What was Andrew Breitbart's Net Worth?
Andrew Breitbart was an influential American publisher, journalist, and author. At the time of his death in 2012, Andrew Breitbart's net worth was reported to be $10 million. He gained widespread recognition after founding several websites, most notably Breitbart.com. He also launched BigHollywood.com, BigGovernment.com, BigJournalism.com, and BigPeace.com. Interestingly, he played a critical role in the creation of the liberal platform Huffingtonpost.com. More than a decade after his passing, Breitbart.com remains a significant and profitable site, often hailed as the largest non-mainstream conservative website globally. The site has been a continuous source of controversy for publishing articles that critics deem racist, sexist, or homophobic. In 2010, he received the Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington, D.C. Often a speaker at Tea Party movement events, he published his book "Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World," in April 2011, where he detailed his political evolution and the rise of new media. Andrew died on March 1, 2012, at the age of 43. A year after his death, his widow Susie purchased a home for $2.2 million in Los Angeles, California. Susie and their four children remain the site's beneficiaries.
Early Life
Andrew Breitbart was born on February 1, 1969, in Los Angeles to Irish-American parents. Soon after his birth, his parents gave him up for adoption. His biological father was a folk musician, according to his birth certificate. Three weeks after birth, he was adopted by Gerald and Arlene Breitbart. Gerald was a restaurant owner, while Arlene was a banker. Raised in the affluent Brentwood neighborhood, the Breitbarts were Jewish, and Andrew attended Hebrew school and Brentwood School, a prestigious private institution. During high school, he worked as a pizza delivery driver and later enrolled at Tulane University, where he earned a bachelor's degree in American Studies in 1991.
His early post-university career included working at E! Entertainment Television, film production, and writing for an online magazine.
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Huffington Post
Although initially holding liberal political views, Andrew Breitbart's perspective shifted towards conservatism after witnessing the 1991 Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Justice Clarence Thomas. He perceived the liberal Senators' questioning as unfair. Describing himself as a "Reagan conservative" with libertarian tendencies, Breitbart began listening to conservative radio hosts like Rush Limbaugh, which further shaped his political stance.
In 1995, Breitbart discovered "The Drudge Report" and befriended its founder, Matt Drudge. Drudge introduced him to Arianna Huffington, who was a Republican at the time. Breitbart became instrumental in creating "The Huffington Post" and also wrote a weekly column for "The Washington Times" during this period.
Breitbart News
In 2007, Andrew Breitbart founded "Breitbart News", initially envisioning it as a conservative counterpart to "The Huffington Post", which had become more liberal. The site featured content from sources like the Associated Press and Reuters, and the same year, he launched Breitbart.tv, a video blog.
Breitbart News gained significant attention in June 2011 by breaking the story about Congressman Anthony Weiner's scandal involving inappropriate photos. The site's influence grew, eventually becoming a rallying point for Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign supporters. Breitbart's personal shift towards more radical conservatism mirrored the site's evolution to the alt-right. He regularly spoke at Tea Party events and proposed the "Breitbart Doctrine", advocating for cultural change as a precursor to political change.
Controversies
Over the years, Breitbart was involved in several controversies. In 2011, Shirley Sherrod sued him after he posted a deceptively edited video of her speech, which misrepresented her as discriminatory. The lawsuit was settled in 2016. In 2012, a video showed Breitbart angrily confronting Occupy D.C. protestors, accusing them of various misdeeds. The incident went viral, and he later appeared in the documentary "Occupy Unmasked", which accused the Occupy movement of dangerous and violent intentions.
Personal Life
Andrew Breitbart was married to Susannah "Susie" Bean, and the couple had four children together. Late on February 29, 2012, he collapsed near his Brentwood home. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he was pronounced dead shortly after, at the age of 43. The autopsy cited hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, resulting in heart failure. He was buried at Hillside Memorial Park. Following his death, notable conservative figures such as Rick Santorum, Tucker Carlson, Rush Limbaugh, Glenn Beck, Sarah Palin, and Newt Gingrich paid tribute, recognizing his significant impact on the radical conservative movement in the United States.
