From Wall Street Analyst to Global News Anchor: The Career of Erin Burnett

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Before becoming a prominent face of prime-time television, Erin Burnett navigated the high-stakes world of investment banking. Her transition from Goldman Sachs and Citigroup to the anchor desk at CNBC and CNN highlights a unique career trajectory that has frequently intersected with global politics, investigative journalism, and intense public scrutiny.

Born in 1976 in Mardela Springs, Maryland, Erin Burnett began her professional life as a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs. Her early work focused on corporate finance and mergers and acquisitions. She later transitioned into the media sector, serving as a vice president for Citigroup's digital media group, CitiMedia, before moving into television journalism at Bloomberg Television, CNBC, and eventually CNN.

Burnett's reporting has taken her across the globe, earning her the nickname "the International Superstar" from colleague Joe Scarborough during her time at NBC. She has filed reports from diverse locations including Mali, Afghanistan, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Her investigative work has also had tangible policy impacts; in 2010, her report on the chemical company Transammonia's business dealings in Iran led the company to announce it would wind down its Iranian contracts.

Her career has not been without controversy. In 2011, her coverage of the Occupy Wall Street protests drew criticism from the watchdog group Fairness & Accuracy in Reporting, with journalist Glenn Greenwald suggesting her past on Wall Street influenced her reporting. Additionally, she has navigated public corrections, such as when she misstated the last time the Insurrection Act had been invoked, later clarifying that it was last used in 1992 rather than 1807.

Beyond her professional life, Burnett is married to David Rubulotta, a former trader for Lehman Brothers whom she met in 2003. The couple married in 2012 and have three children. Today, she continues to anchor her prime-time program, Erin Burnett OutFront, which operates out of CNN's studios in New York City.

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