Tim Malone is an American luxury real-estate broker and former media executive who is also widely known as the husband of journalist Don Lemon. But Malone has an established career of his own. Before moving into New York real estate, he spent more than a decade working at companies including NBCUniversal, Billboard and Jukin Media. He later switched industries and built a business selling luxury property in New York City and the Hamptons.
Malone and Lemon married on April 6, 2024, after years together. Their wedding brought much more public attention to Malone, but his story includes far more than his famous marriage—from growing up on Long Island to studying journalism, working in television advertising and eventually making an unexpected career change into real estate.
Tim Malone Quick Bio
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tim Malone |
| Date of Birth | April 6, 1984 |
| Age in 2026 | 42 |
| Birthplace | Water Mill, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Luxury real-estate broker |
| Education | Boston College |
| Degree | History and Journalism |
| Current Company | Compass |
| Real Estate Business | The Malone Team |
| Former Employers | NBCUniversal, Billboard, Jukin Media |
| Husband | Don Lemon |
| Relationship Began | 2016 |
| Engaged | 2019 |
| Married | April 6, 2024 |
| Children | No publicly announced children as of 2026 |
| Net Worth | Not reliably verified |
Who Is Tim Malone?
Tim Malone is a New York real-estate professional specializing in high-end homes.
He is particularly associated with two expensive property markets: New York City and the Hamptons. By 2026, current reporting identified him as a broker with Compass and the leader of The Malone Team.
Yet real estate was not Malone’s first career.
He originally worked in television and advertising.
That earlier experience makes his career path interesting because the two industries may look completely different at first. In reality, both require an ability to sell, understand clients, build relationships and market something effectively.
Malone eventually took those skills into property sales.
How Old Is Tim Malone?
Tim Malone was born on April 6, 1984, in Water Mill, New York. That makes him 42 years old in 2026.
There is also a fun coincidence surrounding his birthday.
Malone and Don Lemon chose April 6 as their wedding date.
That meant Malone married Lemon on his 40th birthday in 2024.
The couple therefore gets to celebrate a birthday and wedding anniversary on the same day.
Where Did Tim Malone Grow Up?
Malone grew up in Water Mill, New York, a community on Long Island near the Hamptons.
He attended Southampton High School and graduated in 2002. He later moved on to Boston College.
Growing up near the Hamptons is interesting considering where Malone’s career eventually went.
The Hamptons are famous for expensive homes and affluent buyers.
Years later, Malone would make luxury property in that same region an important part of his professional life.
Sometimes careers seem to circle back to where people started.
Malone’s certainly did.
Tim Malone’s Education
After finishing high school, Malone attended Boston College.
He graduated in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in history and journalism, according to reporting based on his professional profile.
Journalism sounds like an obvious route toward becoming a reporter.
But Malone took a different direction.
He entered the television business through one of the entertainment industry’s best-known training programs.
That first opportunity would introduce him to major media companies long before he became known publicly as Don Lemon’s partner.
He Started With the NBCUniversal Page Program
After graduating from Boston College, Malone joined the NBCUniversal Page Program in 2006.
The program has long served as an entry point for people hoping to build careers in television and entertainment.
Malone initially worked as a production assistant on NBC’s Today.
That sounds very different from selling multimillion-dollar homes.
And it was.
At that stage, Malone was building a career in television.
He remained with NBCUniversal until 2013 and gradually moved toward sales and advertising rather than staying entirely on the production side.
That move would become important later.
Selling advertising teaches many of the same basic business skills that can help someone succeed in real estate.
Malone Worked in Television Sales
During his years with NBCUniversal, Malone worked in sales involving networks such as USA and Syfy.
He also gained experience around NBC’s sports properties.
His work included advertising connected with major sports programming such as Sunday Night Football, the Premier League, NHL, the French Open and the Tour de France.
Imagine the skills required.
You need to understand what a client wants.
You need to explain value.
You need to negotiate.
You need to build long-term business relationships.
Those abilities would eventually become useful when Malone entered luxury property sales.
The product changed.
The sales skills remained valuable.
Tim Malone Worked at Billboard
In 2013, Malone left NBCUniversal and joined Billboard.
There, he worked in brand partnerships, first as a director and later at the executive-director level. He remained with the music publication until 2016.
This added another part to his résumé.
Television had taught him media sales.
Billboard exposed him to music, brands and entertainment marketing.
