On September 8, 2003, Cooper launched his signature news program, Anderson Cooper 360°. The show has reported on major global narratives including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, the funeral of Pope John Paul II, and Hurricane Katrina. His coverage of Katrina, noted for its emotion and urgency, gained national attention. During one segment, Cooper challenged Senator Mary Landrieu over the federal response and later appeared visibly emotional while reporting from a devastated neighborhood. The segment resonated with viewers and led to a 400% increase in the program’s ratings.
Howard Kurtz of The Washington Post wrote, “Viewers are tired of cookie-cutter anchors with perfect diction and haircuts. Anderson Cooper represents a shift—a journalist who’s both human and professional.” Then-CNN president Jonathan Klein added, “He brings a new dimension to the job: an anchor as a kind of missionary.”
In May 2006, Cooper authored Dispatches from the Edge, a memoir chronicling his field reporting from Sri Lanka, Iraq, Africa, and post-Katrina Louisiana. The book reached No. 1 on the New York Times Best Seller list, with much of its proceeds donated to charity. In 2016, he and his mother co-wrote The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss. This book also debuted at No. 1 and remained on the list for several weeks.
In 2007, Cooper renewed his contract with CNN, significantly increasing his salary and obtaining a contributor role on 60 Minutes. That same year, he began hosting CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute and co-produced the environmental documentary series Planet in Peril. While his daytime talk show, Anderson, was canceled in 2013, Anderson Cooper 360° continues to serve as a cornerstone of CNN’s programming.
In 2016, he became the first openly gay journalist to moderate a U.S. presidential debate, joining Martha Raddatz to host the second debate between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. His role marked a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ visibility in broadcast journalism.
Cooper's journalism has garnered numerous honors. At ABC, he earned an Emmy Award for his coverage of Princess Diana’s funeral and a Silver Plaque from the Chicago International Film Festival for his reporting on the Bosnian War. At CNN, he contributed to the network’s Peabody Award-winning Hurricane Katrina coverage and received a DuPont Award for his reporting on the 2004 tsunami.
To date, Cooper has received 16 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, an Edward R. Murrow Award, and recognition from organizations including GLAAD and the National Headliner Awards.
Openly gay, Cooper is regarded as one of the most influential LGBTQ+ journalists in American media. For years, he avoided publicly discussing his orientation, explaining to New York Magazine that “being a reporter means being an observer. I didn’t want anything to interfere with that.”
On July 2, 2012, Cooper publicly came out in a published statement: “The fact is, I’m gay—always have been, always will be—and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself, and proud.”
He was in a longtime relationship with Benjamin Maisani, a nightclub owner, with whom he separated amicably in 2018. Cooper has stated, “We are still family… we remain the best of friends and will continue to share much of our lives together.”
About the intersection of his personal and professional life, Cooper remarked, “I don’t really have a life off-air. It all blends together.”
He maintains a robust social media presence, with over 10 million followers on Twitter (@andersoncooper), over 1.6 million on Instagram (@andersoncooper), and more than 890,000 followers on Facebook (@andersoncooper).
Return to the previous page| Birth Date: | 3 Jun, 1967 |
| Age: | 52 yrs |
| Occupations: | Journalist Model Television presenter Writer |
| Citizenship: | United States of America |
| Birth Place: | New York City |
| residence: | New York Vietnam |
| Gender: | Male |
| Description: | American journalist, television presenter and author |
| Twitter Id: | Andersoncooper |
| Net Worth 2021: | 200 million |
