Andrew Ross Sorkin

Andrew Ross Sorkin
Born	Andrew Ross Sorkin 2/19/1977
Birthplace	New York City, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Journalist, author, television anchor
Known for	Too Big to Fail, DealBook, Billions
Education	Cornell University (BS)
Children	3
Website	http://www.andrewrosssorkin.com/

Andrew Ross Sorkin (born February 19, 1977) is an American journalist, author, and television anchor who has established himself as one of the most prominent financial journalists in the United States. He is a financial columnist for The New York Times, co-anchor of CNBC's Squawk Box, and the founder and editor of DealBook, an influential financial news service published by The New York Times. Sorkin wrote the bestselling book Too Big to Fail (2009), a narrative account of the 2008 financial crisis, which was adapted into a film by HBO Films. He is also a co-creator of the Showtime television series Billions, a drama centered on the world of high finance and power. In October 2025, he published 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, a detailed history of the 1929 stock market crash drawing on hundreds of documents, many previously unpublished. Over a career spanning nearly three decades, Sorkin has reported on some of the most consequential financial events and transactions in modern history, earning recognition from organizations including the World Economic Forum and multiple journalism awards.

Early Life

Andrew Ross Sorkin was born on February 19, 1977, in New York City. He grew up in the New York metropolitan area, where he was exposed at a young age to the world of media and business that would come to define his professional life. Sorkin demonstrated an early interest in journalism, and by the time he was a teenager, he had already begun to pursue writing and reporting opportunities. His upbringing in New York City, the financial capital of the world, provided him with proximity to the institutions and personalities that would become the focus of his career.

Sorkin began his association with The New York Times while still a young student, contributing to the newspaper before completing his undergraduate education. This early start gave him an unusual foundation in professional journalism and set the stage for his rapid ascent in financial reporting. His career at the Times is documented as beginning in 1996, when he was still in his late teens, reflecting an uncommon degree of early professional engagement.

Education

Sorkin attended Cornell University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree. His time at Cornell provided him with an academic grounding that complemented the professional journalism experience he had already begun accumulating through his work with The New York Times. Cornell's curriculum exposed Sorkin to a broad range of subjects, though his focus remained on journalism and financial reporting throughout his college years.

Career

The New York Times and DealBook

Sorkin's career at The New York Times began in 1996, and he quickly distinguished himself as a reporter covering mergers, acquisitions, and the broader world of corporate finance. His reporting focused on Wall Street dealmaking, corporate governance, and the intersection of business and public policy. Over the years, he became one of the newspaper's most visible financial journalists, contributing both news coverage and analytical columns.

In 2001, Sorkin founded DealBook, a financial news service published by The New York Times. DealBook began as an online newsletter and blog that aggregated and analyzed news related to mergers, acquisitions, private equity, venture capital, and other financial transactions. The service quickly grew into one of the most widely read financial news products in the industry, attracting an audience of business executives, investors, lawyers, and policymakers. DealBook's format—combining curated news summaries with original reporting and commentary—was considered innovative at the time of its launch and helped pioneer the model of niche online newsletters that would later become commonplace in digital media.

DealBook expanded over the years to include a major annual conference, the DealBook Summit, which features interviews with prominent business leaders, politicians, and cultural figures. The newsletter itself evolved from a blog format into a full-fledged section of The New York Times website. Sorkin continued to serve as the editor and primary voice of DealBook throughout its growth, writing columns that examined current events through the lens of financial markets and corporate strategy.

As a columnist for The New York Times, Sorkin has written extensively about financial regulation, corporate responsibility, the technology industry, and the role of Wall Street in American life. His column frequently addresses the relationship between government policy and financial markets, and he has covered major regulatory debates including those surrounding the Dodd-Frank Act and subsequent efforts to reform financial oversight.

CNBC and Television

In addition to his print journalism career, Sorkin serves as a co-anchor of Squawk Box, the morning business news program on CNBC. In this role, he conducts interviews with business leaders, government officials, and market analysts, covering the day's major financial news and broader economic trends. His presence on Squawk Box has made him a recognizable figure in financial television, complementing his work in print and digital media.

Sorkin's dual role at The New York Times and CNBC has positioned him at the intersection of print and broadcast financial journalism. He regularly appears on CNBC to discuss breaking financial news, interview CEOs and policymakers, and provide analysis of market developments. His television work has expanded his audience beyond the readership of The New York Times and DealBook, reaching viewers who follow financial markets in real time.

Too Big to Fail

In 2009, Sorkin published Too Big to Fail: The Inside Story of How Wall Street and Washington Fought to Save the Financial System—and Themselves, a narrative account of the 2008 financial crisis. The book provided a detailed, behind-the-scenes look at the events leading up to and following the collapse of Lehman Brothers, the government bailouts of major financial institutions, and the decision-making processes of key figures including Henry Paulson, Timothy Geithner, and Ben Bernanke.

Too Big to Fail became a bestseller and was recognized as one of the definitive accounts of the financial crisis. The book drew on hundreds of interviews with Wall Street executives, government officials, and other participants in the crisis, and it provided a minute-by-minute account of the pivotal days in September and October 2008 when the global financial system appeared on the verge of collapse.

