Walter Isaacson

Walter Isaacson
Isaacson in 2012
Walter Isaacson
Born	Walter Seff Isaacson 20 5, 1952
Birthplace	New Orleans, Louisiana, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Author, journalist, professor, executive
Known for	Biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, Elon Musk
Education	Harvard University (BA) Pembroke College, Oxford (BA)
Children	1
Awards	Benjamin Franklin Medal (2013) Nichols-Chancellor's Medal (2015) National Humanities Medal (2023)

Walter Seff Isaacson (born May 20, 1952) is an American author, journalist, and academic whose career has spanned the upper tiers of American media, public policy, and literary nonfiction. Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, Isaacson has served as the editor of Time magazine, the chairman and CEO of CNN, and the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute. He is known principally for his biographical works on major historical and contemporary figures, including Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, Leonardo da Vinci, Jennifer Doudna, and Elon Musk. As of 2024, Isaacson holds a professorship at Tulane University and serves as an interviewer on the PBS and CNN news program Amanpour & Company. His most recent book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (2025), examines the opening line of the Declaration of Independence and its enduring relevance to American civic life. Throughout his career, Isaacson has moved between journalism, executive leadership, government service, and writing, producing works that examine the intersection of creativity, science, and leadership.

Early Life

Walter Seff Isaacson was born on May 20, 1952, in New Orleans, Louisiana. He grew up in the city and has maintained deep ties to it throughout his life. New Orleans and its culture have remained a recurring touchstone in Isaacson's public identity; he has described himself on multiple occasions as a product of the city's distinctive traditions and civic character.

Details about Isaacson's parents and family background during his childhood years are limited in available sources. What is documented is that his upbringing in New Orleans instilled in him a strong sense of civic engagement that would later manifest in his involvement with the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Hurricane Katrina and his participation in planning efforts for the city's tricentennial celebration in 2018.

Isaacson's connection to New Orleans has been a through-line of his public life. After decades spent in New York, Washington, D.C., and other centers of American media and policy, he returned to New Orleans to take up a professorship at Tulane University, where he has continued to write and teach. In 2025, he partnered with a Tulane student, Ishaan Pomichter, to launch Boswell & Co., a startup focused on publishing biographies and memoirs, reflecting both his commitment to the biographical form and his engagement with the university community.

Education

Isaacson attended Harvard University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree. At Harvard, he was involved in campus intellectual life, and the university has remained a significant institution in his orbit; he has returned to speak and participate in events there throughout his career. In November 2025, he discussed his book The Greatest Sentence Ever Written with the Harvard Gazette.

After Harvard, Isaacson won a Rhodes Scholarship and studied at Pembroke College at the University of Oxford, where he earned a second Bachelor of Arts degree. The Rhodes Scholarship placed Isaacson among a cohort of American scholars recognized for academic achievement, leadership, and public service—qualities that would characterize his subsequent career in journalism, media leadership, and government.

Career

Early Journalism

Isaacson began his career in journalism, eventually joining Time magazine, where he rose through the editorial ranks. His early work at Time provided him with extensive experience in political and cultural reporting, and he developed a reputation as a sharp analyst of American public life. By the late 1990s, he had been named editor of the magazine. In that role, Isaacson sought to maintain TimeTemplate:'s relevance and vitality as it approached its 75th anniversary. A 1998 profile in The New York Times described his efforts to keep the magazine vigorous, noting his active approach both at work and in his broader professional engagements.

During his tenure as editor of Time, Isaacson oversaw the magazine's coverage of major national and international events, shaping its editorial direction during a period of significant transformation in the American media landscape. His leadership at the magazine helped solidify his standing as one of the more prominent figures in American journalism.

CNN

In 2001, Isaacson was named chairman and CEO of CNN, taking the helm of the cable news network at a pivotal moment in its history. His appointment was covered in major media outlets, with USA Today reporting on the transition. Isaacson's tenure at CNN coincided with the aftermath of the September 11 attacks and a period of intense competition among cable news networks. His leadership drew scrutiny from media watchdog organizations; the group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR) published a critique suggesting that the new CNN chief was attempting to appeal to Republican political elites.

