Devlin Barrett Bio, Age, Height, Wife, Salary, Career, Pulitzer Prize, FBI & Trump Reporting, The New York Times, Book & Facts

Devlin Barrett is one of America’s most accomplished investigative journalists, a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner who has spent more than two decades chronicling the inner workings of the FBI, the Justice Department, and the highest-stakes political investigations in modern U.S. history. After a distinguished run at The Washington Post covering everything from Russian election interference to Donald Trump’s criminal cases, he joined The New York Times in October 2025 as one of the nation’s premier Justice Department reporters. His book, October Surprise, cemented his reputation as an authority on the FBI’s role in the 2016 election.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Devlin Barrett grew up in Troy, New York, a city in the Capital Region along the Hudson River. He attended McGill University in Montreal, Quebec, one of Canada’s most prestigious institutions, where he earned his bachelor’s degree. His decision to study in Canada rather than at a U.S. university is a notable detail that hints at an early willingness to look beyond American borders—a perspective that would later serve him well when covering international intelligence operations and foreign election interference.

Career Journey

The New York Post: Copy Boy to Reporter (2003)

Barrett launched his journalism career at age 18 as a copy boy at the New York Post, one of America’s oldest and most storied tabloid newspapers. In the pre-digital newsroom era, copy boys were the entry-level foot soldiers of journalism—running errands, fetching coffee, and learning the craft from the ground up. Barrett quickly rose to desk assistant, one of the most grueling but essential roles in a bustling newsroom. Among his duties was entering lottery numbers, a mundane task that belied the high-pressure environment he was learning to navigate.

The Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal (Mid-2000s–2017)

After cutting his teeth at the Post, Barrett moved to The Associated Press, where he honed his reporting skills on breaking news and investigative stories. He then spent 15 years at The Wall Street Journal, building a reputation as one of the most reliable reporters on federal law enforcement. At the Journal, he broke major stories on the Hillary Clinton email investigation and the divisions it caused within the FBI in the months leading up to the 2016 election—reporting that would form the foundation of his later book.

The Washington Post: Pulitzer Glory (2017–2025)

In February 2017, Barrett joined The Washington Post as a national security reporter, a move that placed him at the epicenter of the Trump-Russia investigation. Over the next eight years, he became one of the most prolific and consequential reporters in American journalism.

Major Scoops and Coverage:

• Mueller Investigation: He was the first to report that Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s investigation had reached into the Trump White House, and the first to report that then-President Trump was under investigation for possible obstruction of justice.
• 2018 Pulitzer Prize: He was part of the Post reporting team awarded the Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting for coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election.
• 2022 Pulitzer Prize: He was part of another Post team that won a Pulitzer, though the specific category is not detailed in available sources.
• 2017 Pulitzer Finalist: He was a co-finalist for both the Pulitzer for Feature Writing and the Pulitzer for International Reporting.
• Mar-a-Lago Raid Scoop (2022): Barrett revealed that FBI agents raided Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence partly in search of documents about nuclear secrets—a bombshell detail that intensified national scrutiny of the investigation.
• January 6 Intelligence: After the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol, Barrett broke the news that an FBI office in Virginia had issued a dire warning that extremists were preparing to travel to Washington to commit violence and “war”—directly contradicting the FBI’s prior claim that it had no intelligence predicting violence that day.
• Trump Criminal Cases: In his final years at the Post, Barrett covered former President Donald Trump’s criminal cases and co-authored the paper’s Trump Trials newsletter, providing daily updates on the unprecedented prosecutions of a former president.

The New York Times (2025–present)

On May 7, 2025, The New York Times announced that Barrett was joining its Washington bureau to cover the Department of Justice and law enforcement. He started on October 7, 2025, joining the paper’s Justice/FBI beat alongside Glenn Thrush and Adam Goldman—two of the most respected reporters in the field.

Book: October Surprise (2020)

In 2020, Barrett published October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election through PublicAffairs. The book is a “dark true-life thriller” that examines how the FBI’s handling of the Clinton email investigation in the final weeks of the 2016 election altered American political history. Publishers described it as “a warning, a morality tale” set at the most crucial moment in the electoral calendar.

Career Stats

Awards:

• 2x Pulitzer Prize winner (2018, 2022) — as part of Washington Post reporting teams
• 2x Pulitzer Prize finalist (2017) — Feature Writing and International Reporting
• Multiple RTNDA Canada awards (earlier career)
• International Edward R. Murrow Awards (earlier career)

Major Stories Broken:

• Mueller investigation reaches Trump White House
• Trump under investigation for obstruction of justice
• FBI sought nuclear secrets documents at Mar-a-Lago
• FBI Virginia office warned of January 6 violence in advance
• Trump $230 million compensation claim from DOJ (2025)

Publications:

• October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election (2020)

Personal Life

Devlin Barrett keeps his personal life entirely private. No information about his spouse, children, parents, or siblings is publicly available. He has not spoken publicly about his marital status, relationships, or family. This privacy is consistent with many investigative journalists who prefer to keep the focus on their reporting rather than their personal lives.