He was no longer simply learning how television worked behind the scenes.
He was becoming an experienced commercial executive.
That background helps explain why Malone could later market expensive homes successfully.
Luxury real estate is partly about property.
It is also about presentation.
His Time at Jukin Media
After Billboard, Malone joined Jukin Media.
He worked there as an executive director in 2017.
By this stage, Malone had spent roughly a decade in media, advertising and partnerships.
He could easily have continued down that path.
Instead, he made a major change.
In 2018, Malone entered real estate.
For someone already established in another industry, changing careers can be risky.
But Malone’s existing network and sales experience gave him skills that translated surprisingly well.
Why Tim Malone Changed Careers
Malone entered real estate in 2018, initially joining the Corcoran Group.
He later moved to Douglas Elliman in 2020. More recent reporting in 2026 identifies him with Compass, where he leads The Malone Team.
The move was not as strange as it might first appear.
Malone already understood marketing.
He already knew sales.
He had spent years dealing with business clients.
And he knew New York.
Real estate simply gave those abilities a new target.
Instead of selling advertising space or brand partnerships, he could market apartments, townhouses and luxury homes.
What Does Tim Malone Do Now?
By 2026, Malone works as a luxury real-estate broker with Compass and leads The Malone Team.
His work focuses heavily on New York City and the Hamptons.
Those are highly competitive markets.
Clients buying luxury property often expect much more than someone who simply unlocks a door.
A broker may need to understand neighborhood trends, pricing, marketing strategy, negotiations and the financial expectations of high-net-worth buyers.
Malone’s earlier advertising experience becomes particularly useful here.
A luxury house is not marketed exactly like an ordinary product.
But storytelling still matters.
A buyer needs to imagine a life inside the property.
Tim Malone Has Even Sold Don Lemon’s Property
One of Malone’s notable real-estate deals had a very familiar client.
His husband.
Reporting on Malone’s career notes that he handled the sale of Lemon’s former Harlem condominium, which was listed around the $1.5 million level.
That created an interesting overlap between their careers.
Lemon is a journalist and media personality.
Malone is the property professional.
When real estate becomes part of their own lives, Malone can bring professional expertise directly into the decision.
Still, his career should not be reduced to selling property for Lemon.
His work covers the broader luxury market in New York and the Hamptons.
How Did Tim Malone Meet Don Lemon?
Their story began in the Hamptons.
Malone and Lemon first met in 2015 at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton, New York. They did not immediately become a couple; reporting places the beginning of their romantic relationship in 2016.
The location feels appropriate for Malone.
He grew up on Long Island.
He later built part of his real-estate career around the Hamptons.
And it was there that he met the person he would eventually marry.
The relationship developed before Malone became widely known to the public.
Lemon, meanwhile, was already a recognizable CNN anchor.
That difference meant public attention would inevitably fall more heavily on Malone once their relationship became known.
When Did Tim Malone and Don Lemon Start Dating?
Malone and Lemon began dating in 2016, about a year after meeting.
Their relationship gradually became more public.
One memorable moment came during CNN’s New Year’s Eve coverage, when the pair shared a televised kiss. That helped make their relationship widely known beyond people who closely followed Lemon’s personal life.
Lemon later spoke openly about how meaningful the relationship was.
For someone who had grown up at a time when legal same-sex marriage did not seem like a realistic possibility, being able to publicly build a life with Malone carried special significance.
The relationship continued becoming more serious.
Then Malone proposed.
Tim Malone’s Proposal Was Very Personal
Malone proposed to Lemon in 2019.
And he received a little help from their dogs.
The proposal involved placing a message on the dogs’ collars asking Lemon to marry him. Lemon later described Malone as visibly nervous during the proposal and recalled realizing how serious and emotional the moment was.
Lemon accepted.
The couple was now engaged.
But they did not rush immediately into a wedding.
Their engagement lasted about five years.
That long wait eventually made the ceremony in 2024 feel even more significant.
Why Did They Wait Five Years to Get Married?
There does not appear to be one dramatic reason.
The couple became engaged in 2019, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted weddings, travel and public gatherings around the world.
Life and careers also continued changing.
Lemon left CNN in 2023 after a 17-year run at the network.
Malone continued building his real-estate career.
Eventually, the couple decided the timing was right.
They married in New York City on April 6, 2024—Malone’s 40th birthday.