Isaacson's time at CNN was relatively brief but placed him at the center of American broadcast journalism during one of its most consequential periods. He departed the network to pursue other professional interests, including his role at the Aspen Institute and his growing career as a biographer.

Aspen Institute

After leaving CNN, Isaacson became the president and CEO of the Aspen Institute, a nonpartisan policy studies organization based in Washington, D.C. In this role, he oversaw the Institute's programs on leadership, public policy, and international affairs. The Aspen Institute provided Isaacson with a platform to engage with a wide range of thinkers, business leaders, and policymakers, and he led the organization for several years. His leadership helped raise the Institute's public profile and expand its programming.

Government Service

Isaacson has held several government-related positions throughout his career. He served as vice chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, the body responsible for overseeing rebuilding efforts in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. His involvement in the Recovery Authority reflected his deep ties to New Orleans and his commitment to the city's recovery.

From July 2, 2010, to January 27, 2012, Isaacson served as Chair of the Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG), the government board that oversees Voice of America and other U.S. international broadcasting operations. He was appointed by President Barack Obama and succeeded James K. Glassman in the position; he was in turn succeeded by Jeff Shell. In this capacity, Isaacson was responsible for the strategic direction of U.S. government-funded international media at a time when American public diplomacy was adapting to the rise of digital communication platforms.

Isaacson also served as a member of the Defense Innovation Board, an advisory body to the United States Department of Defense focused on emerging technologies and innovation in national security.

Beyond government, Isaacson has been involved in civic initiatives. He participated in the launch of the My Brother's Keeper Alliance, an initiative focused on opportunity for young men of color.

Writing Career

Isaacson's career as an author has produced a substantial body of work, primarily in the biographical genre. His books have focused on figures who shaped science, technology, politics, and the arts, and several have become bestsellers.

His first book, Pro and Con (1983), was followed by The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made (1986), co-authored with Evan Thomas. The book examined six key American foreign policy figures—W. Averell Harriman, Dean Acheson, George F. Kennan, Robert A. Lovett, John J. McCloy, and Charles E. Bohlen—and their role in shaping post-World War II American strategy.

In 1992, Isaacson published Kissinger: A Biography, a comprehensive account of Henry Kissinger's life and career. The book drew on extensive research and interviews and established Isaacson as a major figure in American biographical writing.

Benjamin Franklin: An American Life was published in 2003. The biography covered Franklin's multifaceted career as a printer, scientist, diplomat, and Founding Father. A review in Kirkus Reviews assessed the work as a detailed treatment of Franklin's life.

In 2007, Isaacson published Einstein: His Life and Universe, a biography of Albert Einstein that drew on newly available personal correspondence. The book examined Einstein's scientific contributions alongside his personal life and political activities. Kirkus Reviews reviewed the biography, noting its scope and ambition.

American Sketches (2009) collected Isaacson's essays and reflections on American life and leadership.

Steve Jobs (2011) became one of Isaacson's most commercially prominent works. Based on extensive interviews with Steve Jobs and more than a hundred family members, friends, and colleagues, the biography was published shortly after Jobs's death in October 2011. The book quickly rose to the number one spot on Amazon's bestseller list. The publication date had been moved up from an originally planned 2012 release, and the cover design was described as "all Apple" in its aesthetic. Isaacson also published an article in the Harvard Business Review in April 2012 titled "The Real Leadership Lessons of Steve Jobs," which distilled insights from the biography into a framework for understanding Jobs's management and leadership style.

The Innovators: How a Group of Hackers, Geniuses, and Geeks Created the Digital Revolution was published in 2014. Unlike Isaacson's single-subject biographies, this work examined the collaborative nature of technological innovation, tracing the history of the computer and the internet through the stories of the people who created them.

In 2017, Isaacson published Leonardo da Vinci, a biography of the Renaissance polymath that explored his art, science, and engineering through the lens of his surviving notebooks.

