Anderson Cooper married, salary, net worth, affair, nationality, reporter

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<h2>Beginnings and Family Background</h2>

<p><a href="/biography/anderson-cooper">Anderson Hays Cooper</a> was born on June 3, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City. He is the son of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Emory_Cooper">writer</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wyatt_Emory_Cooper">Wyatt Emory Cooper</a> and <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Morgan_Vanderbilt">Gloria Vanderbilt</a>, the late artist, fashion designer, and heiress. His maternal grandfather was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Claypoole_Vanderbilt">Reginald Claypoole Vanderbilt</a>, a <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reginald_Claypoole_Vanderbilt">millionaire equestrian</a>, and his maternal grandmother was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Morgan_Vanderbilt">socialite</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Morgan_Vanderbilt">Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt</a>.</p>

<p>Raised in a high-profile family, Cooper was exposed to media from an early age. As an infant, he appeared in Harper’s Bazaar with his mother, and at age three, he was a <a href="/biography/anderson-cooper">guest</a> on <em>The Tonight Show</em> with Johnny Carson. Between ages 10 and 13, he modeled for brands such as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Lauren_Corporation">Ralph Lauren</a>, Calvin Klein, and Macy’s.</p>

<p>Cooper experienced profound personal loss during his youth. His father died from heart failure during open-heart surgery on January 5, 1978, when Cooper was 10. A decade later, his older brother, Carter Vanderbilt Cooper, died by suicide at age 23. These tragedies deeply shaped Cooper’s worldview and motivated him to pursue journalism. Reflecting on that time, Cooper once said, “The only thing I really knew is that I was hurting and needed to go someplace where the pain outside matched the pain I was feeling inside.”</p>

<p>Cooper frequently acknowledges the guidance of his father's writing. "I reread his book, <em>Families</em>, probably once a year," he told <em>New York Magazine</em>. "To me, it’s sort of a letter from him to me—a guide on how he would have wanted me to live.” His mother, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gloria_Morgan_Vanderbilt">Gloria Vanderbilt</a>, remarked, “Those are the two events that affected him at a gut level... When he became a reporter, it enabled him to work with compassion and maturity beyond his years."</p>

<h2>Education and Early Career</h2>

<p>Cooper attended the Dalton School, a prestigious private institution in New York City. He graduated early at 17 and spent several months in Africa, an experience that highlighted his adventurous spirit. “He wanted to go, and I let him,” his mother later said. “I knew it was in his nature to take risks.”</p>

<p>After returning, Cooper enrolled at Yale University, majoring in political science. He interned for two summers at the Central Intelligence Agency and earned his bachelor's degree in 1989.</p>

<p>Breaking into broadcast journalism proved challenging. While working as a fact-checker for Channel One, a news program broadcast in schools, Cooper forged a press pass to enter Myanmar and report on pro-democracy protests. He later studied Vietnamese at the University of Hanoi and produced segments from Vietnam for Channel One. His reporting expanded to cover conflict areas like Somalia, Bosnia, and Rwanda, with his stories reaching more than 12,000 U.S. classrooms.</p>

<p>In 1995, Cooper joined ABC News as a correspondent. His roles included co-anchoring <em>World News Now</em>, hosting the reality show <em>The Mole</em>, and occasionally substituting for <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regis_Philbin">Regis Philbin</a> on <em>Live with Regis and Kelly</em>.</p>

<h2>CNN and Anderson Cooper 360°</h2>

<p>In 2001, Cooper transitioned to CNN, returning to hard news following the September 11 attacks. He initially co-anchored <em>American Morning</em> with <a href="/biography/paula-zahn">Paula Zahn</a> and soon became CNN’s weekend prime-time anchor. Starting in 2002, he began co-hosting CNN’s annual New Year's Eve coverage from Times Square.</p>

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<h2>Anderson Cooper 360° and Major Coverage</h2>

<p>On September 8, 2003, Cooper launched his signature news program, <em>Anderson Cooper 360°</em>. The show has reported on major global narratives including the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon, the funeral of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pope_John_Paul_II">Pope John Paul II</a>, and Hurricane Katrina. His coverage of Katrina, noted for its emotion and urgency, gained national attention. During one segment, Cooper challenged <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Landrieu">Senator</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Landrieu">Mary Landrieu</a> 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.</p>

<p><a href="/biography/howard-kurtz">Howard Kurtz</a> of <em>The Washington Post</em> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Klein_(media_executive)">president</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon_Klein_(media_executive)">Jonathan Klein</a> added, “He brings a new dimension to the job: an anchor as a kind of missionary.”</p>

<h2>Books and Published Works</h2>

<p>In May 2006, Cooper authored <em>Dispatches from the Edge</em>, a memoir chronicling his field reporting from Sri Lanka, Iraq, Africa, and post-Katrina Louisiana. The book reached No. 1 on the <em>New York Times</em> Best Seller list, with much of its proceeds donated to charity. In 2016, he and his mother co-wrote <em>The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss</em>. This book also debuted at No. 1 and remained on the list for several weeks.</p>

<h2>Other Television Ventures and Contributions</h2>

<p>In 2007, Cooper renewed his contract with CNN, significantly increasing his salary and obtaining a contributor role on <em>60 Minutes</em>. That same year, he began hosting <em>CNN Heroes: An All-Star Tribute</em> and co-produced the environmental documentary series <em>Planet in Peril</em>. While his daytime talk show, <em>Anderson</em>, was canceled in 2013, <em>Anderson Cooper 360°</em> continues to serve as a cornerstone of CNN’s programming.</p>

<p>In 2016, he became the first openly gay journalist to moderate a U.S. presidential debate, joining <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martha_Raddatz">Martha Raddatz</a> to host the second debate between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hillary_Clinton">Hillary Clinton</a> and <a href="/biography/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>. His role marked a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ visibility in broadcast journalism.</p>

<h2>Awards and Accolades</h2>

<p>Cooper's journalism has garnered numerous honors. At ABC, he earned an Emmy Award for his coverage of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales">Princess</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diana,_Princess_of_Wales">Diana</a>’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.</p>

<p>To date, Cooper has received 16 Emmy Awards, a Peabody Award, an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_R._Murrow_Award_(Radio_Television_Digital_News_Association)">Edward R. Murrow Award</a>, and recognition from organizations including GLAAD and the National Headliner Awards.</p>

<h2>Personal Life and Public Recognition</h2>

<p>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 <em>New York Magazine</em> that “being a reporter means being an observer. I didn’t want anything to interfere with that.”</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>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.”</p>

<p>About the intersection of his personal and professional life, Cooper remarked, “I don’t really have a life off-air. It all blends together.”</p>

<p>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).</p>

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