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Anderson Hays Cooper

Anderson Cooper is an American broadcast journalist and author who has anchored CNN’s Anderson Cooper 360° since 2003. His emotional Hurricane Katrina reporting in 2005 brought national attention, and he later reported for 60 Minutes for two decades. A member of the Vanderbilt family, Cooper also hosts The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper and the grief podcast All There Is.

Overview

Anderson Hays Cooper 's Profile

Anderson Cooper grew up in New York City, the younger son of writer Wyatt Cooper and artist Gloria Vanderbilt. He attended the Dalton School, then Yale University, where he coxed the lightweight rowing team. After graduating in 1989, he fact-checked for Channel One News, then forged a press pass to enter Myanmar. He went on to film in war zones such as Somalia and Bosnia.

ABC News hired Cooper as a correspondent in 1995, and he later co-anchored its overnight program World News Now. He then hosted the reality series The Mole for two seasons. After the September 11 attacks, he returned to news and joined CNN in 2001. He took over Anderson Cooper 360° in 2003, and his Hurricane Katrina coverage in 2005 made him a national name.

In 2006, Cooper added 60 Minutes to his CNN work, then hosted Anderson Live from 2011 to 2013. Since 2017, he has co-hosted CNN’s New Year’s Eve broadcast with Andy Cohen. He launched the grief podcast All There Is in 2022 and The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper in 2023. Cooper left 60 Minutes in 2026 but still anchors Anderson Cooper 360°.

Latest News

Quick Facts

  • Full Name: Anderson Hays Cooper
  • Gender: Male
  • Date of Birth: 1967-06-03
  • Nationality: American
  • Ethnicity: White
  • Sexual Orientation: Gay
  • Marital Status: Single
  • Career Start: 1990
  • Current Network:
  • Years Active
  • Estimated Salary: $18 million

12
TV Shows

8
Current Hosts

20
Years Active

50
Awards Won

TV Shows​

A list of television shows hosted by this host, including current programs and previous presenting roles.

Anderson Cooper 360°
60 Minutes
Jeopardy!, one of the most iconic game shows on TV
Jeopardy!

Networks

A list of Networks that this host has worked for.

Personal Life

Family, relationships and background

  • Marriage Benjamin Maisani from 2015 to 2018 (French-born New York bar and nightclub owner. The two met in 2009.)
  • Wyatt Morgan Cooper, a biological child with Benjamin Maisani , born in 2020
  • Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper,, a biological child with Benjamin Maisani , born in 2022

Education

Educational background and qualifications

  • Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Yale University (1989)

Net Worth & Income

Income sources, net worth, and properties.

  • Primary income from CNN contract; reportedly earns around $18 million annually.
  • Prior income from his role on CBS’ 60 Minutes.
  • Royalties from published books, including Dispatches from the Edge (2006), The Rainbow Comes and Goes (2016, with Gloria Vanderbilt), Vanderbilt (2021) and Astor (2023).
  • Income from live touring shows with Andy Cohen, starting with the AC2 tour in 2015.
  • Owns several real estate properties, including a converted firehouse in New York City and a historic estate in Connecticut.

Awards

Awards & recognition

  • Edward R. Murrow Award — Overseas Press Club, "Taliban" (2011)
  • David Kaplan Award — Overseas Press Club, Haiti earthquake reporting (2011)
  • News & Documentary Emmy Award — Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story, Long Form, "Crisis in Haiti" (2011)
  • News & Documentary Emmy Award — Outstanding Coverage of a Breaking News Story in a Regularly Scheduled Newscast, "Haiti in Ruins" (2011)
  • GLAAD Media Award — Outstanding TV Journalism, Newsmagazine, "Gay Teen Suicides" (2011) and "The 'Sissy Boy' Experiments" (2012)
  • News & Documentary Emmy Award — Outstanding News Discussion and Analysis, "Bullying: It Stops Here" (2012)