Born in Athens in 1950, Arianna Huffington established a multifaceted career spanning journalism, politics, and digital media. After moving from Greece to the United Kingdom, she pursued economics at Girton College, Cambridge, where she became the first foreign and third female president of the Cambridge Union, setting the trajectory for her subsequent international professional endeavors.
Early Career and Writing
During the 1970s, she began her writing career, receiving editorial guidance from Bernard Levin. Her early work, The Female Woman, published in 1973, took a critical stance against the Women's Liberation movement. Throughout the 1980s, she expanded her literary portfolio by authoring biographies of Maria Callas and Pablo Picasso. She also engaged in television and radio work, including a brief tenure on BBC1's Saturday Night at the Mill in 1980.
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Huffington gained significant visibility in the United States during the 1994 Senate campaign of her then-husband, Republican Michael Huffington. Initially aligned with conservative causes and figures like Newt Gingrich, she later pivoted toward more liberal viewpoints. Her political activities included a 2003 run for governor in the California recall election as an independent candidate and the organization of the 2000 Shadow Conventions.
Digital Media and HuffPost
She co-founded the digital news outlet HuffPost, which experienced significant growth and was acquired by AOL in 2011 for US$315 million. Following the acquisition, she served as president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post Media Group, overseeing various AOL properties. In 2016, she departed the organization to launch Thrive Global, a company focused on behavior-change technology, productivity, and health.
Fast facts
- Born: 1950, Athens, Greece
- Citizenship: United States; Greece
- Education: University of Cambridge, Girton College
- Cambridge Union role: President (1971-1972)
- Thrive Global role: Founder and CEO (2016)
- Award: Great Immigrants Award (2007)
- Languages: English, Modern Greek
Questions readers ask
What is Arianna Huffington's background in media?
She is a writer, journalist, radio personality, and blogger who co-founded HuffPost and later founded the technology company Thrive Global.
Did she hold political office?
She ran as an independent candidate for governor of California in the 2003 recall election but did not win.
Achievements
- Educated at Girton College and University of Cambridge
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