Who is Jeff Zucker? Age, children, wife, leaving CNN, net worth
Jeff Zucker leaving CNN Worldwide is among trending stories hitting the global headlines this week. He was named the Chairman of WarnerMedia News and Sports in March 2019 and has been CNN's president from January 2013 and February 2022. Yesterday, the media executive shared his reasons for resigning with immediate effect. Meanwhile, Jeff Zucker's relationship with his colleague is all over the internet. So, why did the CNN CEO resign?
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Source: Getty Images
Millions of people who just received the news must be wondering, "why is Jeff Zucker resigning?" The CNN CEO is leaving for failing to disclose a consensual relationship with a top executive. He announced his departure on Wednesday morning, 2nd February 2021. Jeff's resignation came less than two months after sacking anchor Chris Cuomo for allegedly helping his brother, Andrew Cuomo (then-New York governor), navigate a sexual-harassment scandal.
Jeff Zucker's profile summary
- Full name: Jeffrey Adam Zucker
- Date of birth: 9th April 1965
- Zodiac sign: Aries
- Place of birth: Homestead, Florida, USA
- Residence: New York City, USA
- Age: 56 years in 2021
- Education: North Miami Senior High School and Harvard College
- Qualification: Bachelor's degree in American history
- Career: Media executive
- Nationality: American
- Ethnicity: White
- Parents: Arline Joyce and Mathew Zucker
- Sexual orientation: Straight
- Marital status: Divorced
- Ex-spouse: Caryn Stephanie Nathanson
- Children: 4
- Height: 5 feet 10 inches
- Weight: 71kgs
- Religion: Jewish
- Hair colour: Bald
- Eye colour: Brown
- Net worth: $60million (Approx.)
- Salary: $6.3million (annual)
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Jeff Zucker's biography
Jeff Zucker's age is 56 years as of 2021 because his birthday was 9th April 1965. He was born and raised in Homestead, Miami-Dade County in Florida state, USA, in a Jewish family.
Source: Getty Images
His mother (Arline Joyce Zucker) was a school teacher, while his father (Mathew Zucker) was a cardiologist. Both of them are no more. Adam was a tennis team captain in high school, the school paper's editor, and The Miami Herald's teen freelance reporter.
What is Jeff Zucker's height? He is 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighs about 71kgs. Adam was diagnosed with colon cancer in his early 30s but successfully underwent surgery twice plus chemotherapy. In 2018, he also had a six-week leave from CNN due to heart surgery.
Jeff Zucker's educational background
Adam joined the National High School Institute's program for journalism at Northwestern University after leaving North Miami Senior High School in 1982. He later graduated from Harvard College in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in American history.
Additionally, Adam was The Harvard Crimson's president from 1985 to 1986 (the school newspaper), an elected class president from sophomore to senior year, and has been an Emmy Award winner. He applied for a law degree at Harvard Law School but did not get in.
Who is Jeff Zucker's wife?
The media executive is currently single and lives in New York City. He married Caryn Stephanie Nathanson in 1996 at the Pierre Hotel and had four children before agreeing to part ways in 2018.
Source: Getty Images
Jeff Zucker's children
The public knows his two children, Andrew and Elizabeth. Meanwhile, Adam has not revealed the names of his other two young daughters. Andrew got famous in 2011 when his dad gave him a $250,000 mitzvah at Four Seasons.
Career history
Adam served NBC Universal for over 20 years before joining CNN. He began as a researcher for NBC Sports' coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympic Games in South Korea and climbed up to the president and CEO from 2007 to 2011.
CNN broke viewership records in 2020 under Adam's leadership. However, about 90% of the viewership has fallen by January 2022. In addition, Adam was criticized for allegedly letting CNN give too much coverage to Donald Trump. Moreover, he approved Trump's reality TV show, The Apprentice, while serving at NBC.
Why did Jeff Zucker resign from CNN?
While the industry assumed Adam would be promoted once Discovery merged with WarnerMedia, he was under pressure to resign. Jeff Zucker's email memo did not identify the colleague he was dating, but the public learnt her name through CNN.
Source: Facebook
Journalist Katie Couric (Adam's former colleague) once gave a hint about them after having a falling out with him. Alison was Andrew Cuomo's communications director before moving to CNN.
She was among Adam's first hires when he started working at CNN in 1998. Jeff Zucker and Allison Gollust have worked and risen through the ranks together for the last two decades. Part of the memo the media executive sent to the CNN employees read:
As part of the investigation into Chris Cuomo's tenure at CNN, I was asked about a consensual relationship with my closest colleague, someone I have worked with for more than 20 years.
It continued:
I acknowledged the relationship evolved in recent years. I was required to disclose it when it began, but I didn't. I was wrong. As a result, I am resigning today.
Source: Getty Images
Allison was Adam's key lieutenant and will retain her position (executive vice president and chief marketing officer) at CNN. Meanwhile, CNN plans to roll out a new 9 p.m. program to replace Chris Cuomo and launch the CNN+ streaming service this year. She also released a statement., and part of it was:
Jeff and I have been close friends and professional partners for over 20 years. Recently, our relationship changed during COVID. I regret that we didn't disclose it at the right time.
She added:
I'm incredibly proud of my time at CNN and look forward to continuing the great work we do every day.
Meanwhile, reports imply that Jeff Zucker and Cuomo's fallout might have contributed to the CEO losing his job. CNN insiders suspect Chris Cuomo exposed Adam's workplace relationship as revenge for firing him.
Source: Getty Images
Jeff Zucker's net worth
The media mogul's worth is about $60 million, and he received an annual salary of around $6.3 million. Moreover, Comcast paid him about $40 million after leaving his position as president at NBC.
Jeff Zucker's resignation from CNN has left many wondering what is next for him. Meanwhile, WarnerMedia's Standards of Business Conduct handbook's rules and policies do not prohibit workers from dating but requires them to inform the HR department before taking any action.
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Source: Briefly News
