Matt Taibbi is an American author, journalist, and podcast host who writes about finance, media, politics, and sports.
He is best known as a former contributing editor to Rolling Stone magazine, covering the 2008 financial crisis, the 2016 presidential election, and other major events.
He is also the author of several books such as Griftopia, The Divide and Hate Inc. He is known for his sharp and witty style, often using humor and satire to expose the corruption and hypocrisy of those in power.
He has been called “the most important voice on Wall Street” by Business Insider, “one of the few journalists in America who speaks truth to power” by Bernie Sanders, and “a class traitor” by The New York Times.
File
- Full Name: Matthew C. Taibbi
- Date of birth: March 2, 1970
- Age: 53 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
- Nationality: American
- Occupation: Author, journalist, podcast host
- Height: 6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
- Parents: Mike Taibbi (father), Nancy Taibbi (mother)
- Siblings: None
- Spouse: Jeanne Taibbi (married 2007)
- Children: Two sons
- Relationship status: Married
- Net worth: $5 million
Early life and education
Now 53, Matt Taibbi was born on March 2, 1970, in New Brunswick, New Jersey. His father, Mike Taibbi, was an NBC television reporter of Filipino and Native Hawaiian descent who was adopted by an Italian-American couple.
His mother, Nancy Taibbi, is of Irish descent. He grew up in Boston, Massachusetts, where he attended Concord Academy, a private boarding school.
He was interested in journalism from an early age, inspired by his father’s career. He also developed a passion for sports, especially baseball and basketball.
He graduated from Bard College in 1992 with a degree in history. He spent a year at Leningrad Polytechnic University in the former Soviet Union, where he learned Russian and experienced the fall of communism.
He began his journalism career as a freelance reporter in Russia, covering social and political changes in the country. He later worked as a sports reporter for The Moscow Times, an English-language newspaper.
Personal life
Matt Taibbi married Jeanne Taibbi, a nurse, in 2007. They have two sons, born in 2009 and 2011.
They live in Jersey City, New Jersey. Taibbi is an avid fan of the Boston Red Sox and Boston Celtics. He also enjoys playing guitar and chess.
Career
Matt Taibbi co-founded and co-edited the Moscow-based satirical newspaper The eXile with Mark Ames from 1997 to 2002. The newspaper was known for its wild and provocative style, often mocking Russian politicians, businessmen, and celebrities.
The paper also carried investigative articles exposing corruption and human rights abuses in Russia. It was shut down by Russian authorities in 2008 after a controversial article about the death of former President Boris Yeltsin.
Taibbi returned to the United States in 2002 and founded the alternative newspaper The Beast in Buffalo, New York. He left a year later to become a columnist for the New York Press, a weekly newspaper. He joined Rolling Stone in 2004 and became one of the paper’s most prominent writers.
He covered the 2004, 2008 and 2012 presidential campaigns, the Iraq War, the Occupy Wall Street movement and other major events. He also wrote feature articles on topics such as the war on drugs, the prison system, health care and the media.
He won a 2008 National Magazine Award for his columns on the 2008 presidential campaign. He also became famous for his 2009 article “The Great American Bubble Machine,” which described Goldman Sachs as “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity.”
The article exposed the role of investment banks in creating and profiting from various financial bubbles, such as the dot-com bubble, the housing bubble, and the commodities bubble. The article was widely read and quoted and sparked a public debate about the power and influence of Wall Street.
He has written several books, including The Great Derangement (2009), which explores the political and cultural madness of America; Griftopia (2010), which exposes the corruption and greed behind the financial crisis; The Divide (2014), which examines growing inequality and injustice in the United States; Insane Clown President (2017), a collection of his essays on the 2016 election; I Can’t Breathe (2017), which examines the death of Eric Garner and the issue of police brutality; and Hate Inc. (2019), which analyzes the media and its role in creating division and conflict.
He launched the Useful Idiots podcast in 2019, co-hosting it with Katie Halper. The podcast features interviews, commentary, and comedy about current events and politics. The podcast has featured guests such as Edward Snowden, Noam Chomsky, Cornel West, and Glenn Greenwald.
He left Rolling Stone in 2020 and began publishing his writing online on Substack, a platform for independent writers and newsletters. He also changed the name of his Substack newsletter from TK News to Racket News. He also continues to host Useful Idiots on Substack.
Argumentative
Matt Taibbi has been involved in many controversies throughout his career, both as a journalist and as a person.
Some of the most notable are:
- In 2005, he wrote an article for Rolling Stone magazine titled “The 52 Funniest Things About the Pope’s Impending Death,” which mocked the impending death of Pope John Paul II. The article was widely criticized as offensive and blasphemous by Catholics and others. Taibbi later apologized for the article, saying he regretted writing it.
- In 2010, he wrote an article for Rolling Stone magazine titled “Tea and Crackers,” which ridiculed the Tea Party movement and its supporters. The article was accused by conservatives and Tea Party activists of being biased, elitist, and racist. Taibbi defended his article by reporting what he saw and heard at Tea Party rallies and events.
- In 2014, he was accused of sexual harassment and assault by several female journalists who worked with him in Russia in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The allegations included groping, kissing and throwing one woman down a flight of stairs.
Taibbi denied the allegations, saying they were false and motivated by personal vendetta. He also claimed that some incidents had been taken out of context or exaggerated, and that he had apologized and made amends to some of his accusers in the past.
- In 2017, he was criticized for his coverage of the 2016 election, particularly his portrayal of Hillary Clinton as corrupt and dishonest. Some of his colleagues and readers accused him of being sexist, biased, and irresponsible.
He also faced backlash for his support of Bernie Sanders, whom he praised as a genuine and progressive leader. Taibbi defended his coverage, saying he was trying to expose the flaws and failures of the political system and the media.
List of movies played
Matt Taibbi has appeared in a number of documentaries and television shows, often as a commentator or interviewee.
Some of the most notable are:
- Balloon
- Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream
- Inequality for all
- The split
- All Governments Lie: Truth, Deception, and the Spirit of IF Stone
- Nobody Speaks: The Experiment of the Free Press
- Degrees F 11/9
- Swamp
Book
Matt Taibbi has written and co-written several books, both fiction and non-fiction. Some of the most notable are:
- The Exile: Sex, Drugs, and Libel in the New Russia (2000, co-written with Mark Ames)
- Spanking the Donkey: News from the Stupid Season (2005)
- Smells Like a Dead Elephant: News from a Rotten Empire (2007)
- The Great Chaos: A Terrifying True Story of War, Politics, and Religion (2009)
Social media
- Twitter Username: @mtaibbi
- Instagram Username[@mtaibbi[@mtaibbi[@mtaibbi[@mtaibbi
Net worth
Matt Taibbi has an estimated net worth of $5 million. He earns income from his books, articles, podcasts, and subscriptions.
He is one of the most popular and influential writers on Substack, with over 100,000 subscribers.
