Anderson Cooper Biography: Age, CNN Career, Vanderbilt Family & Personal Life

Anderson Hays Cooper is one of America’s most recognizable and respected broadcast journalists, serving as the anchor of CNN’s flagship program Anderson Cooper 360° and a regular correspondent for CBS’s 60 Minutes. Born into the legendary Vanderbilt family as the son of fashion icon Gloria Vanderbilt and author Wyatt Cooper, Anderson forged his own path through war zones and disaster sites before becoming the face of CNN. His career has been marked by groundbreaking reporting from nearly 80 countries, 23 Emmy Awards, and a deeply personal journey through grief that he now shares with millions through his acclaimed podcast All There Is with Anderson Cooper.

Quick Facts

Early Life & Education

Anderson Hays Cooper was born on June 3, 1967, in Manhattan, New York City, into one of America’s most famous families . His father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, was an award-winning author and screenwriter from Mississippi who instilled in young Anderson a love of storytelling and the importance of family roots . His mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, was an artist, fashion designer, writer, and heiress to the Vanderbilt railroad and shipping fortune .

Tragedy struck early in Anderson’s life. When he was just 10 years old, his father Wyatt died on January 5, 1978, during open-heart surgery at age 50 . A decade later, in July 1988, his older brother Carter Vanderbilt Cooper died by suicide at age 23, jumping from the terrace of their mother’s 14th-floor Manhattan penthouse . These losses profoundly shaped Anderson’s worldview and eventually led to his passionate exploration of grief through his journalism.

Cooper attended the Dalton School in New York City before enrolling at Yale University, where he graduated in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science . During college, he spent two summers as an intern at the CIA, an experience that would later inform his investigative approach to journalism . After graduation, he lived in Vietnam for a year studying the Vietnamese language at the University of Hanoi .

Before his journalism career, Cooper worked as a model for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Macy’s from ages 10 to 13 .

Career Journey

Early Journalism (1992–2001)

Cooper’s journalism career began unconventionally. After graduating from Yale, he worked as a fact checker for Channel One News, a news channel for junior high and high school students . Using a fake press pass he made himself, he traveled to Myanmar to shoot footage of the Burmese student uprising, selling his story to Channel One and launching his reporting career .

From 1992 onward, Cooper reported from war-torn regions including Bosnia, Cambodia, Haiti, Israel, Myanmar, Russia, Rwanda, Somalia, and South Africa . He has since worked in nearly 80 countries covering major news events worldwide .

ABC News and The Mole (1995–2001)

Cooper joined ABC News in 1995 as a correspondent . He anchored ABC’s overnight newscast World News Now starting September 21, 1999, and also served as a correspondent for World News Tonight and 20/20 . In a surprising career move, he left news temporarily in 2000 to host the reality competition series The Mole for two seasons, returning to broadcasting after the September 11 attacks .

CNN and Rise to Prominence (2001–Present)

Cooper joined CNN in 2001, anchoring alongside Paula Zahn on American Morning before becoming CNN’s weekend prime-time anchor in 2002 . In 2003, he launched his signature program Anderson Cooper 360°, which airs weeknights at 8:00 p.m. ET and is simulcast on CNN International .

His breakthrough moment came with CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which earned the network a Peabody Award and established Cooper as a compassionate yet tough interviewer who wasn’t afraid to challenge officials . He also helped lead CNN’s duPont Award-winning coverage of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami .

Cooper has played a pivotal role in CNN’s political coverage, anchoring from conventions and moderating several presidential primary debates and town halls . In 2016, he was selected by the Committee on Presidential Debates to co-moderate one of the three debates between donald trump and hillary clinton .

In April 2023, CNN launched The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper, a Sunday primetime series showcasing character-driven stories and investigative deep dives from CNN anchors and correspondents .

CBS 60 Minutes (2007–Present)

In early 2007, Cooper signed a multi-year deal with CNN that allowed him to continue as a contributor to CBS News’ 60 Minutes while maintaining his CNN duties . The deal reportedly doubled his salary from $2 million to $4 million annually at the time .

Podcast: All There Is (2022–Present)

In 2022, Cooper launched All There Is with Anderson Cooper, a podcast dedicated to exploring grief and loss . The podcast features deeply personal conversations with celebrities and ordinary people about their experiences with loss, including guests like stephen colbert, ashley judd, Tyler Perry, Patti Smith, and Ben Stiller . A companion streaming show, All There Is Live, streams Thursdays at 9:15 p.m. ET .

