When Gloria Vanderbilt died in June 2019, fans quickly wondered how much her son, Anderson Cooper, had inherited from her rumored $200 million fortune. It was reported that the socialite’s estate was left to Anderson and her oldest son, Leopold Stanislaus Stokowski. But the estimated value of her estate was far from reality.

Anderson’s current estimated net worth is much higher than Gloria’s wealth at the time of her death. Even her famous Vanderbilt inheritance, which she ended up spending lavishly, was nothing compared to the CNN broadcaster’s self-made wealth. Now, Anderson, who’s far from being a nepo baby, doesn’t plan on passing his riches to his sons.

Anderson Cooper Inherited Less than $1.5 Million From His Mother Gloria Vanderbilt

Gloria Vanderbilt’s Estate Value Was Far Below The Estimated $200 Million When She Died

According to Page Six, Anderson inherited the total value of Gloria’s estate at the time of her death—less than $1.5 million—far from the estimated $200 million. Anderson’s brother Leopold then received their mother’s $1.2 million co-op at 30 Beekman Place in Manhattan, New York City.

Gloria’s initial estimated net worth was likely based on records of her notable Vanderbilt fortune. She notably received a $2.5 million trust ($36 million today) after her father, Reginald Vanderbilt, died in 1925.

It was a substantial sum, but pretty low compared to her great-great-grandfather, Cornelius Vanderbilt’s $100 million fortune (over $3 billion now), which made him the wealthiest man in the U.S. in the 19th century.

Unfortunately, like the Vanderbilts before her, Gloria faced major financial strains that further diminished the family’s wealth, with Anderson being snubbed by the elites. Here’s a timeline of her fallen jeans empire:

• 1978-1984: Gloria made $20 million from her designer jean line with Murjani Worldwide Ltd.
• 1980s: Gloria’s and Murjani sold her trademark rights for $15 million
• Early 1990s: Gloria’s finances began to dwindle; she sued her lawyer and psychiatrist for stealing millions from her, and she won $1.7 million in court and was given $300,000 by the New York City Bar Association, but the stolen funds were never recovered

At one point, Gloria also owed $2.7 million in federal taxes and another $1.2 million from New York City. It forced her to sell her Upper East Side townhouse and South Hamptons property.

Anderson Cooper’s Estimated Net Worth Is Between $60 Million To $200 Million

Anderson Cooper Makes $20 Million A Year From CNN

Anderson’s net worth is estimated to be at least $60 million, although USA Today projected that it’s as big as $200 million. Whichever it is, he’s certainly amassed a bigger fortune than his mom did.

Anderson’s wealth is mainly from CNN, where he makes $20 million a year. He worked his way up, knowing he didn’t have a trust fund waiting for him, as he previously revealed to Howard Stern in 2014.

After graduating from Yale, Anderson got an entry-level job answering telephones for ABC. He eventually became a fact-checker for the small news agency, Channel One. Determined to do more, he kicked off his broadcasting career by asking a friend to forge a press pass for him.

With his fake press pass, he began reporting from Myanmar during the students’ conflict with the Burmese government in 1990. Five years later, ABC News hired him as a correspondent. He was promoted as co-anchor on the network’s World News Now in 1999. Anderson left ABC and joined CNN in 2001.

Here’s a timeline of Anderson’s CNN career:

• September 2001: Co-anchor, American Morning
• 2002-2003: Host, CNN’s weekend primetime news
• 2004-Present: Coverage of various major news (politics, social, calamities, etc.)
• 2003-Present: Anderson Cooper 360°
• 2011: Co-host, 60 Minutes
• 2017-Onwards: Co-host with Andy Cohen, CNN’s New Year’s Eve Live (where Andy got “microaggressive” with Anderson at one point)

Anderson Cooper Doesn’t Want His Kids To Depend On Inheritance

Anderson Cooper Believes Inheriting Money Is An “Initiative Sucker”

In a People cover in 2023, Anderson said he wouldn’t give his sons any inheritance. He has two sons, Wyatt and Sebastian, with his ex-partner, Benjamin Maisani. “I want my kids to figure out what drives them, and I want to help them figure that out,” Anderson said of raising his kids.

“From the time I was growing up, if I felt that there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know that I would’ve been so motivated,” he told Howard in 2014. But speaking to People years later, Anderson is still not decided on his sons’ future inheritance.

“It’s something I have thought about, and I don’t know that I have the answers to it yet,” the Anderson Cooper 360° host said when asked what he wanted to teach his kids about money. But looking back at his upbringing, Anderson is thankful his parents clarified that he wasn’t an heir to some massive Vanderbilt fortune.

“In retrospect, I’m really glad he did that because from the get-go, it just made it clear that whatever my mom’s past was, it had nothing to do with me from a financial standpoint,” he told the magazine. “That set me out very early on a course of wanting to work and find out what I was passionate about.”