. He is survived by his wife, Christina, and five-year-old daughter, Everest.
The Blue Bloods actor was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in early 2025. Back then, Steele launched the fundraiser titled, “Aid Alex’s Journey to Regain Sight.” It had a goal of $95,000 and has now exceeded the limit, reaching $120,792 at the time of writing.
On Saturday night, Hilarie announced his death via an update on the GoFundMe page.
“With the heaviest hearts, we share that our dear Alex passed away peacefully this morning, surrounded by love and dear friends. He was comfortable and thankfully out of pain. Christina and Everest were able to see him last night, and he was alert enough to say goodbye to his little girl, whom he has treasured every moment since the day she was born.”
She continued:
“We are devastated, but so grateful for the support, prayers, and generosity you have all shown during this unimaginable time. Your continued support now means everything as Christina and Everest navigate the days ahead to arrange a beautiful celebration of his life. All of us will be by her side to hold her up and help her in every way possible. We love you all.”
According to Hilarie Steele’s most recent update, the incoming donations will be used to cover Alex Duong’s memorial expenses, his daughter’s education needs, and the family’s ongoing care, daily support, and more.
Here’s how Byron Allen became a billionaire
Byron Allen, 64, was born in Detroit and raised in Los Angeles. He developed his interest in show business early in life after accompanying his mother, publicist Carolyn Folks, to the NBC studios in Burbank, CA. In fact, he would sneak into the sets of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and would pretend to be a host.
As a teenager, Byron also impressed veteran comedian Jimmie Walker with his stand-up routine at L.A. comedy clubs and was soon invited to join his writing team, comprising Jay Leno and David Letterman, on Studio One. By 18, he made a name for himself and was even featured to perform on Carson’s show, becoming the youngest ever to do so.
His onscreen presence made an impact among producers, landing him his first major gig as the co-host of the Real People talk show on NBC. During this time, Byron Allen also took up hands-on lessons about advertising, directing, producing, and more.
His career peaked in the early 1990s with the launch of his company, Entertainment Studios, which is now the world’s largest independent producer and distributor. Under the banner, the now-billionaire multihyphenate created an hour-long weekly program called Entertainers with Byron Allen, which quickly became popular.
Since 2009, he has simultaneously owned and led six 24-hour HD networks, including Comedy.TV, Pets.TV, Recipe.TV, ES.TV, Cars.TV, and MyDestination.TV. Today, he continues to produce over 30 nationally-run shows, which generate approximately $100 million in annual revenue.
In that isn’t all, Byron Allen also earns a significant portion of his wealth from another entertainment firm, Allen Media Group (AMG), which now runs a dozen TV networks and more than 70 shows.
Elsewhere, he purchased The Weather Channel (only the television channel) in 2018 for $300 million, eleven channels from USA Television for the same amount, Bayou City Broadcasting for $165 million, Black News Channel for $11 million, and 21 local sports networks owned by Disney/ Fox for $10.6 billion [with Sinclair Broadcast Group].
However, his subsequent acquisitions weren’t all that successful, including his $8.5 million offer to buy out the Tegna network in March 2020 and the NFL teams Denver Broncos and Washington Commanders in 2022.
The following year, he lost all his bids, including $10 billion to acquire ABC’s Honolulu-based affiliate and other Disney-owned companies, $3.5 billion to purchase Black Entertainment Television from Paramount, and a similar amount for E.W. Scripps’ television stations. In January 2024, he unsuccessfully re-attempted to buy out Paramount for $14 billion.
Byron Allen is an honorary member of the Motion Picture & Television Fund Board of Governors. He also earned a heavy settlement in February 2021, a year after suing Comcast for $10 billion for racism.
Allen also won a similar discrimination suit against AT&T and Charter Communications. He filed two multi-billion-dollar federal lawsuits against McDonald’s Corp for “racial stereotyping” in their commercials and campaigns. The parties settled out of court in June 2025 after years of deliberation.
In 2024, Byron Allen appeared as a fictionalized version of himself on an episode of Bel-Air. He also has a pending role in the upcoming movie in the 43 Meters Down franchise and the James Baldwin biopic. His prior hosting gigs include a 1989 eponymous talk show, Comics Unleashed, and Funny You Should Ask.
Besides being a successful businessman, Byron Allen also has a steady personal life with his wife of nearly two decades, Jennifer Lucas (also a TV producer) and their three children. He has both business-owned and personal real estate properties across the United States, including L.A., Maui, and NYC.
Edited by Pallavi K