Andrew Cuomo Net Worth

Andrew Cuomo has been a fixture in American politics for nearly forty years, beginning as an advisor to his father, Governor of New York Mario Cuomo. Andrew Cuomo served as both Assistant Secretary for Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning and Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He then sought elected office, becoming the first Attorney General of New York and then New York Governor in his own right. While a salary of $225,000 may seem like a lot of money, Cuomo’s income as governor represents a step down for him. Between 2004 and 2005, Cuomo served as an advisor to real estate developer Andrew Farkas. Cuomo’s salary in those years was at least $1,000,000 per year. Cuomo also receives lucrative publishing contracts. His latest book, American Crisis: Leadership Lessons from the COVID 19 Pandemic, received a $4,000,000 advance from the Crown Publishing Group but sold under 50,000 copies. Allegations surfaced that Cuomo improperly used public staff and resources to write the book and subsequently donated a large portion of the advance to charity.

Who is Andrew Cuomo?

Andrew Cuomo was born on December 6, 1957, in Queens, one of the boroughs of New York City. He is the son of Mario Cuomo and Matilda Cuomo, formerly Matilda Raffa. His father’s family immigrated to the United States from southern Italy, while his mother’s family came from Sicily. His younger brother is CNN anchor Chris Cuomo. His elder sister is a prominent doctor, Margaret Cuomo. Another sister, Maria Cuomo Cole, is a film producer with Cuomo Cole Productions. Andrew Cuomo attended Archbishop Molloy High School, then went on to earn his BA from Fordham University. He received a law degree from Albany Law School. In 1990, Andrew Cuomo married Kerry Kennedy, the daughter of Robert and Ethel Kennedy. The couple has three daughters; Cara Ethel Kennedy Cuomo, Mariah Matilda Kennedy Cuomo, and Michaela Andrea Kennedy Cuomo. Andrew and Kerry divorced in 2005. Andrew Cuomo then began dating television personality, Sandra Lee. They resided in Westchester County, New York, from 2011 until Cuomo became governor when they resided in the governor’s mansion. The couple ended their relationship in 2019. 

What did Andrew Cuomo do in his early career?

In 1982, Andrew Cuomo was the campaign manager for his father, Mario Cuomo, during his campaign for the governorship. He served as an advisor to his father and intermediary with the New York General Assembly. In 1984 and 1985, Andrew Cuomo served as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City. He was briefly in private practice in a law firm, then formed the Housing Enterprise for the Less Privileged in 1986, before heading the New York City Homeless Commission from 1990 to 1993. Cuomo’s work with the homeless drew the attention of the Clinton Administration. Bill Clinton appointed Cuomo as the Assistant Secretary of Housing and Urban Development for Community Planning. Cuomo served in this role from 1993 until 1997.  In 1997, the Secretary of HUD, Henry Cisneros, was forced to resign after a corruption scandal emerged. Cuomo replaced Cisneros and served in the Cabinet until President Bill Clinton’s administration ended in 2001.

In 2002, Andrew Cuomo sought the Democratic nomination for Governor but withdrew from the race in favor of State Comptroller Carl McCall when it became apparent he did not have enough support to prevail in the state convention. George Pataki, the Republican nominee, went on to win reelection in that year.

In 2006, Cuomo won the Democratic primary for New York Attorney General. Cuomo won the election. In 2008, New York Governor David Paterson considered appointing Cuomo to the United States Senate as the replacement for Hillary Clinton, President Obama’s choice as Secretary of State. Paterson announced that Kristin Gillibrand would succeed Clinton as Senator instead. In 2010, Cuomo received the Democratic nomination for Governor of New York. He easily defeated Republican Carl Paladino. He was reelected in 2014. In 2018, the actress Cynthia Nixon challenged Cuomo in the Democratic primary. Cuomo defeated Nixon, then went on to win reelection to a third term.

What did New York Governor Andrew Cuomo accomplish?

While governor, Andrew Cuomo worked to pass same-sex marriage laws. He also supported gun control legislation. While he was willing to reform the New York prison system with improved educational opportunities for inmates, Cuomo released fewer inmates through pardons or commutations of sentences than any of his predecessors. He was mentioned as a possible Presidential candidate in both 2016 and 2020. He also signed the Excelsior Scholarship program, which provides free tuition for low- and middle-income families at SUNY and CUNY universities. Governor Cuomo encountered difficulty in a sexual harassment scandal, in which several staff members complained of his inappropriate behavior. The sexual harassment scandal was not the only problem that battered the last four years of the Cuomo Administration. The New York Times reported that Cuomo and his aides attempted to conceal the extent of nursing home deaths from COVID-19. Also, it was alleged that Cuomo allocated COVID tests to staff members and family, including brother Chris Cuomo at a time when test kits were in short supply. Rather than face an impeachment trial, Cuomo resigned and was succeeded by his Lieutenant Governor, Kathy Hochul.

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