Who Is Tom Wolfe? Age, Biography and Wiki
Born on March 2, 1930, in Richmond, Virginia, Tom Wolfe was an iconic figure in American literature and journalism, known for his distinctive writing style and keen social observations. He became the face of New Journalism, blending literary techniques with traditional journalism, and penned several influential works, including The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, The Right Stuff, and Bonfire of the Vanities. Wolfe passed away on May 14, 2018, but his spirit and influence continue to shape contemporary writing.
| Occupation | Journalist |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | March 2, 1930 |
| Age | 88 Years |
| Birth Place | Richmond, Virginia, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Pisces |
| Country | U.S |
| Date of death | 14 May, 2018 |
| Died Place | New York City, U.S. |
Popularity
Tom Wolfe's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Though Tom Wolfe is not around to provide updates on his physical statistics, it is widely known that he stood at approximately 5 feet 10 inches (178 cm) tall. During his peak career years, he was remarked to have a lean build that complemented his quintessential white suits, a signature part of his appearance that became symbolic of his flamboyant personality.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Tom Wolfe was married to Sheila Wolfe (née Liaros), and they had three children together. Their marriage was a partnership that endured until his passing in 2018. Despite being a public figure, Wolfe maintained a relatively private personal life, focusing predominantly on his writing and professional pursuits.
Wolfe lived in New York City with his wife Sheila, who designed covers for Harper's Magazine. They had two children: a daughter, Alexandra; and a son, Thomas Kennerly III.
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Tom Wolfe had an estimated net worth of around $8 million. His earnings were attributed to a prolific writing career that included bestselling novels, essays, and screenplays. Wolfe’s work not only garnered him significant monetary benefits but also numerous prestigious awards and recognitions.
Wolfe announced in early 2008 that he was leaving his longtime publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux. His fourth novel, Back to Blood, was published in October 2012 by Little, Brown and Company. According to The New York Times, Wolfe was paid close to US$7 million for the book.
According to the publisher, Back to Blood is about "class, family, wealth, race, crime, sex, corruption and ambition in Miami, the city where America's future has arrived first." The book was released to mixed reviews. Back to Blood was an even bigger commercial failure than I Am Charlotte Simmons.
Career, Business and Investments
Throughout his career, Tom Wolfe worked for various publications, most notably The New York Herald Tribune and Esquire. He was a pioneer of New Journalism and wrote several bestselling books that critiqued and examined the American socio-cultural landscape. In addition to his writing career, Wolfe also dabbled in investments and has been known to appreciate art and literature, contributing to his endeavors in business.
Wolfe began his career as a regional newspaper reporter in the 1950s, achieving national prominence in the 1960s following the publication of such best-selling books as The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test (an account of Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters) and two collections of articles and essays, The Kandy-Kolored Tangerine-Flake Streamline Baby and
Radical Chic & Mau-Mauing the Flak Catchers.
In 1979, he published the influential book The Right Stuff about the Mercury Seven astronauts, which was made into a 1983 film of the same name directed by Philip Kaufman.
Social Network
While Tom Wolfe was not prominently active on social media during his lifetime, his legacy lives on through various platforms where discussions about his work continue. His influence reaches modern writers, journalists, and social commentators, many of whom share quotes, excerpts, and analyses of his work online.
In 1959, he was hired by The Washington Post. Wolfe has said that part of the reason he was hired by the Post was his lack of interest in politics.
The Post's city editor was "amazed that Wolfe preferred cityside to Capitol Hill, the beat every reporter wanted." He won an award from The Newspaper Guild for foreign reporting in Cuba in 1961 and also won the Guild's award for humor. While there, Wolfe experimented with fiction-writing techniques in feature stories.
Education
Tom Wolfe graduated from St. Christopher's School in Richmond and later went on to earn his Bachelor’s degree in English from Washington and Lee University. He furthered his education at Yale University, where he received a Ph.D. in American Literature. This strong educational background laid the foundation for his remarkable career as a writer and journalist.
Thomas Kennerly Wolfe Jr. (March 2, 1930 – May 14, 2018) was an American author and journalist widely known for his association with New Journalism, a style of news writing and journalism developed in the 1960s and 1970s that incorporated literary techniques.
Much of Wolfe's work is satirical and centers on the counterculture of the 1960s and issues related to class, social status, and the lifestyles of the economic and intellectual elites of New York City.
