America’s youngest nationally-syndicated columnist, Ben Shapiro, is a popular conservative commentator, columnist, lawyer, author, and podcast host. He is best known for his use of the phrase “Facts don’t care about your feelings” which many of his detractors argue that he rarely upholds. Ben is one of such people who are outspoken when it comes to airing their views about political, social or economic issues.
This totally outspoken nature, as well as his “inaccurate” criticisms, has earned him a good number of fans and critics from different parts of the world. He has also grown to become not just one of the most talked-about people in the world but also one of the biggest names amidst the American political commentators and journalists. Let’s share more facts about the conservative darling and the editor-in-chief of Daily Wire.
Ben Shapiro’s Outstanding Academic Achievements
Ben Shapiro is the son of a Jewish couple who emigrated from Russia and Lithuania. He was born in the city of Los Angeles, California, on the 15th of January 1984. During his formative years, Ben was known for his violin and piano skills. He performed at the Israeli Bonds Banquet at the mere age of 12 and probably learned his skills from his father who is a composer. His mother, on the other hand, worked in Hollywood as a TV company executive. For his formal education, Ben Shapiro initially attended the Walter Reed Middle School. While there, he proved to be quite a bright student and skipped as much as two classes.
Ben, therefore, enrolled in high school, Yeshiva University High School of Los Angeles, two years early. He equally achieved his diploma two years early as he obtained it at the age of 16. For his college education, Ben attended the University of California, Los Angeles where he continued his brilliant exploits. He graduated with a first-class degree (in political science) and also belonged to Phi Beta Kappa, the most prestigious honour society in the United States. It is pertinent to note that Shapiro’s academic journey did not stop at UCLA. He also studied at Harvard Law School and qualified as a lawyer in 2007.
From Nationally-Syndicated Columnist to Conservative Star
Ben Shapiro began his career first as a writer. He began penning a column for a national syndicate at the age of 17 and by the age of 21, had already written two books. One of them was titled Brainwashed. Published in 2004, the book talks about how university students are not allowed to express their own viewpoint on a subject matter, rather, they are unconsciously dominated by liberal instructors, even when discussions are encouraged in classrooms.
Another Shapiro book, Primetime Propaganda: The True Hollywood Story of How the Left Took Over Your TV, has the young man arguing that the prime-time entertainment programming is a medium through which Hollywood promotes its left-wing agenda. The book was published in 2011, the same year Shapiro joined a conservative foundation known as the David Horowitz Freedom Center.
In 2012, Ben Shapiro was made the editor-at-large of Breitbart News – an American syndicated and conservative news and opinion website. He, however, left the website in 2016, accusing the platform of not supporting reporter Michelle Fields who spoke about being assaulted by Corey Lewandowski, Donald Trump’s former campaign manager.
Shapiro is one of the strong critics of transgenderism and transitioning. He argues that those who transgender or transition are mentally deranged while on the issue of gun ownership in America, he contends that it is immoral to ban all gun use. Shapiro’s argument also cuts across other divisive issues such as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, climate change and the legacy of slavery, among many others. During the 2016 American presidential election, Shapiro was a strong supporter of Ted Cruz and openly rejected Donald Trump‘s candidacy.
The Rewards for his Troubles
The LA-based political commentator, author, lawyer and syndicated columnist has an estimated net worth of $4 million, much of which he earned from his widely-published books. Shapiro has thus far penned about ten books that cover every facet of his social, political and economic beliefs. These books are often polarizing but this has not stopped them from becoming NYT bestsellers and fetching their author a decent sum.
Another source of Shapiro’s fortune is his popular podcast known as The Ben Shapiro Show. The series is aired by around 200 radio stations, and attracts 10 million downloads each month, making it the second most popular podcast in America. Additionally, Ben is the co-founder of TruthRevolt, a media watchdog and activism website. He is also the founder of The Daily Wire and earns about $500,000 in annual salary as the editor-in-chief of the news and opinion website.
One other lucrative source of income for Ben Shapiro is speaking fees. The L.A. native is a highly sought-after public speaker and has delivered government and political lectures at numerous American college campuses. These speaking engagements don’t come cheap as organizers dole out reasonable sums to secure his attendance. Conservative (no pun intended) estimates put Shapiro’s fees at about $40,000 to $70,000 per event while some sources place it as high as $100,000 to $200,000.
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Ben and his wife Mor – image source
Shielding his Family From his Work
Shapiro is married to Mor Toledano, a medical doctor who is an Israeli citizen of Moroccan descent. The couple has been married since 2008 and they share two children together. Their first child, a daughter – Leeya Eliana Shapiro, was born in 2014 while their second child, a son, was born in 2016. The Shapiros practice orthodox Judaism and have made their home in San Diego, California. They have however had to deal with the blowback from their father’s controversial career.
For instance, in May 2019, a particular man threw serious death threats against Shapiro and his family. The political commentator reported the matter to the Los Angeles Police Department who set up a joint task force with the FBI. The task force later traced the faceless suspect to Washington D.C. and nabbed him. It is not known whether the man was eventually jailed but Shapiro nevertheless took to his Twitter handle to thank the law enforcement officers for their work.
Thanks to local and federal law enforcement for their quick and hard work here. Stay safe out there, everyone! https://t.co/XHR4wpDo5c
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 1, 2019
It is not only Ben’s immediate family that is feeling the heat of his controversial career. His sister, Abigail, has also been on the receiving end of some misguided hate. Abigail is an accomplished opera singer and has been the victim of some vicious online anti-Semitic trolling. She publicized the issue in October 2017 and revealed that she had received nasty emails, as well as disgusting comments on her YouTube channel. The singer, however, refuses to cower to faceless individuals and is forging on with her blossoming career.
