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John Defterios
John Defterios

John Defterios  Biography

John Defterios is an American journalist who has worked as CNN Business’ Emerging Markets Editor and Anchor since 2011. He is stationed in the network’s Abu Dhabi bureau. On CNN International, he was the Emerging Markets Editor for CNN Business. After 35 years with the organization, he retired in May 2021.

John Defterios  CNN

Defterios joined CNN in 1992 as a correspondent for Lou Dobbs Moneyline in New York City. He later hosted World Business Today from 1994 to 1996 while based in London, where he focused on international business reporting.

He went on to anchor several CNN business programs, including Ahead of the Curve and Business Unusual, and served as the principal anchor for CNNfn in New York, expanding his profile as a global business journalist.

In October 2007, Defterios began hosting Marketplace Middle East on CNN International, strengthening his focus on regional economic developments. In November 2011, he launched Global Exchange, a program dedicated to emerging markets, broadcasting from Abu Dhabi. He also served as CNN’s Emerging Markets Editor.

Throughout his career, Defterios conducted major interviews during significant geopolitical events, including speaking with the United Arab Emirates’ Foreign Minister on the first day of the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis involving Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, and the UAE.

He also gained recognition for his field reporting, becoming one of the first international broadcast journalists to enter Iran’s oil fields following the 2015 nuclear agreement, producing in-depth reports on the country’s energy sector.

John Defterios Career

John Defterios is a journalist, a renowned financial analyst, and the host of CNN International’s “Marketplace Middle East” and “Global Exchange.” He is the Emerging Markets Editor at CNN. His reporting focuses on the main business news from emerging and BRIC economies, and he is based in the network’s Abu Dhabi bureau.

Defterios was born in California on April 7, 1961, and is of Greek heritage, hailing from the Greek island of Kefalonia. He earned degrees in journalism and political science from the University of Southern California in 1984. In 1984, he began his work at Peter Fee & Associates as a Media and Political Consultant. He worked for PBS as a Capitol Hill Producer-Reporter for a year, till 1988.

In 1988, Defterios was located in London as European Correspondent and Bureau Chief, where he oversaw an editorial collaboration with Reuters Television. Defterios covered the fall of the Berlin Wall, the G-7 Summits, the Gulf War of 1990-91, and other key events in that post. Defterios was appointed West Coast Correspondent and Bureau Chief in 1990 and served until 1992.

In 1992, Defterios joins CNN as a New York correspondent for Lou Dobbs Moneyline. From 1994 to 1996, he was the host of World Business Today in London, where he also hosted “Ahead of the Curve,” “Business Unusual,” “Moneyweek with John Defterios,” the Final GATT Treaty, and the World Trade Center bombing.

From 2001 to 2005, Defterios served as Vice President of FBC Italia TV and Internet Content, where he developed television programming in collaboration with brands like the International Herald Tribune, Business Week, and Bloomberg, all of which are owned by the Italian state broadcaster RAI in Rome. From 2005 to March 2011, he served as Group Vice President of FBC Media UK Ltd, where he oversaw content creation for this European-based program developer specializing in branded content programs for regional broadcasters.

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Defterios hosts Marketplace Middle East on CNN International in October 2007. It’s a 15-minute feature show that examines regional trends and challenges (job creation, economic development, and entrepreneurship) for this region of over 300 million people. In March, he will no longer be hosting. Defterios is a World Economic Forum media leader, a member of the Global Agenda Council on the Middle East, and has served as chairman of Business Week Leadership Forums and the World Islamic Economic Forum.

John Defterios Age

How old is John? He is 60 years old as of 2026. Defterios was born on April 7th, 1961 in the United States of America. He always celebrates his birthday on April 7th, every year.

John Defterios Education

Defterios earned journalism and political science degrees from the University of Southern California in 1984.

John Defterios Nationality | Ethnicity

What ethnicity is John? he belongs to white ethnicity/heritage. John was born and raised in the United States of America, he holds American nationality and citizenship by birth.

John Defterios Height

Defterios stands at a height of 5 feet 8 inches.

John Defterios Family

Born and raised in the United States, Defterios has managed to keep his personal life out of the spotlight, therefore no information about his parents has been revealed. It’s also unknown if Defterios has any brothers or sisters.

John Defterios Wife | Married

John is happily married to Manuela Markos. The two married in 2002, Markos worked with the New York Times during their marriage, which took place in Sifnos Island. He was previously married and divorced before marrying Manuela.

John Defterios Wedding

In 2002, Defterios married Manuela Markos, a New York Times staffer at the time, in a Greek Orthodox ceremony on the Greek island of Sifnos.

John Defterios Salary

How much does he earn? At CNN news anchor salaries range from $90,000 to $ 119,500 per year on average. These values, however, can fluctuate significantly depending on the employee’s degree of seniority.

John Defterios Net Worth

John who is a financial and current affairs anchor at CNN has an estimated net worth ranging between $1 Million – $3 Million.