Tucker Carlson Biography: Net worth, Wife, Books

Tucker Carlson is one of the most prominent and polarizing figures in American media. He is a conservative political commentator, writer, and television personality, who hosted the nightly talk show Tucker Carlson Tonight on Fox News from 2016 to 2023. He is known for his provocative and often controversial opinions on a range of political and social issues, such as immigration, race, gender, climate change, and the coronavirus pandemic.

He is also a vocal supporter of former President Donald Trump and a critic of the mainstream media, the Democratic Party, and the progressive movement. He has been accused of spreading misinformation, conspiracy theories, and white nationalist views on his show, which has attracted millions of viewers as well as lawsuits, boycotts, and protests.

Early Life and Education

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson was born on May 16, 1969, in San Francisco, California. His father was Richard Warner Carlson, a media executive and former director of the Voice of America and the U.S. Information Agency. His mother was Lisa McNear Lombardi Carlson, an artist and heiress to the Swanson frozen-food fortune. His parents divorced when he was six years old, and his mother left the family to live in France. He and his younger brother, Buckley, were raised by their father and stepmother, Patricia Swanson Carlson.

Carlson attended St. George’s School, a prestigious boarding school in Rhode Island, where he met his future wife, Susan Andrews, the daughter of the school’s headmaster. He graduated in 1987 and enrolled at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. He studied history and graduated with a BA degree in 1991.

Career in Journalism and Media

Carlson began his career as a journalist in the early 1990s, working as a reporter for various newspapers and magazines, such as The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, The Weekly Standard, Esquire, The New Republic, and The New York Times Magazine. He also wrote a column for Reader’s Digest.

In 2000, Carlson joined CNN as a co-host of The Spin Room, a political talk show. He later became a co-host of Crossfire, a popular debate show that featured guests from different political perspectives. He gained fame for his conservative views and his trademark bow tie. He also clashed with comedian Jon Stewart on the show in 2004, who accused him of hurting journalism by engaging in partisan rhetoric.

In 2005, Carlson left CNN after Crossfire was cancelled. He joined MSNBC as a host of Tucker, another political talk show that aired from 2005 to 2008. He also appeared as a panellist on PBS’s The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer. However, his ratings on MSNBC were low and he often criticized the network for its liberal bias.

In 2009, Carlson joined Fox News as a contributor and guest host for various shows. He also founded The Daily Caller, a conservative news and opinion website that he ran until 2020. In 2016, he became the host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, which replaced The Kelly File after Megyn Kelly left Fox News. The show became one of the most-watched cable news programs in the country, averaging about four million viewers per night.

On his show, Carlson expressed his views on various topics that often sparked controversy and criticism. He defended Trump’s policies and actions, such as his travel ban on certain Muslim-majority countries, his withdrawal from the Paris climate agreement, his response to the Charlottesville rally, his impeachment trials, his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, and his claims of election fraud.

He also attacked Trump’s opponents and critics, such as Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Black Lives Matter, Antifa, CNN, The New York Times, Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, Nike, Coca-Cola, Major League Baseball, and many others.

Carlson also expressed controversial opinions on issues such as immigration, race, gender, climate change, abortion, gun rights, vaccines, masks, lockdowns, social media censorship, cancel culture, critical race theory, transgender rights, military leadership, China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and many others. He often made statements that were considered racist, sexist, homophobic, transphobic, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, or otherwise offensive by many people.

He also promoted conspiracy theories, such as the “great replacement” theory that claims that white people are being replaced by immigrants and minorities, the “deep state” theory that claims that a secret cabal of elites is trying to undermine Trump and his supporters, and the “lab leak” theory that claims that the coronavirus was artificially created and released from a Chinese laboratory.

Carlson’s show faced several lawsuits, boycotts, and protests from various groups and individuals who accused him of defamation, slander, harassment, discrimination, or incitement to violence. Some of his advertisers also pulled out of his show due to public pressure or ethical concerns. However, Carlson maintained his loyal fan base and his high ratings on Fox News. He also received support from Trump and other conservative figures and organizations.

In 2023, Carlson announced that he was leaving Fox News to start his own media company and streaming service. He said that he wanted to have more editorial freedom and reach a wider audience. He also said that he was considering running for president in 2024 as a Republican candidate.

Personal Life and Controversies

Carlson has been married to Susan Andrews since 1991. They have four children: Lillie, Hopie, Dorothy, and Buckley. They live in Washington, D.C., and have a vacation home in Maine. Carlson is an Episcopalian and a registered Republican.

Carlson has been involved in several personal controversies and scandals throughout his career. In 2001, he was arrested for assaulting a man who allegedly insulted his daughter at a country club in Virginia. He pleaded guilty to a misdemeanour charge of disorderly conduct and paid a fine. In 2018, he was involved in a heated altercation with another patron at a country club in Virginia who called him a “fascist”. The incident was caught on video and went viral online.

In 2019, he faced backlash after audio recordings of his past appearances on a radio show called Bubba the Love Sponge were released by Media Matters for America, a liberal watchdog group. In the recordings, Carlson made derogatory remarks about women, minorities, immigrants, and celebrities. He refused to apologize and said that he was joking or being sarcastic. In 2020, he was accused of sexual harassment by Cathy Areu, a former guest on his show. He denied the allegations and said that they were part of a coordinated smear campaign against him.

Net worth

Tucker Carlson’s net worth is estimated to be around $30 million as of 2021. He earned most of his wealth from his salary as a host on Fox News, which was reported to be $10 million per year. He also earned money from his books, such as Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution (2018), which was a bestseller. He also inherited some money from his mother’s family, who were wealthy Swanson heirs.

FAQs

What is Tucker Carlson’s political affiliation?

Tucker Carlson is a conservative political commentator who identifies as a Republican. However, he has also criticized some aspects of the Republican Party and the conservative movement, such as their support for free trade, foreign wars, corporate interests, and establishment politicians. He has also expressed some views that are considered populist, nationalist, isolationist, or libertarian, such as his opposition to immigration, interventionism, globalization, censorship, and elitism.

He has also supported some policies that are considered progressive, such as legalizing marijuana, reforming the criminal justice system, raising the minimum wage, and protecting the environment.

Why did Tucker Carlson leave Fox News?

Tucker Carlson left Fox News in 2023 to start his own media company and streaming service. He said that he wanted to have more editorial freedom and reach a wider audience. He also said that he was considering running for president in 2024 as a Republican candidate.