Anderson Cooper Net Worth (Money & Salary)

Anderson Cooper’s Net Worth: Money & Salary

Anderson Cooper’s Net Worth: Anderson Cooper, the American television personality, journalist, and author, has a net worth of $50 million. He comes from a family of artists, with a successful author father, Wyatt Emery Cooper, and a multi-talented mother, Gloria Vanderbilt. Cooper’s journey includes stints at Yale University and exploring different career paths before settling on journalism. His journalism career began as a fact checker for Channel One, followed by impactful reporting from war-torn regions. He transitioned to broadcast journalism through roles at ABC and eventually as host of his own show, “Anderson Cooper 360°.”

His Career: Cooper worked as a correspondent and co-host at “World News Tonight,” ventured into reality TV with “The Mole,” and later returned to news broadcasting. He currently hosts “Anderson Cooper 360°” and the CNN series “The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper.”

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Family Wealth: Contrary to earlier estimations, Anderson Cooper clarified in his 2021 book that the Vanderbilt family fortune had dissipated towards the end of Gloria Vanderbilt’s life.

Salary: Cooper earns an annual salary of $12 million as the host of “Anderson Cooper 360.”

Early Life: Anderson Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City, to writer Wyatt Emory Cooper and artist Gloria Vanderbilt, a descendant of Cornelius Vanderbilt.

In 1925, Gloria Vanderbilt inherited her father’s entire estate of $5 million, which would amount to approximately $70 million today when adjusted for inflation. Her custody was contested by her mother and aunt, who allegedly fought over control of the trust fund. Ultimately, her aunt, who was the founder of the Whitney Museum, won custody. Gloria found success as an artist and fashion designer in her adult life.

Before Anderson Cooper became a news anchor, he worked as a model for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Macy’s from the age of 10 to 13. He attended Yale University, majoring in Political Science and International Relations. during his college years, Cooper interned at the CIA for two summers. His interest in journalism was sparked by the sudden death of his father in 1978 and the subsequent suicide of his older brother ten years later. After graduating from Yale, he spent a year in Vietnam learning the Vietnamese language before working as a fact checker for Channel One and creating news segments that aired on the channel, showcasing Vietnamese life and culture as well as reporting from war-torn regions like Bosnia, Somalia, and Rwanda.

Journalism Career

Cooper joined ABC News as a correspondent in 1995 and later became a co-anchor on their “World News Now” program in 1999. He hosted “The Mole” for two seasons to take a break from the news before moving to CNN in 2001, where he co-anchored “American Morning” with Paula Zahn. In 2002, he transitioned to CNN’s weekend prime-time anchor before launching his own show, “Anderson Cooper 360,” in 2003. Cooper signed a new deal with CNN in 2007, doubling his salary to $4 million annually, and allowing him to contribute to “60 Minutes” on CBS while working at CNN.

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

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Writing and Other Pursuits

As a freelance writer, Cooper has contributed articles to various publications, including Details magazine. His memoir, “Dispatches from the Edge,” reached the top of The New York Times Best Seller list in June 2006. In collaboration with his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, he co-wrote “The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss” in 2017. He also co-authored “Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty” with Katherine Howe in 2021.

During an interview with Andy Cohen,In 2015, after releasing his latest book “The Andy Cohen Diaries,” the idea for a two-man conversational stage show “AC2” was conceived by the duo. Their national tour commenced in Boston, followed by Miami Beach, Chicago, and Atlanta. Eventually, they toured over 50 cities.

In September 2010, a contract was signed by Warner Bros. and Telepictures with Cooper to host a nationally syndicated talk show called “Anderson Live.” Cooper, in order to continue hosting “Anderson Cooper 360” on CNN, negotiated and signed a new multi-year contract with CNN. The premiere of “Anderson Live” took place on September 12, 2011, but only lasted for two seasons due to low ratings. Cooper has experience hosting talk shows, having filled in as co-host of “Live with Regis and Kelly” in 2007 during Regis Philbin’s health issues and occasionally serving as a guest co-host on the show when needed.

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Personal Life

Openly gay, Cooper made history as the first openly gay person to moderate a presidential debate in the general election, moderating the second presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump in 2016. Apple CEO Tim Cook sought Cooper’s advice before publicly coming out as gay.

With two sons named Wyatt Morgan Cooper and Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, Anderson Cooper and Benjamin Maisani, though no longer romantically involved, are in the process of co-parenting. Cooper’s mother passed away in June 2019 and left the majority of her estate to him shortly after.

Real Estate

Anderson Cooper possesses a beach house in the Brazilian town of Trancoso along with a restored former firehouse in New York’s Greenwich Village. Purchased in January 2010 for $4.3 million, the Greenwich Village firehouse is a beautiful four-story, turn-of-the-century brick building covering 8,240 square feet. The exterior has been refurbished, showcasing original stone, brick, and terra cotta details. Interior details, such as brass fire poles, spiral staircases, and large overhead wood beams, contribute to its historical charm.