Jim Acosta Net Worth and Life Off-Air: Career Moves and His Marriage

Jim Acosta Net Worth: He is a familiar face to millions of television viewers, his chest-puffing questions and steely presence frequently landing him at the centre of national conversations. Best known as CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, he has reported on many of the biggest political events in recent history. It’s only a matter of where you’re using it. His journalism has earned him a reputation for being fearless – and inspired curiosity about his life beyond the newsroom. Starting with the decisions he has made in his professional life and the major events he has experienced personally, to the net worth he has accumulated and the family life he leads, the Acosta story is an interesting journey of one person who has lived most of his life out in the open.

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Jim Acosta Net Worth

As of 2025, the wealth of Jim Acosta’s wealth is about $4 to 5 million. His most significant source of income has been his job at CNN for years, where head correspondents and anchors are paid big bucks. Acosta’s annual earnings over his peak White House reporting years were probably between $300,000 and $700,000, it is believed.

Acosta has also written books of his own, his most significant work being The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in America, which was published in 2019, in addition to his salary. The book provided a backstage look at his time covering the White House and was a best seller. Book sales and speaking engagements, and appearances have also contributed significantly to his bottom line.

Like all media professionals, Acosta also profited from investments and other income sources outside journalism, which remain private. In the end, Jim Acosta net worth represents his decades of work in one of the most competitive areas of media.

Life Off-Air

When the cameras are off, Jim Acosta prefers a quieter, less-public life. He shares three children with ex-wife Sharon Mobley Stow, and still enjoys a strong relationship with them after their divorce. He is described by friends and colleagues as a doting father who makes time for his family at every opportunity.

Acosta is also a lector and writer. His interests include politics (which can sometimes bleed into his writing life). Whether he’s reporting news developments or participating in the broader cultural conversation, he’s still leading a lifestyle rooted within the media world, whether he’s on the airwaves or not.

Marriage and Family Life

Jim Acosta and Sharon Mobley Stow were wed in 1994. Stow, who was a registered nurse, was married for more than two decades to Tom Stow until their divorce in 2017. They have three children together — whose names and some personal information are withheld, per family request.

The separation of the couple remained mostly hidden from public view in accordance with Acosta’s desire to keep his personal life separate from his professional one. But through all the trials, he has stayed faithful to the kids they have together – making sure they can grow up away from the spotlight.

Awards and Recognition

Acosta has received numerous awards and nominations for his coverage throughout his career. His journalism has been honoured by professional associations and commended for coverage of politics and press freedom. His book also cemented his reputation as a journalist who not only covers the news but also thinks hard about the state of democracy and truth in the news.

Early Life and Education

Jim Acosta was born in Washington, DC, on April 17, 1971. Brought up in the US capital, he saw firsthand how the political machine turned at an early age. Raised by his father, who fled Cuba during the political chaos in the early 1960s, he grew up thinking a great deal about freedom of speech and the work of democracy, which was stomped on a lot during that time, at home and across Latin America. His mother, who is Irish and German, tempered that heritage by incorporating her own cultural influences, which made for a well-balanced child in Jim.

Journalism Career Beginnings

Career Acosta began his professional career in radio, and his career in television news began while he was working at a radio station. His earliest roles were with local stations, where he covered everything from community events to breaking news. These years were his formative times; he learned to work on tight deadlines, do live reporting and deal with the vagaries of the cycle of news.

He was later hired by television news stations in Knoxville, Dallas and Chicago, quietly but surely earning a reputation as the hardest-working and most reliable reporter at his station. He showed his work could relate complex issues to an everyday viewer when he covered local and regional stories. His ability to keep cool during high-stakes circumstances is something colleagues remember well — a trait that would be valuable in the years ahead.

Rise to Prominence at CNN

Jim Acosta came to CNN in 2007, when he began working for the network that would bring him to the national stage. Beginning as a correspondent, he advanced rapidly on the strength of his on-the-ground reporting and his connection with viewers. By 2012, he was on the presidential campaign trail, developing a reputation for acerbic analysis and straight-to-the-point questioning.

His real breakthrough came when he was announced as CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent. This role also made him the focus of the American political glare, reporting on a day-to-day basis from the White House and attending press briefings that could become especially tense. Acosta’s readiness to confront government officials, the president included, endeared him to partisans on the left and the right and made him one of the most respected journalists and one of the most reviled figures in political media.

Career Moves and Quits

Acosta moved off the political beat at CNN after years of being on the front lines of political reporting. Although his tenure as Chief White House Correspondent was a major portion of his career, he also eventually became more of a generalist, serving as a weekend anchor and correspondent. The move enabled him to juggle work and home life — and keep in the public eye.

It wasn’t so much that I was “quitting” as a redirection. In stepping back from the daily White House grind, Acosta has put himself out there for other opportunities in journalism — hosting and longer-form political analysis. And it also shows the adaptability of a journalist who knows that both the business and his own trajectory are changing.

Final Words

Jim Acosta’s success story is one of commitment, flexibility and persistence. From his start covering local newsrooms in the early days to his rise as a national figure at CNN, he has built a career that has made him one of the most prominent journalists in America. His family, including wife, kids and family background, gives more life to the professional expert we are used to watching on our screens.

With pressure and autograph requests as snapshots of years of hard work, a career that has always been shaped and is continuing to grow, Acosta’s story is one of overcoming the challenges that can define a life, both on and off the stage. From passionately disputing in the press briefings, to writing about the condition of the American democracy, to just hanging out with his kids, Jim Acosta has confirmed himself to be a media giant and sensation.

FAQs about Jim Acosta

1. What is Jim Acosta’s net worth in 2025?
Jim Acosta net worth is estimated at around $4–5 million.

2. Who was Jim Acosta married to?
He was married to Sharon Mobley Stow from 1994 to 2017.

3. How many children does Jim Acosta have?
Jim Acosta has three children, though he keeps their lives private.

4. What is Jim Acosta famous for?
He is best known as CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent and for his bold political reporting.

5. Where did Jim Acosta go to college?
He graduated from James Madison University with a degree in Mass Communication.