After nearly eight years together, they officially became husbands.
Inside Tim Malone and Don Lemon’s Wedding
The wedding was much more than a quick courthouse ceremony.
Malone and Lemon married at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan in front of approximately 140 guests. The ceremony was officiated by Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who was then the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
Their ceremony combined traditions reflecting their different family backgrounds.
People reported that it included an Irish blessing as well as jumping the broom, honoring the couple’s Irish Catholic and Black Baptist backgrounds.
Their rescue dogs were also part of the celebration.
Instead of requesting conventional wedding gifts, the couple encouraged guests to donate to the animal shelter connected with their pets.
That gave the ceremony a personal touch rather than making it simply a celebrity event.
Their Reception Had Another Connection to Their Story
After the ceremony, the celebration continued with a New Orleans-style second-line parade.
The reception was held at Ralph Lauren’s Polo Bar.
That location carried special meaning.
It was where Malone and Lemon had their first proper date in 2016.
So the wedding connected several different parts of their relationship.
They married on Malone’s birthday.
They celebrated at a place connected with their early dating history.
And their dogs—who had helped with the proposal—were included too.
It made the wedding feel like a summary of their story rather than simply a glamorous party.
What Is the Age Difference Between Tim Malone and Don Lemon?
Malone was born in 1984.
Lemon was born in 1966.
That creates an age difference of approximately 18 years.
The couple has openly acknowledged the difference rather than treating it as something mysterious.
Age-gap relationships often attract online attention, particularly when one partner is famous.
But Malone and Lemon have been together since 2016.
By 2026, that means their relationship has lasted around a decade.
They were together for years before marrying.
The longevity of the relationship provides much more useful information than internet comments about their ages.
Do Tim Malone and Don Lemon Have Children?
As of the latest reliable public information, Malone and Lemon have not publicly announced having children.
However, they have openly discussed the possibility of starting a family.
Shortly after their 2024 wedding, Lemon told E! News that he and Malone were “family planning.” He said they already had three “fur babies” but were considering expanding their family.
That statement led to speculation about when they might become parents.
But planning for children is not the same as announcing a pregnancy, adoption or birth.
Until the couple shares something publicly, it would be wrong to claim that they have a child.
Their Dogs Are an Important Part of Their Family
Anyone reading about Malone and Lemon will quickly notice how often their dogs appear.
They were part of the engagement.
They were involved in the wedding.
And Lemon has jokingly referred to their pets as their “fur babies.”
The couple’s affection for rescue animals also shaped their wedding gift request.
Instead of accumulating more things for themselves, they directed guests toward helping an animal shelter.
That small detail says something about their home life.
Their public relationship may involve television appearances and glamorous events.
But some of the most personal moments revolve around pets.
Tim Supported Don Lemon Through a Difficult Career Change
Lemon’s professional life changed dramatically in 2023 when his long CNN career ended.
Malone remained beside him.
Later reporting described the experience as one that brought the couple closer.
This happened only about a year before their wedding.
Lemon then moved into independent media, while Malone continued his property career.
Their relationship therefore includes two people with separate professional identities.
One works primarily in journalism and media.
The other works primarily in real estate.
That separation may be one reason Malone has avoided becoming simply an extension of his husband’s career.
Tim Malone’s Net Worth
This is one of the most searched questions about him—and one of the least reliably answered.
There is no authoritative public figure for Tim Malone’s personal net worth.
Some older celebrity-biography websites have claimed numbers as high as $10 million, but those estimates do not provide enough transparent financial evidence to treat them as established facts.
Malone works in luxury real estate, where successful brokers can earn significant commissions.
But knowing the price of properties he sells does not tell us his personal income.
A brokerage commission can be divided among agents and firms.
Taxes and business expenses also matter.
And income is not the same as net worth.
Without reliable disclosures about his assets, investments, debts and earnings, an exact number would simply be guesswork.
Is Tim Malone Rich?
Malone clearly has a successful professional career.
He spent years in senior media-sales and brand-partnership roles before becoming a broker in expensive real-estate markets. His current work centers on luxury homes in New York City and the Hamptons.
That suggests substantial earning potential.
But “successful” and “worth exactly $10 million” are not the same claim.
The first is supported by his career.
The second is not reliably documented.
That distinction is important when reading celebrity biographies online.
A website may attach an exact dollar amount to someone’s name because readers want a simple answer.
