I have great respect for a number of people in the broadcast business. I'm talking both radio and television.

I work day to day in the same building with many of them. Above that, there are people that I watch on TV.

From news people to entertainers, I have certain ones that I admire in terms of how they show their talent. One of these people is CNN news anchor Anderson Cooper.

I ran across some information about him that I found to be both interesting as well as informative about him. Now I know what has driven him to excellence with his work.

I was aware that he came from a very wealthy family, and I often wondered why he does what he does. Why is this guy even working, let alone pushing himself to be the best at what he does?

I believe I found my answer after reading a story on CNN Entertainment. It's simple, he was told as a child that he would have to become a self-made man.

He took this very serious and started work at ten years old. He now says he wouldn't have had it any other way. It has pushed him to be what he is.

Cooper is the son of railroad heiress-turned-successful jeans designer Gloria Vanderbilt, who, at 90 years old, is worth a reported $200 million. But Anderson says he's been told he won't see a penny of inheritance.

He is totally fine with all of this. Anderson says, "I don't believe in inheriting money. That's a total fantasy. I think it's an initiative-sucker, I think it's a curse. Who's inherited a lot of money who's gone on to do things in their own life? If I felt that there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don't know that I would have been so motivated."

 

 

More From KXRB