Lester Holt is a husband, father and grandfather. He recently welcomed his second grandchild into the family this summer.
Holt’s wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, is a realtor working in SoHo. She works for Corcoran, the same company as Steve Gold from Million Dollar Listing, New York.
Holt and his wife raised their two sons, Stefan and Cameron, in downtown Manhattan, where the couple still lives. Their sons are now grown and Stefan Holt has two sons of his own. Stefan is married to Megan Holt, who he met when they were both studying at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. Their two sons are Henry, who is 2, and Samuel, who was born June 5, 2019.
Now that the Holt children have left the nest, they are raising a Labradoodle named Lucy.
Holt and Carol Hagen were married in 1982. He told Extra TV in 2015 that laughing is the secret to a long and happy marriage.
“We laugh a lot, we really do. I can be silly, she can be sillier. We just laugh through things and we know that everything, tough times will be a story at some point, and boy have I put her through some tough times with this job,” he said.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. Holt’s Wife, Carol Hagen-Holt, Is a Colleague of Million Dollar Listing’s Steve Gold
Live from #time100 red carpet: @lesterholtnbc with wife @CarolHagenHolt
Carol Hagen-Holt is a realtor in SoHo, Manhattan. She works at Cocoran where Million Dollar Listing New York‘s Steve Gold also works.
Her profile says:
Carol’s extensive experience working closely with people has made her an exceptional listener who takes great care in understanding the diverse needs of her clients working closely with them to insure they feel informed and confident in their decisions.
Carol has a sharp eye for details and is determined to make sure her clients are supported throughout the process of buying and selling. Understanding the value and importance of staging, Carol effectively guides her clients on how to make sure their property is viewed in the best possible light and achieves maximum value in the shortest amount of time.Having lived and worked in Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Manhattan, she is savvy to the ins and outs and challenges of relocations, especially when it comes to maximizing resale potential.
Hagen-Holt also has a passion for community and business development. She is a founding member of the NoMad Alliance, a non-profit organization “committed to building a better community and growing local business” in New York City, its website says. She is also a board member of the Madison Square Park Conservancy, which hosts events like children’s festivals and horticultural talks.
“When there’s an urban sanctuary as special as Madison Square Park, you have to protect, nurture, and enhance it. At Madison Square Park Conservancy we rely on the support of patrons like you to keep the Park beautiful. Take a stroll here—we’re sure you will treasure this dynamic, seven-acre public green space as much as we do. Be surprised. Fall in love. Feel inspired,” the website says.
She is an avid skier and a fan of jazz, according to her Corcoran profile.
2. Holt’s Second Grandson Was Born While Holt Was Overseas Covering the 75th Anniversary of D-Day
Holt was congratulated on his second grandchild on the air when he finished giving his report on the 75th Anniversary of D-Day from the ground in Normandy, France. He is known as “Grand Dude” to his grandchildren. Samuel Richard Holt was born June 5, 2019.
“They had the baby a little earlier that I expected,” Holt said. “I saw on the schedule that I was going be in Normandy. I thought, ‘It’s OK. I’ll get back in time,’ but it didn’t work out that way!”
He said he couldn’t wait to get back to meet his second grandson and hold him.
Jimmy Fallon also congratulated Holt on his second grandchild during an interview before about Holt’s two-night stay at the Louisiana State Penitentiary. Holt interviewed prisoners at the largest prison in the United States, formerly known as “the bloodiest prison in the world,” for a Dateline special September 6. It was the second time Fallon had an opportunity to congratulate Holt on the birth of a grandchild.
Holt’s first grandchild, Henry, is Samuel’s older brother. Henry Holt is 2 years old. Both boys were born to Holt’s son, Stefan Holt and his wife, Morgan.
3. Holt’s Son, Stefan Holt, Followed in his Dad’s Footsteps & Became a News Anchor
Congratulations are in order for @LesterHoltNBC! His son, Stefan Holt, welcomed his second child with wife, Morgan, on June 5.
Stefan Holt followed in his father’s footsteps to become a news anchor, and now works for NBC 4 in New York. He is a co-anchor on the 4 p.m. and 11 p.m. daily newscast, covering news in the tri-state area, according to his NBC profile. He previously worked for WMAQ/NBC 5 in Chicago and WPBF-TV in West Palm Beach, Florida.
Holt is an award-winning journalist. His team won the Edward R. Murrow Award for coverage of the Tribeca terrorist attack in 2017. He also won three Emmys as a part of team coverage of the 2016 Hoboken rail crash, 2017 Inauguration Day coverage, and the 2017 Bronx Lebanon Hospital shooting. Holt was one of the first U.S. journalists to report from Havana on the death of Cuban President Fidel Castro.
“An avid aviation enthusiast, Holt is an instrument-rated pilot and frequently reports on transportation topics including railroad and airline safety,” his profile says.
He is 32. He and his wife, Morgan, were married in 2012. They live in Westchester with their two sons, 2-year-old Henry and 3-month-old Samuel.
4. Holt’s Son, Cameron Holt, Works in the Financial Industry & Has 2 Degrees From Stanford
Cameron Holt. (LinkedIn)
While Stefan Holt pursued a career in journalism like his father, Cameron Holt took a different career approach, which has proved very successful for him.
Holt is the vice president of Morgan Stanley, working as an Equity Options Trader in the Institutional Equity Division – Automated Market Making sector, according to his LinkedIn profile. He has worked for Morgan Stanley for more than six years.
He holds two degrees from Stanford University. His bachelor’s degree is in mathematical and computational science, and his master’s degree is in management science and engineering. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2012 and his master’s degree in 2013.
Holt dipped his toe into journalism for three months, working as an intern for CNBC during the summer of 2009. He interned on the production team for Squawk on the Street and CNBC Reports.
Holt wrote a touching letter to his sons in 2015, which said in part, ““You are two fine, respectful and compassionate men who I am proud to say I now look up to.”
5. Holt Once ‘Tossed’ to His Father on NBC Nightly News, Saying ‘Hi Dad’
“Hi, Dad” WMAQ anchor Stefan Holt tosses to his father tonight for a preview of Nightly News: http://t.co/f1yLJSGurD http://t.co/mx2hKb6ZMO
Stefan Holt had an opportunity to “toss” to his dad while he was working as an anchor for WMAQ in Chicago in 2015. Stefan Holt usually worked the morning shift, starting at 5 a.m. But he got a chance to be on the evening news one night, which meant he got to throw the show to his dad in New York for the local station’s nightly check on NBC Nightly News in New York.
“NBC’s Lester Holt is here with a preview of the newscast. Hi, Dad,” Stefan said on the air.
Lester Holt made a joke, checking his watch to see if it was 5 a.m. and said, ““It’s good to see you, Stefan.”
The father and son later talked about the moment on Twitter. “Best part of my day. About to preview @NBCNightlyNews on NBC 5 Chicago with my son @stefholtnbc throwing to me. #prouddad,” Lester Holt wrote.
Stefan Holt replied with a photo of the pair together on the air.
“@LesterHoltNBC @NBCNightlyNews #proudson too! Very cool!” he replied.
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