Why Anderson Cooper Didn’t Want Mom Gloria Vanderbilt to Leave Him an Inheritance: ‘I Don’t Need Any’

If Anderson Cooper wasn’t making a ton of money on CNN, he would likely be deeply concerned that his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, didn’t leave him an inheritance. Before Anderson announced that the famed fashion designer died on Monday, June 17, he told Howard Stern in 2014 that his mother didn’t plan on leaving him any money.

“My mom’s made clear to me that there’s no trust fund. There’s none of that,” he revealed, but the 52-year-old journalist admitted that he never expected to receive any money to begin with. “I’m doing fine on my own. I don’t need any.”

“I don’t believe in inheriting money,” he continued. “I think it’s an initiative sucker, I think it’s a curse. Who’s inherited a lot of money that has gone on to do things in their life? From the time I was growing up, if I felt like there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know if I would have been so motivated.”

In 1925, Gloria inherited $5 million from her father and, when she died, the heiress was worth $200 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. If Anderson was to inherit a trust fund from Gloria, it would have definitely been a sizable amount.

“That name Vanderbilt has such baggage with it, such history,” he explained about his family’s lineage and their wealth in relation to him. “I’m very glad I don’t have that name, and my mom never felt much connection to the Vanderbilt family and I certainly didn’t.”

Since Anderson and Gloria never felt truly connected to the wealthy Vanderbilts in their family, they just relied on each other for support. “One of the happiest days for my mom, she called me and said, ‘Somebody just referred to me as Anderson Cooper’s mom,'” he recalled. “Very happy that she’s reached that stage of life.”

We know Anderson has made Gloria so proud!