Andrew James Breitbart, born on February 1, 1969, in Los Angeles, California, was an American conservative journalist, writer, commentator, and media entrepreneur who reshaped political discourse through his creation of Breitbart News and co-founding of HuffPost. At the time of his death at age 43 on March 1, 2012, Breitbart had an estimated net worth of $2–10 million, earned through his media ventures, book sales, and public appearances. Married to Susannah “Susie” Bean with four children, his life was marked by a shift from a liberal upbringing to conservative activism, fueled by his passion for challenging mainstream media. This article explores his biography, career, financial status, personal life, and life before his death.
Biography: From Liberal Roots to Conservative Firebrand
Born to Irish-American biological parents and adopted at three weeks by Gerald Breitbart, a restaurant owner, and Arlene Breitbart, a banker, Andrew grew up in the affluent Brentwood neighborhood of Los Angeles. Raised Jewish alongside his adopted Hispanic sister, he attended Hebrew school, had a Bar Mitzvah, and later identified as an agnostic with a deep cultural connection to Judaism, per Joel Pollak’s reflections in The Forward (2010). His early life included stints as a pizza delivery driver in high school, delivering to celebrities like Judge Reinhold, per allfamousbirthday.com. He graduated from Tulane University in 1991 with a B.A. in American Studies, describing himself as a “slacker” with “no sense of [his] future,” per buzzlearns.com.
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Andrew James Breitbart |
| Date of Birth | February 1, 1969 |
| Age at Death | 43 (died March 1, 2012) |
| Birthplace | Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Nationality | American (Irish-American biological heritage, raised Jewish) |
| Zodiac Sign | Aquarius |
| Height | 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 meters) |
| Weight | Not publicly disclosed |
| Eye Color | Not publicly disclosed |
| Hair Color | Dark Brown |
| Parents | Gerald Breitbart (adoptive father), Arlene Breitbart (adoptive mother) |
| Siblings | One adopted Hispanic sister |
| Education | B.A. in American Studies, Tulane University (1991) |
| Residence at Death | Brentwood, Los Angeles, California, USA |
| Religion | Raised Jewish, later agnostic with cultural Jewish identity |
Career: Redefining Conservative Media
Breitbart’s career began in the mid-1990s with a shift from liberal views to conservatism, sparked by the 1991 Clarence Thomas confirmation hearings, per networthpost.com. Influenced by Rush Limbaugh and Camille Paglia’s Sexual Personae, he refined his political stance, rejecting the “nihilistic” academic culture he encountered at Tulane, per allfamousbirthday.com. His key career milestones include:
- Early Roles: Worked as a researcher for E! Online and in film production, gaining media experience. He joined The Drudge Report as an editor, collaborating with Matt Drudge, whose site inspired his own ventures, per Wikipedia.
- HuffPost Co-Founder: In 2005, Breitbart helped Arianna Huffington launch The Huffington Post, but left due to its liberal shift, citing Huffington as a “collaborator” with similar energy, per The Guardian.
- Breitbart News: Launched Breitbart.com in 2007 as a conservative news aggregator, often linked by Drudge Report. Expanded with Big Hollywood (2008), focusing on conservative issues in entertainment, Big Government (2009), exposing political scandals, and Big Journalism and Big Peace, challenging liberal media narratives, per EBSCO Research Starters.
- Major Scoops:
- 2009 ACORN Scandal: Published undercover videos by James O’Keefe, exposing questionable practices at ACORN, leading to its defunding by Congress, per Reuters. Critics, including Bertha Lewis, former ACORN head, called the videos selectively edited.
- 2010 Shirley Sherrod Controversy: Posted an edited video suggesting Shirley Sherrod, a USDA official, made racist remarks, leading to her firing. The full video showed her advocating racial unity, prompting a lawsuit (settled in 2016) and widespread criticism, per The Atlantic.
- 2011 Anthony Weiner Scandal: Released explicit photos sent by Rep. Anthony Weiner, forcing his resignation, cementing Breitbart’s reputation for viral exposés, per The New York Times.
- Media Presence: A frequent commentator on Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, and Real Time with Bill Maher, he won the 2010 Reed Irvine Accuracy in Media Award at CPAC, per Wikipedia. His 2011 book, Righteous Indignation: Excuse Me While I Save the World, detailed his media philosophy and became a New York Times bestseller, per Clivehealth.
- Public Persona: Known for confrontational style, Breitbart famously yelled at Occupy Wall Street protesters in 2012, calling them “filthy freaks,” per Celebrity Net Worth. He spoke at Tea Party events, coining the Breitbart Doctrine: “Politics is downstream from culture,” emphasizing cultural influence to shift political landscapes, per Celebrity Net Worth.
