Anderson Cooper | |
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Anderson Cooper in 2018 | |
| Born | Anderson Hays Cooper June 3, 1967 New York City, U.S. |
| Years active | 1990-present |
| Children | 2 |
Anderson Hays Vanderbilt Cooper (born June 3, 1967) is an American journalist. He is an anchor on CNN. He hosts Anderson Cooper 360° and the syndicated daytime talk show, Anderson Live.
Cooper was born in New York City. His mother is Gloria Vanderbilt; his father was Wyatt Emory Cooper. Cooper's great-great-great-grandfather was Cornelius Vanderbilt, a 19th-century American businessman and slave owner.
Anderson Cooper was connected, in a familial way, to slavery. His bloodline is tied to the Vanderbilts, one of the richest families in American history. Cooper's great-great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt – who was also Cooper's cousin through inbreeding – was a tycoon who built his wealth from shipping and railroads. He also owned plantations: one, in particular, was in Georgetown, S.C., where Michelle Robinson Obama's ancestor Jim Robinson, who was born a slave in 1850, worked.