Andrew Ross Sorkin
He became the definitive chronicler of Wall Street's 2008 meltdown, turning complex financial drama into a bestselling book and film.
Born 1977 (age 49)·American journalist and author·Birthday: February 19·Generation X
Biography
Andrew Ross Sorkin co-created the financial drama series 'Billions' for Showtime. While still a student at the University of Vermont, he began writing for The New York Times. His 2009 book 'Too Big to Fail' reconstructed the 2008 financial crisis hour by hour. He launched the DealBook newsletter, which became essential reading for executives and policymakers. Sorkin also anchored coverage for CNBC. His work moved beyond reporting into narrative television, demonstrating that high-stakes dealmaking contains human drama as much as numerical calculation.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Andrew was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andrew Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
Andrew's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Authored the bestselling financial crisis narrative 'Too Big to Fail,' which was adapted into an HBO film.
- Founded and edits DealBook, a major financial news and analysis newsletter published by The New York Times.
- Co-created the hit Showtime television series 'Billions,' which explores themes of power and finance.
- Serves as a co-anchor of CNBC's flagship morning program 'Squawk Box.'
Did You Know?
He began writing for The New York Times as a college intern at the age of 19.
He played a cameo role as himself in the film 'The Other Guys.'
Sorkin was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize for his coverage of Wall Street.
““The problem with a free market is that it requires regulation to be free.””