Controversies

Barrett has not been involved in any major personal or professional controversies. His reporting has occasionally drawn criticism from political figures—particularly those on the receiving end of his investigative scrutiny—but his work has consistently withstood scrutiny and earned the industry’s highest honors. His journalism is widely regarded as rigorous, well-sourced, and fair.

Awards & Achievements

• Pulitzer Prize for National Reporting (2018) — Washington Post team coverage of Russian election interference
• Pulitzer Prize (2022) — Washington Post team
• Pulitzer Prize Finalist (2017) — Feature Writing
• Pulitzer Prize Finalist (2017) — International Reporting
• RTNDA Canada Awards — Multiple wins
• International Edward R. Murrow Awards — Multiple wins

Physical Statistics

No public information is available regarding Devlin Barrett’s height, weight, or other physical characteristics.

Quotes

“Devlin has a very long run of scoops.”
— The New York Times announcement of his hiring, May 2025.

“A dark true-life thriller with historic consequences set at the most crucial moment in the electoral calendar, October Surprise is a warning, a morality tale.”
— Publisher’s description of October Surprise.

Favorites

Earnings

Devlin Barrett’s net worth and salary have never been publicly disclosed. As a senior reporter at The Washington Post and now The New York Times, and as a published author, his earnings are presumed to be substantial but not publicly available. Top investigative reporters at major national newspapers typically earn salaries in the low-to-mid six figures, with additional income from book advances and royalties.

Interesting Facts

• Started at 18: He began his journalism career as a copy boy at the New York Post at just 18 years old.
• McGill Education: He earned his degree at McGill University in Montreal, an unusual choice for an American journalist that gave him an international perspective.
• Two Pulitzers in Five Years: He won Pulitzer Prizes in 2018 and 2022—an extraordinary achievement for any journalist.
• The “Scoop Machine”: The New York Times specifically cited his “very long run of scoops” when announcing his hiring.
• From Tabloid to Times: His career path—New York Post → AP → Wall Street Journal → Washington Post → New York Times—represents a near-perfect ascent through American journalism’s most prestigious institutions.

Did You Know Already?

• Did you know Devlin Barrett was the first reporter to break the news that the Mueller investigation had reached inside the Trump White House?
• Did you know he revealed that the FBI raided Mar-a-Lago partly in search of documents about nuclear secrets?
• Did you know he started his career as a copy boy at the New York Post at age 18?

Social Media Links

Devlin Barrett maintains a low public profile and does not appear to have verified personal social media accounts. His professional presence is through his employer.

• The New York Times Profile: Devlin Barrett
• The Washington Post Archive: Devlin Barrett
• Goodreads (Book): Devlin Barrett

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Devlin Barrett?
Devlin Barrett is a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist who covers the FBI and Justice Department for The New York Times. He previously spent eight years at The Washington Post and is the author of October Surprise.

How many Pulitzer Prizes has Devlin Barrett won?
He has won two Pulitzer Prizes as part of reporting teams at The Washington Post (2018 and 2022) and was a finalist for two more in 2017.

What is Devlin Barrett’s book about?
October Surprise: How the FBI Tried to Save Itself and Crashed an Election examines the FBI’s handling of the Hillary Clinton email investigation in the final weeks of the 2016 election and its impact on American politics.

Where did Devlin Barrett go to college?
He graduated from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.

What major stories has Devlin Barrett broken?
He broke the news that the Mueller investigation reached the Trump White House, that Trump was under investigation for obstruction of justice, that the FBI sought nuclear secrets documents at Mar-a-Lago, and that the FBI had intelligence warning of January 6 violence in advance.

When did Devlin Barrett join The New York Times?
He joined The New York Times in October 2025, announced in May 2025.

Conclusion

Devlin Barrett’s career is a masterclass in investigative journalism. From a teenage copy boy at a New York tabloid to a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner at America’s most prestigious newspapers, he has consistently delivered the kind of accountability reporting that defines democratic journalism. His coverage of the FBI, the Trump administration, and the intersection of law enforcement and politics has shaped public understanding of some of the most consequential events in modern American history. As he continues his work at The New York Times, Barrett remains one of the most important voices in American journalism—a reporter whose scoops don’t just make headlines, they make history.

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