Karl Stefanovic is quietly plotting a major change for his young family, even as Nine locks him into a record-breaking new contract.

Today Show host Karl Stefanovic is reportedly considering a permanent move back to Queensland with his wife Jasmine and their five-year-old daughter Harper.

The 51-year-old, who has fronted Channel Nine’s flagship breakfast show for more than two decades, remains based in Sydney but is said to be weighing up how to “split his time between Sydney and Brisbane”.

“Karl turned 51 earlier this month, and he’s getting to the stage in life where he is considering his future,” a source told New Idea on Monday.

Karl Stefanovic has been the host of Channel Nine’s Today Show for 20 years. Picture: Today

The insider claimed Karl’s “ultimate dream is to move north eventually permanently.”

While retirement isn’t on the cards just yet, those close to Stefanovic say he and Jasmine have begun thinking seriously about the lifestyle they want for little Harper, who starts school next year.

As both Karl and Jasmine grew up in Queensland, the couple are keen for their daughter to enjoy “the same wonderful childhood in the sun and on the beach” that they did.

Karl and Jasmine Stefanovic were both raised in Queensland. Picture Instagram

Interestingly, Stefanovic’s three eldest children, Jackson, Ava (who goes by Willow) and River, whom he shares with ex-wife Cassandra Thornburn, were all raised in New South Wales.

In June, the father-of-four signed a lucrative new contract with Nine, lifting his salary to $3 million a year- up from $2.8 million last year- making him the highest-paid television host in the country, according to The Australian.

It puts him well ahead of his Today co-host Sarah Abo, who earns $800,000 annually, and Sunrise rivals Natalie Barr and Matt Shirvington, who both take home $2 million each-  despite Sunrise maintaining its dominance as the nation’s most-watched breakfast show for 22 consecutive years.

Karl Stefanovic and Sarah Abo on the Today Show – 17 April 2025. Picture: Channel 9

The bumper payday comes as Karl and Jasmine build a $4.5 million luxury mansion in Castlecrag, just nine kilometres north of Sydney’s CBD.

The couple also own a five-bedroom, five-bathroom holiday retreat at Sunshine Beach in Queensland, bought for $3.6 million in 2020.

However the friend said Stefanovic holds no plans to walk away from Today just yet, instead looking for more “flexibility” in his current role.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by karl stefanovic (@karlstefanovic_)

That “flexibility” could mean spending part of the week in Sydney and part in Brisbane, or even reporting more frequently from Queensland locations.

The source also suggested the Stefanovics could one day sell both properties and buy acreage outside Brisbane.