The podcast emerged from Cooper’s own journey with grief following the deaths of his father, brother, and mother. He has received over 6,000 voicemails from listeners sharing their grief stories . In October 2025, he emotionally discussed on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert how confronting his grief has allowed him to finally feel “true joy” .

Personal Life

Relationship with Benjamin Maisani

Cooper met French nightclub owner Benjamin Maisani in 2009 . The couple dated for nearly a decade, though they kept their relationship relatively private until making red carpet appearances in 2015 . In March 2018, Cooper announced they had split “as boyfriends some time ago” but remained “the best of friends” .

Despite the romantic breakup, Cooper and Maisani continue to live together and co-parent their two children. Cooper has described their arrangement as “very natural” and “probably an unusual setup, but I knew he would be a great dad, and he is” .

Fatherhood

Cooper welcomed his first son, Wyatt Morgan Cooper, via surrogate on April 27, 2020 . Wyatt’s name honors Cooper’s late father (Wyatt) and his maternal grandmother (Morgan) . In February 2022, Maisani officially adopted Wyatt, and his name was changed to Wyatt Morgan Maisani-Cooper .

Their second son, Sebastian Luke Maisani-Cooper, was born via surrogate on February 10, 2022 . The children call Cooper “Daddy” and Maisani “Papa” .

Cooper has described fatherhood as transformative: “It feels like my life has actually begun… This is a new level of love. It’s unlike anything I’ve experienced” . He told PEOPLE in 2023 that these early years of parenting are “the best time in my life” .

Coming Out

Though Cooper has been open about his sexuality since childhood, he publicly came out as gay in 2012. He has been called “the most prominent gay journalist on American TV” by The New York Times .

Controversies

Anderson Cooper has maintained a relatively controversy-free career, though he has faced occasional criticism:

• Partisan Perception: As a high-profile journalist covering polarized political eras, Cooper has faced accusations of bias from both political sides, though he maintains a reputation for factual reporting.
• New Year’s Eve Broadcasts: His annual New Year’s Eve Live co-hosting duties with Andy Cohen have generated controversy due to the pair’s on-air drinking, leading to wild moments that frequently go viral .
• Vanderbilt Wealth Questions: Cooper has had to repeatedly clarify that he did not inherit significant Vanderbilt family wealth, as the fortune had largely dissipated by his mother’s generation .

Awards & Achievements

• 23 Emmy Awards: Including two for coverage of the Haiti earthquake
• Peabody Awards: For CNN’s coverage of Hurricane Katrina (2005)
• Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University Award: For coverage of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami
• Edward R. Murrow Award: From the Overseas Press Club (2011)
• Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism (2018)
• Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism (2025)
• GLAAD Media Award (2013)
• National Headliner Award (2005)

Physical Statistics

Quotes

“I didn’t allow myself to grieve as a kid… I shut down and I lived for 40 years without allowing myself to feel the pain of the grief. But the irony is by not allowing myself to feel the pain of it, I also didn’t allow myself to ever feel joy. True joy. Because you can’t have one without the other.” — On processing grief, October 2025

“My mom’s made clear to me that there’s no trust fund… I don’t believe in inheriting money. I think it’s an initiative sucker. I think it’s a curse.” — On the Vanderbilt fortune, 2014

“I want to feel all there is.” — On embracing life after grief, 2023

“You can still have a relationship with somebody who’s died. And I have a relationship with my dad that’s extraordinary, and I know him better now than I ever knew him when he was alive.” — On maintaining connections with deceased loved ones

“Grief can feel so lonely, but talking about it and listening to the experience of others does help. It has certainly helped me.” — On his podcast All There Is

Favorites

• Causes: Grief support, LGBTQ+ rights, journalism integrity, disaster relief
• Hobbies: Reading, art collecting, traveling with children, spending time in Brazil
• Travel Destinations: Brazil (owns property in Trancoso), Vietnam (lived there post-college)
• Friendships: Close friendship with Andy Cohen; their children vacation together
• Entertainment: Broadway shows, art exhibitions, live performances
• Work: Field reporting, investigative journalism, in-depth interviews