Before his death, Breitbart was in talks with CNN for a Crossfire-style show potentially featuring Anthony Weiner, per Daily Mail, and was working on website expansions, per Clivehealth.
Net Worth and Salary: A Media Mogul’s Wealth
Andrew Breitbart’s net worth at his death in 2012 was estimated at $2–10 million, with sources varying:
- $2 million: ncesc.com (2024).
- $9.5 million: buzzlearns.com, luxlux.net, wikilogy.com (2020–2023).
- $10 million: Clivehealth, allfamousbirthday.com (2020–2021).
- $1–5 million: superstarsculture.com (2020).
His income came from:
- Breitbart News: Revenue from ads and traffic (1.7 million monthly visitors in January 2012, per comScore).
- Book Sales: Righteous Indignation and Hollywood, Interrupted (co-authored with Mark Ebner, 2004), both bestsellers.
- Speaking Engagements: Fees from Tea Party rallies and conservative events.
- Media Appearances: Payments from Fox News, CNN, and MSNBC.
No specific salary figures are confirmed, but estimates suggest $100,000–$500,000 annually, per ncesc.com. He owned a $1.6 million home in Brentwood, California, with four bedrooms and a pool, and was a fan of luxury cars, per ncesc.com. Robert Mercer invested $11 million in Breitbart News in 2011, boosting its growth, per Wikipedia.
Personal Life: Family and Faith
Breitbart met Susannah “Susie” Bean, daughter of actor Orson Bean, in 1988 at a karaoke bar while at Tulane. They reconnected in 1992, married in 1997 in a backyard ceremony at Orson Bean’s Venice Canals home, and had four children: Samson (1999), Mia (2001), and two others unnamed in public records, per EBSCO Research Starters. Susie, a stay-at-home mother, was his steadfast supporter, per NPR.
Raised Jewish, Breitbart was “proudly and playfully” Jewish, often singing Hebrew school songs at work, per Joel Pollak in The Forward. He considered observing Shabbat in his final days but remained agnostic, blending cultural Judaism with conservative values. His hobbies included rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Green Bay Packers, per ncesc.com.
Life Before Death: A Relentless Pursuit
In the months before his death, Breitbart was at his peak, expanding Breitbart News with a redesign to create a tabloid-style platform, per Wikipedia. On February 29, 2012, he spent 90 minutes at the Brentwood Restaurant and Lounge, discussing politics with Arthur Sando, a marketing executive, over pinot noir, per The New York Times. He tweeted at 11:25 p.m. PST, engaging in a debate about the Shirley Sherrod controversy, per Politico. Shortly after midnight, while walking near his Brentwood home, he collapsed from a heart attack due to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and focal coronary atherosclerosis, per the Los Angeles Coroner’s autopsy. He was pronounced dead at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center at 12:19 a.m. on March 1, 2012, per Reuters.
Conspiracy theories emerged, with X posts in 2022 and 2025 (@unhealthytruth, @HomerEubanks, @MiaStretchSquad) speculating foul play due to his threat to release “damaging Obama videos” and the death of a coroner from poisoning weeks later. These claims lack evidence and are inconclusive, per Politico and The Atlantic. Tributes from Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Sarah Palin, and Rick Santorum hailed him as a “fearless conservative” and “happy warrior,” per The Guardian.
Unique Insights: A Polarizing Legacy
Breitbart’s Breitbart Doctrine reshaped conservative media, emphasizing cultural battles to influence politics, per Celebrity Net Worth. His sites drew 1.7 million monthly visitors by January 2012, per comScore, trailing Drudge Report’s 4 million but outpacing many peers. Critics, like David Corn of Mother Jones, called his ACORN and Sherrod stories misleading, per NPR, while supporters like Jenny Beth Martin of Tea Party Patriots credited him for amplifying citizen journalists, per Daily Mail. His 2010 Forward listing as a top influential American Jew underscored his cultural impact.
Social Media and Public Presence
Breitbart was active on Twitter (@AndrewBreitbart, now archived), with his final tweet at 11:25 p.m. PST on February 29, 2012. Breitbart News accounts on Facebook and Twitter remain influential, with millions of followers, per Wikipedia. His YouTube presence, via Breitbart.tv, featured viral clips like his Occupy rant, amassing millions of views, per Celebrity Net Worth.
Conclusion: A Controversial Trailblazer
At age 43, Andrew Breitbart’s $2–10 million net worth reflected his success as a media disruptor. Married to Susie Bean with four children, his life before his 2012 heart attack was defined by relentless conservative activism. From HuffPost to Breitbart News, his legacy endures in conservative media, despite controversies. Explore more on his Wikipedia page or Breitbart.com.