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race (2021) chronicled the life and work of biochemist Jennifer Doudna and the development of CRISPR gene-editing technology, placing scientific discovery in the context of ethical and societal implications.

Elon Musk (2023) was a biography of the technology entrepreneur Elon Musk, continuing Isaacson's pattern of writing about figures at the intersection of technology, business, and innovation.

Isaacson's most recent book, The Greatest Sentence Ever Written (2025), takes as its subject the opening sentence of the Declaration of Independence—"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal"—and examines how that statement has shaped American values and identity. The book was discussed in multiple prominent venues upon its release, including appearances at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the National Constitution Center, the Texas Tribune Festival, and in an interview with The Free Press. The Harvard Gazette described the book as exploring how the Declaration's foundational language might help a divided nation recall its common values.

Academic and Business Roles

As of 2024, Isaacson holds a professorship at Tulane University in New Orleans, where he teaches and continues his writing. In 2014, he was described as a best-selling biographer maintaining close ties to New Orleans. He also delivered a senior day address at Vanderbilt University in 2015.

In addition to his academic work, Isaacson is an advisory partner at Perella Weinberg Partners, a financial services firm based in New York City. In 2025, he co-founded Boswell & Co., a startup that publishes biographies and memoirs, with Tulane student Ishaan Pomichter. The venture reflects Isaacson's interest in expanding biographical writing through new formats and technologies, including the application of artificial intelligence.

Since 2018, Isaacson has served as an interviewer on Amanpour & Company, a news interview program broadcast on PBS and CNN. In this role, he conducts in-depth conversations with newsmakers, authors, and public figures.

Personal Life

Isaacson was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, and has maintained a strong connection to the city throughout his career. He has one child. After spending much of his professional life in New York and Washington, D.C., Isaacson returned to New Orleans, where he is based at Tulane University.

His civic engagement with New Orleans has been substantial. He served as vice chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority following Hurricane Katrina and participated in planning for the city's 2018 tricentennial celebration. He has been described in the New Orleans media as a hometown figure who remained deeply connected to the city despite his national prominence.

Recognition

Isaacson has received several significant awards and honors over the course of his career. In 2013, he was awarded the Benjamin Franklin Medal by the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) in recognition of his contributions to understanding Franklin's legacy and to public intellectual life.

In 2015, Isaacson received the Nichols-Chancellor's Medal from Vanderbilt University, an honor recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to society.

In 2023, Isaacson was awarded the National Humanities Medal, one of the highest honors bestowed by the United States government for contributions to the humanities.

His books have received widespread critical attention. Steve Jobs became an international bestseller and was the subject of extensive media coverage upon its release in 2011. His biographies of Benjamin Franklin and Albert Einstein were reviewed in major publications including Kirkus Reviews and received attention for their scope and narrative approach.

Isaacson has been invited to speak at numerous institutions, including presidential libraries, universities, and policy organizations. In 2025 alone, he appeared at the George W. Bush Presidential Center, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation, the National Constitution Center, and the Texas Tribune Festival to discuss The Greatest Sentence Ever Written.

Legacy

Isaacson's body of work has contributed to the genre of popular biography in American nonfiction. His approach—combining extensive interviews, archival research, and narrative storytelling—has produced accounts of figures ranging from 18th-century statesmen to 21st-century technology entrepreneurs. His biographies of Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, Steve Jobs, and Leonardo da Vinci have reached large readerships and have been translated into numerous languages.

His career trajectory—from journalist to magazine editor to cable news executive to think tank leader to biographer and professor—reflects a pattern of engagement across American institutional life. His government service, including roles overseeing U.S. international broadcasting and post-Katrina recovery, placed him at the intersection of media, policy, and civic life.

The publication of The Greatest Sentence Ever Written in 2025 represented a shift in Isaacson's focus from individual biography to the examination of foundational American ideas. The book's reception in media and at presidential institutions suggests a continued public interest in Isaacson's analysis of American history and values.

His founding of Boswell & Co. in 2025, a biography-publishing startup incorporating AI tools, indicates an ongoing interest in evolving the biographical form and making it more widely accessible.