Earnings & Net Worth

Anderson Cooper’s net worth is estimated at $60 million as of 2025 . His income sources include:

• CNN Salary: $18–20 million annually
• CBS 60 Minutes: Additional correspondent fees
• Book Royalties: Four New York Times bestselling books:
• Dispatches from the Edge: A Memoir of Wars, Disaster, and Survival (2006)
• The Rainbow Comes and Goes: A Mother and Son on Life, Love, and Loss (2016)
• Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty (2021)
• Astor: The Rise and Fall of an American Fortune (2023)
• Speaking Engagements: Including the AC2 live tour with Andy Cohen
• Real Estate: Owns converted firehouse in Manhattan, historic Connecticut estate, and beach property in Brazil

Despite his Vanderbilt lineage, Cooper inherited only approximately $1.5 million from his mother Gloria Vanderbilt upon her death in 2019, as the family fortune had largely dissipated through generations .

Interesting Facts

• Cooper’s hair turned gray prematurely in his 20s, becoming his trademark look
• He made a fake press pass to enter Myanmar and begin his journalism career
• He spent two summers as a CIA intern during college
• His father Wyatt Cooper wrote an essay titled “The Importance of Grieving” 40 years ago that Anderson discovered while researching his podcast, helping him understand his own grief journey
• He has received over 6,000 voicemails from listeners of his grief podcast
• His son Wyatt is named after his father and maternal grandmother Morgan
• He and Andy Cohen launched their AC2 live tour in 2015, with a return to New York’s Beacon Theatre scheduled for January 2026
• He is the last surviving member of his immediate family

Did You Know?

• Cooper was modeling for Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Macy’s by age 10
• He studied Vietnamese at the University of Hanoi for a year after graduating from Yale
• His brother Carter’s suicide in 1988 was the same year his mother discovered she had advanced stomach cancer in 2019; she died nine days later
• He has won 23 Emmy Awards, making him one of the most decorated journalists in television
• His podcast All There Is has featured conversations with Holocaust survivors, AIDS epidemic survivors, and parents who lost children to suicide
• He and Andy Cohen’s children are close in age and the families vacation together at Disney World

Social Media Links

• CNN Profile: CNN.com/AndersonCooper
• Instagram: @andersoncooper
• Podcast: All There Is with Anderson Cooper
• CNN Show: Anderson Cooper 360°

• Twitter/X: @andersoncooper
• Facebook: Anderson Cooper 360
• LinkedIn: Anderson Cooper
• YouTube: CNN Official Channel

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Anderson Cooper make at CNN?
Anderson Cooper earns an estimated $18–20 million annually from CNN, making him one of the highest-paid news anchors in the United States .

Did Anderson Cooper inherit the Vanderbilt fortune?
No. Despite being a direct descendant of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt, Cooper has stated that the family fortune had largely dissipated by his mother’s generation. He inherited approximately $1.5 million from his mother Gloria Vanderbilt in 2019, but built his $60 million net worth through his journalism career .

Who is Anderson Cooper’s partner?
Anderson Cooper co-parents his two sons with his former partner Benjamin Maisani, a French nightclub owner. Though they split romantically in 2018, they continue to live together and raise their children as a family .

What happened to Anderson Cooper’s father and brother?
Cooper’s father Wyatt Cooper died during open-heart surgery in 1978 when Anderson was 10. His older brother Carter died by suicide in 1988 at age 23. These losses profoundly shaped Cooper’s life and led to his podcast about grief, All There Is .

How many children does Anderson Cooper have?
Anderson Cooper has two sons: Wyatt Morgan (born April 2020) and Sebastian Luke (born February 2022), both born via surrogate .

What awards has Anderson Cooper won?
Cooper has won 23 Emmy Awards, multiple Peabody Awards, an Edward R. Murrow Award, the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism, and the 2025 Goldsmith Career Award for Excellence in Journalism .

Conclusion

Anderson Cooper stands as a trailblazer in American journalism, admired for his fearless reporting, authenticity, and commitment to truth. As CNN’s highest-paid anchor, his influence extends well beyond the newsroom, inspiring audiences worldwide. If you found this biography insightful, please share it with friends and fellow news enthusiasts!

*Did you find this biography informative? Share this article with fellow journalism enthusiasts and follow Anderson Cooper’s continuing journey through CNN and his podcast *All There Is with Anderson Cooper.