Tucker Carlson bio, age, net worth, family, wife, children 2025

Tucker Carlson's Biography

American journalist Tucker Carlson grew up in a conservative household. He'd later champion those same views throughout his media career. While Tucker's conservative takes weren't exactly crowd-pleasers, his shows consistently pulled massive ratings. Carlson delivered commentary on political talk shows, penned pieces for top American publications, and in 2016 launched his own show "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on Fox News.

The show's ratings were through the roof: on air, Tucker—dubbed "the primary voice of white American discontent"—railed against abortions, migrants, coronavirus vaccines, while backing Donald Trump. Despite his controversial positions driving advertisers away, Carlson's show still drew 3.5 million viewers.

That all changed in 2023 when the network fired Carlson amid a major scandal. He'd pushed claims about fraud in the presidential elections. The fallout was swift: Dominion, the voting machine company, slapped Fox News with a lawsuit. Fox was forced to cough up around $800 million in damages and watched its stock value drop 5%. Carlson kept "Tucker Carlson Tonight" alive on X (formerly Twitter).

Childhood and Family

Tucker Swanson McNear Carlson was born on May 16, 1969, in San Francisco, the principal city of Northern California. His ancestors include influential Swiss, English, Italian, and German individuals who were foundational to American society.

Tucker was distantly related to Ebenezer Hoar (United States Attorney General from 1869 to 1870, an associate of President Ulysses Grant) and George Brooks (a member of the 41st and 42nd United States Congress). His great-great-great-grandfather, Henry Miller, held the unofficial title of "Cattle King of California" and was considered one of the largest landowners in 19th-century America.

Tucker's father, Richard Carlson (born Boynton, adopted at age two by the Carlson family, owners of the Winslow Brothers & Smith tannery), was a renowned gonzo journalist who exposed politicians collaborating with the mafia, led the Voice of America radio company, and became the US Ambassador to the Seychelles in the early 1990s. He also ran for Mayor of San Diego. Tucker's mother, Lisa McNear, was an artist.

Tucker Carlson with his father and brother

The future journalist grew up with his brother Buckley, who was born two years later. In 1976, their parents divorced. Their mother wanted to lead a more free-spirited, bohemian lifestyle, so the sons stayed with their father. From then on, McNear had no contact with her children. "She really wasn't a part of my life at all," the journalist would say later.

Three years later, Carlson Sr. remarried. His new wife was Patricia Caroline Swanson, the heiress to the Swanson Enterprises food conglomerate. She adopted Tucker and Buckley.

By the early 1980s, the whole family had moved to San Diego, where Tucker's father was actively building his political career. They settled in a mansion in the upscale La Jolla area. Carlson attended a private school filled with children of wealthy white parents.

Even then, Tucker proved to be quite stubborn: the teenager didn't hesitate to argue with teachers and criticize educators with liberal views. His conservative sentiments intensified when, in 1983, Carlson was transferred to a private boarding school in Rhode Island. He also spent some time at the Collège du Léman boarding school in Switzerland upon his father's insistence but quickly grew bored there.

Because of his sharp tongue and habit of arguing with teachers, Tucker was never among the top students. After graduation, he wasn't accepted into a highly prestigious university – and Carlson took pride in that. His girlfriend's father, his future father-in-law, managed to find Tucker a place at Trinity College in Connecticut. In 1992, Carlson earned a bachelor's degree in history there and chose not to pursue further education.

Career Beginnings

In 1992, Tucker attempted to secure a position at the Central Intelligence Agency. However, his application was rejected without explanation, leading him to pursue journalism instead.

Media outlets were reluctant to hire a newcomer, but he landed a job at Policy Review magazine, fact-checking articles by other correspondents. He also wrote pieces for local Arkansas publications.

In 1995, Tucker joined the new publication The Weekly Standard. That's when he first appeared on TV, commenting for CBS on the O.J. Simpson case—the actor and football player accused of murdering his wife. From then on, Tucker became a regular on news programs.

He gained notoriety in the press in September 1999, after a five-page interview for Talk magazine with George W. Bush, who was then the Governor of Texas and a presidential candidate. The article was titled "George W. Bush Doesn't Care What You Think of Him. That's Why You Might Vote for Him".

Overall, the journalist spoke highly of the future president, though he noted Bush's frequent use of profanity. However, readers weren't pleased that Bush made dismissive comments about Karla Faye Tucker, whose clemency petition he'd denied, and when the journalist asked "Tell me about something you can't do," Bush replied: "Sit down and read a 500-page book on public policy, philosophy, or whatever else."

Television Career

In 2000, Tucker Carlson was invited to join CNN. A year later, he got his own show, "Crossfire." In a debate format, Carlson discussed the latest world news with both right-wing and left-wing politicians.

Despite the show's success, the channel decided not to renew Tucker's contract in 2005. Rumors suggested the decision stemmed from an on-air clash between Tucker and comedian Jon Stewart. The video of their argument went viral on the internet.

Carlson hosted programs on PBS for a while, then joined CNN rival MSNBC—seemingly in retaliation. There, in 2005, his new show "Tucker" premiered. The program was canceled in 2008 due to low ratings.

During this time, Tucker also wrote feature articles for major publications including The New York Times Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Esquire, and Reader's Digest.

In 2009, Fox News brought Tucker aboard. Initially, he appeared as an expert on other journalists' shows.

In 2010, Carlson, together with Neil Patel, launched the website The Daily Caller, which specialized in political news. Tucker wrote for the site and served as editor-in-chief. Some articles critical of Democrats sparked controversy. A month later, the publication was included in the White House press pool.

