Joseph James Rogan (born August 11, 1967) is an American podcaster, UFC color commentator, comedian, actor, and former television host. He hosts The Joe Rogan Experience, a podcast in which he discusses current events, comedy, politics, philosophy, science, martial arts, and hobbies with celebrity guests.
Rogan was born in Newark, New Jersey, and began his career in comedy in 1988 in the Boston area. After relocating to Los Angeles in 1994, he signed an exclusive developmental deal with Disney and appeared as an actor on several television shows, including Hardball and NewsRadio. In 1997, he started working for the UFC as an interviewer and color commentator. He released his first comedy special, I’m Gonna Be Dead Someday…, in 2000 and hosted the game show Fear Factor from 2001 to 2006.
After leaving Fear Factor, Rogan focused on his stand-up career and hosted more comedy specials. He launched The Joe Rogan Experience in 2009; by 2015, it was one of the most popular podcasts in the world, regularly receiving millions of plays per episode. Spotify obtained exclusive distribution rights to The Joe Rogan Experience in 2020 for US$200 million. Rogan’s audience has since grown significantly, and in 2024, he renewed his deal with Spotify for an estimated $250 million, but will no longer be exclusive to them.
Rogan has been criticized for his associated acts, promotion of conspiracies and anti-transgender statements.[5][6] He has expressed political opinions such as supporting Ron DeSantis and criticizing Justin Trudeau and Vladimir Putin, while also advocating for gun rights and free speech, criticizing cancel culture and military adventurism. Rogan has made controversial comments about COVID-19 vaccines, ivermectin, and hosted guests who spread misinformation, which led to public backlash and artists like Neil Young and Joni Mitchell removing their music from Spotify in protest. Additionally, Rogan has sparked controversy with his views on transgender athletes and making remarks promoting AIDS misinformation. However, Rogan supports same-sex marriage, gay rights, recreational drug use, universal health care and universal basic income.