Real personal finances are rarely that simple.
Is Tim Malone Famous Only Because of Don Lemon?
Don Lemon unquestionably brought Malone much more public attention.
But Malone already had a professional career long before they married.
He graduated from Boston College in 2006.
He joined NBCUniversal that same year.
He worked at Billboard.
He held an executive position at Jukin Media.
Then he became a real-estate professional.
That résumé exists independently of Lemon.
What changed after their relationship became public was visibility.
Malone went from being a successful person working mostly outside celebrity culture to someone photographed at major events and discussed by entertainment publications.
His job did not suddenly appear because of the relationship.
People simply started paying attention to it.
Tim Malone in 2026
By 2026, Malone is 42 and has been with Lemon for roughly a decade.
His professional story has also reached an interesting stage.
The former NBCUniversal employee who once worked behind the scenes in television now leads a luxury real-estate team. Current reporting identifies him with Compass and The Malone Team, serving buyers and sellers in New York City and the Hamptons.
His personal life has changed just as dramatically.
He went from meeting Lemon at a Hamptons restaurant to dating him, proposing, spending years engaged and eventually marrying him in Manhattan.
Yet Malone has never tried to turn himself into a television celebrity simply because his husband is famous.
Real estate remains his primary professional identity.
Final Thoughts
Tim Malone is often introduced with four simple words: “Don Lemon’s husband.”
They are accurate.
But they leave out most of his story.
Malone was born in Water Mill, New York, on April 6, 1984. He attended Southampton High School and graduated from Boston College with a degree in history and journalism.
His first career was in media.
He joined NBCUniversal’s Page Program in 2006, worked on Today, moved into advertising sales and later held brand-partnership roles at Billboard. After another media position at Jukin Media, he made a major career change and entered real estate in 2018.
Today, Malone specializes in luxury real estate in New York City and the Hamptons.
His relationship with Lemon developed alongside that career.
They first met in 2015, began dating in 2016 and became engaged in 2019.
Then, on April 6, 2024—Malone’s 40th birthday—they married in New York City.
The ceremony included around 140 guests, their beloved dogs and traditions reflecting both men’s family backgrounds.
By 2026, they have been together for around ten years and married for more than two.
The couple has publicly discussed family planning, although no child has been announced in the reliable information reviewed for this article.
And while websites may attach impressive net-worth numbers to Malone, his actual personal fortune remains private.
What is much easier to establish is the career behind his name.
He started in television.
Learned sales and marketing.
Moved into luxury property.
And built a professional identity separate from the famous man he eventually married.
FAQs About Tim Malone
Who is Tim Malone?
Tim Malone is an American luxury real-estate broker and former media executive. He is also the husband of journalist and former CNN anchor Don Lemon. By 2026, reporting identifies Malone as a Compass broker leading The Malone Team.
How old is Tim Malone?
Malone was born on April 6, 1984, making him 42 years old in 2026. He was born in Water Mill, New York.
What does Tim Malone do for a living?
Malone works in luxury real estate, focusing on New York City and the Hamptons. Before entering property sales, he worked in television, advertising and brand partnerships at NBCUniversal, Billboard and Jukin Media.
Where did Tim Malone go to college?
He attended Boston College, graduating in 2006 with a bachelor’s degree in history and journalism.
How did Tim Malone meet Don Lemon?
Malone and Lemon first met in 2015 at Almond restaurant in Bridgehampton in the Hamptons. They began dating the following year.
When did Tim Malone marry Don Lemon?
They married on April 6, 2024, at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City. The date was also Malone’s 40th birthday.
How long have Tim Malone and Don Lemon been together?
They began dating in 2016, meaning they have been a couple for approximately 10 years as of 2026. They became engaged in 2019 and married in 2024.
What is the age difference between Tim Malone and Don Lemon?
Their age difference is approximately 18 years. Malone was born in 1984, while Lemon was born in 1966.
Do Tim Malone and Don Lemon have children?
They have not publicly announced having children in the reliable information reviewed here. Lemon said shortly after their wedding that the couple was family planning, but no birth or adoption announcement should be assumed from that statement.
What is Tim Malone’s net worth?
Tim Malone’s exact net worth is not reliably verified. Some websites publish multimillion-dollar estimates, but his assets, income, investments and liabilities are private, so those figures should not be presented as established facts.
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