"Tucker Carlson Tonight"

In 2013, Carlson became the co-host of the show "Fox & Friends Weekend." Three years later, he began hosting "Tucker Carlson Tonight." By then, he'd become one of TV's most prominent government critics. He actively opposed Barack Obama's re-election campaign.

The debut episode pulled in 3.7 million viewers, thanks to his established TV following. Within a year, it became cable's second-highest-rated primetime news show.

The show's popularity soared thanks to Tucker's fearless takes on controversial topics. He tackled abortion, gender issues, sexism, and immigration head-on.

"Tucker Carlson Tonight" started airing in 2016, right after Donald Trump was elected President of the United States. Carlson backed Trump, dismissed claims about Russian "troll factory" election interference, and endorsed many early Trump initiatives, including the border wall.

He also opposed overthrowing Syria's Bashar al-Assad, criticized Black Lives Matter and pandemic health officials, and advocated for friendlier ties with Russia. These positions cost him major advertisers—Disney and Papa John's pulled their sponsorships.

But his conservative stance kept viewers hooked, driving the show's popularity even higher. By the 2020 election, "Tucker Carlson Tonight" was averaging 5.36 million viewers daily—a cable TV record.

There were also scandals. In 2019, model Karen McDougal sued Fox News. She was furious that Carlson had aired allegations about her attempting to extort Trump. The lawsuit was dismissed.

Firing from Fox News

After Biden's 2020 victory, Carlson repeatedly suggested vote rigging involving Dominion Voting Systems' election software. Dominion called the claims defamatory and sued Fox News.

After months of legal wrangling, they settled in April 2023. Fox agreed to pay over $767 million—a record defamation settlement in U.S. media history.

Days later, Fox fired Carlson. The executive producer of his show also lost his job. He found out just hours before the public announcement. The Dominion scandal was likely the final straw. Carlson claimed he was fired because American media "isn't free and is censored."

In May 2023, Tucker announced he'd continue his show on X (Twitter). His first video dropped in June, recorded straight from home. He used it to criticize Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. He also launched his own subscription-based website. His videos racked up tens of millions of views.

Fox News management wasn't happy. The network reminded him his contract ran through 2024, meaning they still owned the rights to "Tucker Carlson Tonight" despite firing him. Carlson kept producing content while his lawyers battled Fox over the rights.

Tucker Carlson's Personal Life

Tucker met his future wife, Susan Andrews, when he was 15 years old. They both went to college in Rhode Island. Andrews' father was the headmaster of the school. "She was the cutest senior in America," Carlson said about his wife.

The couple married in 1991. Four years later, they had their first daughter, Lillie. In 1997, they had a son, Buckley, followed by daughter Hopie a couple of years later. In 2002, they had their fourth child, daughter Dorothy. All the children attended private schools. Susan left her teaching career to raise them.

Tucker Carlson with his wife and children

Carlson's son graduated with a degree in public administration and interned at the White House as a public relations specialist. The journalist's older daughters graduated from the University of Virginia.

Tucker Carlson Now

In August 2023, Russia Today head Margarita Simonyan first claimed that Tucker Carlson wanted to interview Vladimir Putin. A month later, Carlson confirmed his intentions and said he'd planned the interview earlier but claimed the White House had deliberately sabotaged his meeting with Putin. Carlson defended the need for the interview, saying most Americans 'knew nothing about what was happening in Russia and Ukraine.'

Back home, Carlson's actions drew sharp criticism. Politicians, including former Congressman Adam Kinzinger and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, called him a traitor. Experts noted the interview came at a difficult time, with Congress embroiled in disputes over allocating another round of financial support to Ukraine.

Some sources also claimed that while in Russia, Tucker met with former NSA employee Edward Snowden and former Biden aide Tara Reade for interviews. However, Carlson himself denied these claims.

Interesting Facts

Tucker was named after his ancestors—J. Tucker and George McNair.
Tucker Carlson wrote his first book at the age of 23. It was titled "People vs. Crime: How Residents Can Restore Order in the Streets of the USA." Unfortunately, no publisher would take it on.
He eventually published three books: "Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable News" (2003), "Ship of Fools: How a Selfish Ruling Class Is Bringing America to the Brink of Revolution" (2018), and "The Long Slide: Thirty Years in American Journalism" (2021).
In the early 2000s, Tucker made bow ties his signature look—he's never seen in public without one.
The journalist is left-handed.
He's dealt with dyslexia since childhood.
Carlson is obsessed with Finnish saunas—he spends an hour and a half in one every day.
In 2003, Tucker recorded an interview with Britney Spears. He asked the singer about her stance on the war in Iraq. A clip of the conversation was included in the film "Fahrenheit 9/11," which won the Palme d'Or at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Spears, meanwhile, earned a Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actress.
In 2018, unidentified activists targeted Tucker's home, vandalizing the facade and trying to break in while only his wife was inside.
In 2021, Time magazine named Carlson the most influential conservative in the USA.

Important Dates in My Life

1992 – Became a fact-checker at Policy Review magazine
1995 – Started working at The Weekly Standard
1999 – Recorded an interview with George W. Bush
2000 – Began working for CNN
2001 – Became the host of the show "Crossfire"
2005 – Left CNN, joined MSNBC, and began hosting "The Situation with Tucker Carlson"
2009 – Started working for Fox News
2010 – Launched the website The Daily Caller
2016 – Became the host of "Tucker Carlson Tonight"
2023 – Was fired from Fox News, began releasing "Tucker Carlson Tonight" on social network X
2024 – Recorded an interview with Vladimir Putin