Anderson Cooper Net Worth - Pulptastic

Publish date: 2024-10-14

What is Anderson Cooper’s Net Worth

Anderson Cooper, a prominent American television personality, journalist, and author, has a net worth of $50 million. Born into a family of successful artists, Cooper graduated from Yale University and briefly pursued becoming a CIA agent before turning to journalism.

His career began as a fact checker for Channel One, where he covered the Burmese student uprising. Later, he worked as a correspondent and co-host for ABC’s “World News Tonight” and hosted “The Mole” for two seasons before returning to broadcast news.

In 2003, Cooper became the anchor of “Anderson Cooper 360°” and quickly rose to become one of the most popular news correspondents in the US. He has since expanded his show, appeared on “60 Minutes,” and served as a correspondent for CNN. Today, he remains the anchor of “Anderson Cooper 360°.”

Anderson Cooper’s Net Worth Overestimated Due to False Presumption About Vanderbilt Fortune

Anderson Cooper’s net worth was previously estimated to be significantly higher due to a presumption about his mother’s wealth that turned out to be false. In his 2021 book, “Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty,” Anderson revealed that there was no meaningful Vanderbilt family fortune left at the end of his mother’s life.

The Vanderbilt family’s wealth originated from Cornelius Vanderbilt, who was one of the wealthiest Americans in the world thanks to a shipping, railroad, and real estate empire. However, his descendants primarily spent their money in increasingly profligate ways, to the point where in the early 1970s at a family reunion of 120 Vanderbilt descendants, not one was a millionaire.

Cornelius Vanderbilt had an inflation-adjusted net worth of $185 billion when he died in 1877, making him one of the wealthiest people of all time. His son William Henry doubled the family fortune. But, Anderson’s mother was the last direct descendant to carry the Vanderbilt last name, and there was no significant fortune left for her to inherit.

Anderson Cooper’s Salary as CNN Host

As the host of the CNN news show “Anderson Cooper 360,” he earns an annual salary of $12 million.

Early Life and Family

Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City. His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, was a writer, and his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was an artist, fashion designer, and heiress. Gloria was the great-great-great-grandson of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt. Anderson’s maternal grandfather left his entire estate, $5 million in 1925 to his daughter. That’s the same as around $70 million after adjusting for inflation. Gloria’s mother and aunt fought over her custody, and allegedly over control of the trust fund. Her aunt, the founder of the Whitney museum, ultimately won custody.

Tragedy struck when Anderson’s father died suddenly in 1978. 10 years later, his older brother committed suicide.

Early Career and Education

Prior to becoming a news anchor, Cooper was a model for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Macy’s from the ages 10 to 13. He went to Yale University where he studied Political Science and International Relations. During college, Cooper spent two summers as an intern at the CIA. After Anderson graduated from Yale University, he lived in Vietnam for a year, studying the Vietnamese language at the University of Hanoi. He then worked as a fact checker for the news agency Channel One, and periodically sold home-made news segments to the channel. Cooper filmed reports of Vietnamese life and culture, and eventually moved on to filming stories in various war-torn regions including Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda that aired on Channel One.

Anderson Cooper’s Career and Awards

Anderson Cooper began his career as a correspondent for ABC News in 1995 and co-anchored ABC’s “World News Now” program in 1999. He then hosted “The Mole” for two seasons before joining CNN in 2001. Cooper anchored alongside Paula Zahn on “American Morning” and became CNN’s weekend prime-time anchor in 2002. His own show, “Anderson Cooper 360,” began in 2003. Cooper signed a multi-year deal with CNN in 2007, which also allowed him to contribute to CBS News program “60 Minutes.”

As a journalist, Cooper has won several awards, including an Emmy Award in 1997 for his coverage of Princess Diana’s funeral. He also received a Peabody Award in 2005 for his coverage of Hurricane Katrina and a National Headliner Award in 2005 for his coverage of the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. Cooper won two Emmys in 2011 for his coverage of Haiti and the GLAAD Media Award in 2013.

Anderson Cooper’s Career Highlights

Anderson Cooper has authored articles for publications such as Details magazine and published his memoir “Dispatches from the Edge” in 2006, which topped The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2017, he co-authored “The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss” with his mother Gloria Vanderbilt.

In 2015, Cooper teamed up with Andy Cohen for a two-man conversational stage show called “AC2,” which went on a national tour to over 50 cities.

Cooper hosted the nationally syndicated talk show “Anderson Live” from 2011 to 2013, but it was cancelled after failing to achieve high ratings. He has also filled in as co-host on “Live with Regis and Kelly” and periodically serves as guest co-host on the show.

Cooper signed a new multi-year contract with CNN in 2010 in order to continue hosting “Anderson Cooper 360.”

Anderson Cooper: First Openly Gay Person to Moderate Presidential Debate

Anderson Cooper, who is openly gay, made history as the first openly gay person to moderate a presidential debate in the general election. He moderated the second presidential election debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016. Cooper’s influence extends beyond politics. Apple CEO Tim Cook turned to Cooper for advice before publicly coming out as gay.

Anderson Cooper Inherits Majority of Mother’s Estate

Anderson Cooper’s mother passed away in June 2019. A few weeks later, it was revealed that she had left the majority of her estate to her son. This inheritance added to Cooper’s already substantial net worth.

Anderson Cooper’s Properties

Anderson Cooper owns a beach house in Trancoso, Brazil and a former firehouse in Greenwich Village, New York. He purchased the firehouse for $4.3 million in January 2010. The 8,240 square foot building is four floors high and made of turn-of-the-century brick. The exterior was originally painted dark red, but has since been stripped down to reveal the original stone and brick details. The building is filled with classic features such as brass fire poles, spiral staircases, and overhead wood beams.

Cooper plans to keep many of the original details and add to them, including a home gym styled after the early 1900s fireman’s gym with climbing ropes and bar weights with big balls at the ends. Interior shots of the firehouse are not currently available.

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