The book was subsequently adapted into a television film by HBO Films, which Sorkin co-produced. The HBO adaptation dramatized the events described in the book and featured a cast of prominent actors portraying the real-life figures involved in the crisis. The film brought the story of the financial crisis to a broader audience and reinforced Sorkin's reputation as a leading chronicler of Wall Street.

Billions

Sorkin is a co-creator of Billions, a television drama series that premiered on Showtime. The series is set in the world of New York finance and follows the interplay between a powerful hedge fund manager and a U.S. Attorney, exploring themes of wealth, power, ambition, and corruption. Sorkin co-created the series with Brian Koppelman and David Levien, and the show drew on Sorkin's deep knowledge of Wall Street culture and the legal and regulatory landscape surrounding the financial industry.

Billions ran for multiple seasons on Showtime and attracted a significant viewership. The series was noted for its detailed depiction of financial industry practices, its complex characters, and its exploration of the moral ambiguities inherent in the pursuit of wealth and power. Sorkin's involvement as co-creator and producer brought a degree of authenticity to the show's portrayal of Wall Street that critics and audiences recognized.

1929

In October 2025, Sorkin published 1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History—and How It Shattered a Nation, a comprehensive history of the 1929 stock market crash. The book drew on hundreds of documents, many of which had not been previously published, to reconstruct the events leading up to the crash and its immediate aftermath.

In interviews promoting the book, Sorkin described the crash of 1929 as a story of excessive leverage and irrational speculation, drawing parallels between the conditions that preceded the 1929 crash and aspects of contemporary financial markets. He appeared on CBS's 60 Minutes to discuss the book, highlighting what he described as worrying similarities between the pre-crash environment of 1929 and the financial conditions of the mid-2020s.

In an essay published in The New York Times in connection with the book's release, Sorkin argued that speculation is not merely a flaw in America's economic system but a fundamental component of the country's economic engine, writing that risk-taking and speculation have been central to American economic growth throughout the nation's history.

The book received attention from multiple media outlets and academic institutions. Sorkin discussed the work in an interview with the Hoover Institution, where he examined whether conditions in 2025 bore resemblance to those of the late 1920s. He also appeared on Anand Giridharadas's program to discuss topics including the potential for an AI bubble, the concentration of corporate power, and the concerns of business leaders in the contemporary political environment.

In an interview with Tyler Cowen for the podcast Conversations with Tyler, Sorkin discussed the lessons of the 1929 crash as they relate to banking regulation, market bubbles, and the broader dynamics of financial speculation.

Public Broadcasting and Other Media

Sorkin has been involved in public television as well. He participated in programming for WNET/Thirteen, the New York-based public television station, contributing to coverage of economic issues.

Personal Life

Sorkin was born and raised in New York City, where he continues to reside. He has three children. Sorkin maintains a public profile primarily through his professional work rather than through extensive commentary on his personal life. His personal website provides information about his professional activities and publications.

Recognition

Sorkin has received recognition from a range of organizations for his work in journalism and media. DealBook received a Webby Award, one of the internet industry's leading awards, recognizing its quality and influence as an online publication. DealBook also received an EPpy Award, recognizing excellence in online media. Additionally, DealBook was recognized by the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) in its annual contest.

Sorkin was named to the World Economic Forum's list of Young Global Leaders, a designation given to individuals under the age of 40 who are considered leaders in their respective fields. He was also included in Vanity Fair's "Next Establishment" list, which identified rising figures across media, technology, and finance.

Sorkin was named to Business Insider's "Silicon Alley 100" list, recognizing influential figures in New York's technology and media landscape. He was also included in a "40 Under 40" list recognizing accomplished professionals under the age of forty.

Sorkin has been a speaker and participant at UCLA Anderson School of Management events, reflecting his engagement with academic institutions focused on business and finance.

Legacy

Sorkin's career has spanned the evolution of financial journalism from traditional print reporting to digital media and television. His founding of DealBook in 2001 represented an early example of a journalist building a branded digital news product within the framework of a legacy newspaper, a model that has since been widely emulated across the media industry. DealBook's growth from a blog to a multi-platform news operation with a major annual conference demonstrated the potential for niche financial journalism to attract a dedicated and influential readership.

His book Too Big to Fail contributed to the public understanding of the 2008 financial crisis and became a reference point in discussions of financial regulation, systemic risk, and the concept of institutions being "too big to fail." The book's detailed narrative approach to financial journalism—reconstructing events through extensive interviews and documentation—influenced subsequent reporting on financial crises and corporate events.

Through Billions, Sorkin helped bring the culture and dynamics of Wall Street to a mainstream television audience, contributing to a body of popular entertainment that engages with the complexities of modern finance. The show's blend of financial detail and dramatic storytelling reflected Sorkin's ability to translate the world of finance into narratives accessible to general audiences.

With the publication of 1929 in 2025, Sorkin extended his focus from contemporary financial events to historical analysis, examining the roots of one of the most consequential economic events in American history. His argument that speculation is an integral part of the American economic system, rather than simply a destructive force, contributed to ongoing debates about the nature of financial markets and the role of regulation.

Sorkin's career has been characterized by his operation across multiple media platforms—print, digital, television, film, and scripted entertainment—making him one of the most visible financial journalists of his generation. His work has consistently focused on the intersection of Wall Street, Washington, and the broader public interest, and his reporting and commentary have reached audiences across the media landscape.