Cornel West Net Worth

What is Cornel West's Net Worth?

Cornel West is an American philosopher, theologian, and political activist who has a net worth of $1.5 million. A prominent voice in left-wing sociopolitical thought, Cornel West explores a number of subjects through his philosophy, with a focus on race, gender, and class within the United States. He has taught at many colleges, written several books, and recorded spoken-word and hip-hop albums.

Early Life and Education

Cornel West was born on June 2, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to Irene, a teacher, and Clifton Jr., a general contractor for the US Department of Defense. His paternal grandfather was a Baptist minister. West was raised in Sacramento, California, where he attended John F. Kennedy High School. As a teenager, he was heavily involved in civil rights activism. After graduating from high school in 1970, West attended Harvard College, from which he earned his bachelor's degree in 1973. He went on to attend graduate school at Princeton University, where he earned both his master's and PhD. West became the first African-American student to graduate from Princeton with a doctorate in philosophy.

Academia

After earning his PhD, West returned to Harvard on a fellowship. He then became an assistant professor at the Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York. Moving on from there, West taught at Yale Divinity School. However, he got into trouble with the administration there after he was arrested and jailed for his involvement in anti-apartheid protests on campus. Consequently, West left the country and taught at the University of Paris in Saint-Denis. He soon returned to the US and to the Union Theological Seminary. West went on to teach at Princeton and again at Harvard, serving as a professor of African-American studies at the latter. He later taught courses at Harvard in religion and philosophy, as well. West has since re-joined the faculty of the Union Theological Seminary.

Books

West has authored or contributed to over 20 published books during his career. Among his most acclaimed books is "Race Matters," which was published in 1993. In the book, West interrogates moral authority and debates around skin color in the United States, and raises questions around economics, ethics, and spirituality. Another of his influential books is "Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism," which came out in 2004. West has also co-written books with such prominent thinkers as bell hooks, Michael Lerner, Henry Louis Gates Jr., and Roberto Unger.

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Film and Television

West has made a number of appearances on film and television. He appeared in the science-fiction action films "The Matrix Reloaded" and "The Matrix Revolutions" in 2003, and also provided philosophical commentary for the films' home-video release. Since then, West has appeared in several documentary films, including "Street Fight" (2005), "Examined Life" (2008), "Still Bill" (2009), and "No Safe Spaces" (2019). Meanwhile, on television, he guest-starred on the NBC sitcom "30 Rock" in 2012.

Albums and Podcast

West has recorded and released multiple spoken-word and hip-hop albums, starting with "Sketches of My Culture" in 2001. He followed that with "Street Knowledge" in 2004. In 2007, with the hip-hop group BMWMB, West released the album "Never Forget: A Journey of Revelations." He has also contributed to works by other artists, including Terence Blanchard's albums "Choices" (2009), "Breathless" (2015), and "Live" (2018). As a podcaster, West co-hosted the weekly podcast "The Tight Rope" with Tricia Rose from 2020 to 2021.

Political Activism

A democratic socialist, West is a prominent figure in leftwing politics in the United States and is an outspoken critic of the country's systemic racism and military imperialism. He has been involved in various protest movements, campaigns, and organizations, and has supported such presidential candidates as Al Sharpton, Bill Bradley, Ralph Nader, and Bernie Sanders. In 2024, West himself ran for president as an independent, but dropped out of the race in August.

Personal Life

West has married multiple times, with some of his wives claiming he had extramarital affairs in which he impregnated and abandoned the women. He married his first wife, Hilda Holloman, in 1977. Following their divorce, West married Romana Santiago in 1981; they divorced in 1986. He wed his third wife, Elleni Gebre Amlak, in 1992. West next married Leslie Kotkin in 2015. They divorced in 2018, and West wed his fifth wife, Annahita Mahdavi, in 2021.

Real Estate

In August 2002, Cornel paid $625,000 for a home in Princeton, New Jersey. Today, this home is worth a little over $1 million.

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