Ali Velshi facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ali Velshi
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Velshi at the White House Correspondents Dinner in 2019
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| Born | October 29, 1968 or 1969 (age 55–56) Nairobi, Kenya
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| Alma mater | Queen's University |
| Occupation | Broadcast journalist, author |
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| Relatives | Murad Velshi (father), Shaf Keshavjee, Mohamed Keshavjee |
Ali Velshi is a well-known Canadian television journalist. He was born on October 29, 1968, or 1969. He works as a senior economic and business reporter for NBC News. He is also an anchor for MSNBC. Ali Velshi often fills in as an anchor for The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on MSNBC. He lives and works in New York City.
Before joining NBC and MSNBC, Velshi was famous for his work at CNN. There, he was the Chief Business Correspondent. He also hosted shows like Your Money and World Business Today. In 2013, he moved to Al Jazeera America. He hosted Ali Velshi on Target until that channel closed in April 2016. He has been with MSNBC since October 2016.
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Ali Velshi's Early Life and Family
Ali Velshi's family originally came from India. In 1961, they moved to Kenya. Ali Velshi was born in Nairobi, Kenya. In 1971, his family moved to Toronto, Ontario, Canada, where he grew up.
He is an Ismaili Muslim. His family has Gujarati Indian roots. His father, Murad Velshi, was the first Canadian of Indian origin to be elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. His mother, Mila, also from India, grew up in South Africa. Ali Velshi's parents ran a bakery in South Africa. They moved to Kenya in 1960 because of Apartheid, which was a system of unfair rules. In Toronto, his parents own a group of travel agencies.
School Days and College Life
Ali Velshi went to Northern Secondary School in Toronto. While there, he was elected as the school president. After high school, he studied religious studies at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. He graduated in 1994. During his time at Queen's, he organized protests against a political party.
In 2010, Queen's University gave him the Alumni Achievement Award. This is a high honor for former students. In 2016, his university also gave him an honorary doctorate degree.
Ali Velshi's Family Life
Ali Velshi was married briefly when he was in his twenties. In 2009, he married his second wife, Lori Wachs. She is a financial manager from New York. They met when she was a guest on his TV show. They have one daughter together. Ali Velshi spends his time between an apartment in New York City and his home in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.
Ali Velshi's Career in Journalism
In 1996, Ali Velshi received a special award called a fellowship. This allowed him to work with the United States Congress. He worked with Lee H. Hamilton, who was a Representative from Indiana.
Starting in Television News
Ali Velshi began his reporting career in Toronto at CFTO. He was a general reporter, covering many different types of news. Later, he became a business reporter and anchor for CablePulse 24 and CityTV. In 1999, he joined Report on Business Television, which is now called BNN Bloomberg. This was Canada's first TV channel just for business news. Velshi hosted The Business News, which was Canada's first prime-time business news show.
Working at CNN
In September 2001, Velshi moved to the U.S. and joined CNNfn in New York City. He hosted several shows there, including Insights and Your Money. He also co-hosted The Money Gang. When CNNfn closed in 2004, he moved to the main CNN network.
At CNN, he continued to report on business news. From 2005 to 2006, Velshi worked on The Situation Room. In 2006, he became a business correspondent for American Morning. He later became a co-anchor for that show in 2011.
In 2008, Velshi traveled across the country for CNN. He discussed money issues with Americans. He also reported from places like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to talk about energy. He reported from Islamabad, Pakistan, after a hotel bombing. He also reported live from areas hit by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.
During the 2008 financial crisis, Velshi was on TV often. He appeared on shows like American Morning and Anderson Cooper 360°. He also took calls from viewers during special shows about money. Before leaving CNN, he co-hosted World Business Today on CNN International.
Ali Velshi is Muslim and often shares his views when discussions involve Islam. He has spoken up for the Muslim community's right to build a mosque in New York City. He has also criticized ideas that he sees as unfair towards Muslims. Velshi believes that religion and government should be separate.
Moving to Al Jazeera America
On April 4, 2013, it was announced that Ali Velshi would leave CNN. He joined Al Jazeera America to host a weekly show called Real Money with Ali Velshi. He was the first TV personality hired for the new channel. The show started on August 20, 2013, as a daily weekday program. In May 2015, the show was renamed Ali Velshi on Target. This show ended in April 2016 when Al Jazeera America stopped broadcasting.
Joining MSNBC and NBC News
Ali Velshi joined MSNBC in October 2016. He also took on duties at NBC News, MSNBC's parent company, as a Business Correspondent.
He first co-anchored the MSNBC news program Velshi & Ruhle with Stephanie Ruhle. He also had his own show called MSNBC Live with Ali Velshi. Velshi also became the fill-in host for The Last Word with Lawrence O'Donnell on Fridays.
In December 2019, Velshi moved to weekend mornings. He now hosts his own 3-hour show called Velshi. He still fills in for other hosts during the weekday evenings.
Books Written by Ali Velshi
Ali Velshi has written two books. His first book, Gimme My Money Back: Your Guide to Beating the Financial Crisis, was published in January 2009. His second book, How to Speak Money: The Language & Knowledge You Need Now, was released in November 2011. He wrote this book with his friend and co-anchor, Christine Romans.
Awards and Special Recognition
In 2010, Ali Velshi received the Queen's University Alumni Achievement Award. This is the highest award given to former students of Queen's University. Also in 2010, his reporting for CNN about the U.S. Auto Industry was honored with a National Headliner Award.
CNN was nominated for an Emmy award in 2010 for its coverage of a terror attack on a Delta flight. Velshi was the anchor for this breaking news. In 2015, Velshi was nominated for two more Emmy awards for his work at Al Jazeera. These nominations were for his reports on low wages for disabled workers and a scandal in Chicago.
Honorary Degrees
Ali Velshi has received an honorary degree from his university.
| Location | Date | School | Degree | Gave Commencement Address |
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 Ontario |
7 June 2016 | Queen's University | Doctor of Laws (LL.D) | Yes |
Groups and Non-Profit Work
Ali Velshi is a member of several important groups. He is part of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of New York. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees for the Chicago History Museum and Seeds of Peace. He helps with the Grand Challenges Advisory Committee of the National Academy of Engineering. Velshi is also on the Board of Trustees for the X Prize Foundation. This non-profit group creates competitions to encourage new technology that can help people.
See also
- Broadcast journalism
- Gujarati people
- Indians in the New York City metropolitan region
- New Yorkers in journalism
