Jonathan Steinberg stands as one of the most innovative figures in the modern financial services industry, having revolutionized how investors access diversified investment products through exchange-traded funds. As the founder and CEO of WisdomTree Investments, Jonathan Steinberg has built a multi-billion dollar asset management empire that has transformed investment strategies for millions of investors worldwide. Beyond his impressive business achievements, he is widely recognized as the husband of renowned Fox Business Network anchor Maria Bartiromo, forming one of the most influential power couples in finance and media. With growing interest in Jonathan Steinberg net worth 2025 and his continued leadership at WisdomTree, understanding his entrepreneurial journey, business acumen, and financial success provides valuable insights into modern financial innovation and corporate leadership. This comprehensive biography explores how Jonathan Steinberg evolved from the son of a legendary Wall Street figure to a respected ETF executive and investment firm CEO in his own right, his multiple business ventures including his earlier role at BuzzFeed, and what makes his approach to financial leadership so distinctive in today’s competitive asset management landscape.
Personal Information
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Jonathan Laurence Steinberg |
| Date of Birth | August 5, 1965 |
| Age | 59 years (as of 2025) |
| Birthplace | New York, United States |
| Nationality | American |
| Education | Princeton University (B.A., Woodrow Wilson School); Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (MBA) |
| Occupation | Business Entrepreneur, CEO, Investor |
| Current Position | Founder & CEO of WisdomTree Investments |
| Previous Roles | President of Individual Investor Group (Prudential Securities) |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Maria Bartiromo (married 1999) |
| Children | None |
| Father | Saul Steinberg (late billionaire financier) |
| Net Worth (2025) | Estimated $100-150 million |
| Company Market Cap | WisdomTree manages $100+ billion in assets |
Who is Jonathan Steinberg?
Jonathan Steinberg is an American business entrepreneur and ETF executive who founded WisdomTree Investments in 2006, creating one of the most successful exchange-traded fund platforms in the financial industry. As an investment firm CEO, he pioneered innovative approaches to index construction and smart beta strategies that challenged traditional market-cap weighted investing methodologies.
His vision for WisdomTree was to provide investors with fundamentally weighted ETF products that offered alternatives to conventional index funds. This financial innovation approach attracted billions in assets and established WisdomTree as a major player in the asset management executive landscape, competing with industry giants like BlackRock and Vanguard.
Beyond WisdomTree, Jonathan Steinberg has been involved in various business ventures throughout his career. He served as an early investor and board member of BuzzFeed, the digital media company, demonstrating his ability to identify opportunities beyond traditional finance. He also founded Individual Investor magazine in the 1980s, showing an early commitment to financial education and democratizing investment knowledge.
Who is Maria Bartiromo’s husband? Jonathan Steinberg married the prominent financial journalist in 1999, and their relationship represents a unique convergence of media influence and financial expertise. Together, they navigate the intersection of business journalism and investment management, with both partners achieving significant success in their respective fields.
Early Life and Family Background
Born on August 5, 1965, Jonathan Steinberg grew up in an environment of extraordinary wealth and business acumen as the son of Saul Steinberg, one of Wall Street’s most notorious corporate raiders and financiers of the 1980s. Saul Steinberg built the Reliance Insurance Company into a financial powerhouse and became famous for his aggressive takeover attempts of major corporations, including his failed bid for Chemical Bank.
Growing up in this high-stakes Wall Street executive family provided Jonathan with unique insights into finance, deal-making, and corporate governance from an early age. However, it also created pressure to establish his own identity separate from his father’s controversial legacy. His father’s eventual business struggles and financial difficulties later in life taught Jonathan valuable lessons about risk management and sustainable business building.
Jonathan Steinberg business background was further shaped by attending Princeton University, where he studied at the prestigious Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He later earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the world’s premier business schools, which provided him with rigorous training in finance, strategy, and leadership.
Career Journey and Achievements
Early Ventures: Individual Investor Magazine
Jonathan Steinberg career began with an entrepreneurial venture that demonstrated his commitment to democratizing financial information. In 1987, at just 22 years old, he founded Individual Investor magazine, a publication aimed at helping everyday investors navigate the stock market and make informed investment decisions.
This magazine was ahead of its time, recognizing that individual investors needed accessible, high-quality financial information to compete with institutional investors. The publication featured stock recommendations, investment strategies, and financial education content that resonated with its target audience. The success of Individual Investor established Jonathan as an innovator in financial media and education.
Prudential Securities and Wall Street Experience
Following his success with Individual Investor, Jonathan Steinberg moved into traditional Wall Street roles, serving as President of the Individual Investor Group at Prudential Securities. This position gave him direct experience managing investment products and understanding the needs of retail investors, knowledge that would prove invaluable in his later ventures.
During this period, he gained deep insights into the limitations of existing investment products and the opportunities for innovation in how people invested their money. He recognized that traditional mutual funds often charged high fees while delivering mediocre performance, and that the emerging ETF structure offered potential for better, more cost-effective investment solutions.
Founding WisdomTree Investments
The defining moment of Jonathan Steinberg’s career came in 2006 when he founded WisdomTree Investments with a revolutionary concept: fundamentally weighted index funds. Unlike traditional index funds that weight holdings by market capitalization (meaning the biggest companies get the largest allocations), WisdomTree’s approach weighted holdings by fundamental factors like dividends, earnings, and sales.
This financial innovation challenged decades of conventional wisdom in index investing. The hypothesis was that fundamental weighting could provide better risk-adjusted returns than cap-weighting while maintaining the benefits of passive investing like low costs and tax efficiency.
WisdomTree launched its first ETFs in 2006 and quickly gained traction with both financial advisors and institutional investors. The company went public in 2007, giving it capital to expand its product lineup and marketing efforts. Over the following years, WisdomTree grew to manage over $100 billion in assets across hundreds of ETF products covering equities, fixed income, currencies, and commodities.
Jonathan Steinberg WisdomTree success wasn’t just about product innovation; it was also about timing and execution. He launched WisdomTree just as the ETF industry was experiencing explosive growth, and he positioned the company to capture market share with differentiated products rather than simply copying existing index funds.
Leadership Through Market Cycles
As WisdomTree CEO, Jonathan Steinberg has navigated the company through multiple market cycles, including the 2008 financial crisis, the European debt crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. His business growth strategy has evolved from purely fundamental weighting to include a broader range of smart beta strategies, thematic ETFs, and international expansion.
In recent years, WisdomTree has expanded into cryptocurrency and blockchain-related products, demonstrating Jonathan Steinberg’s willingness to embrace emerging technologies and investment trends. The company launched several digital asset ETPs (exchange-traded products) in Europe and continues exploring opportunities in this space.
BuzzFeed and Digital Media Investments
An often-overlooked aspect of Jonathan Steinberg achievements is his involvement with BuzzFeed. He was an early investor in the digital media company and served on its board of directors for several years. This investment demonstrated his ability to identify disruptive business models outside traditional finance.
While his BuzzFeed investment hasn’t achieved the same returns as WisdomTree, it showed his willingness to take calculated risks on innovative companies that challenged traditional industries—in this case, legacy media companies.
Net Worth and Financial Success
Jonathan Steinberg Net Worth 2025
Estimates of Jonathan Steinberg net worth 2025 vary among financial analysts, but credible sources place his personal wealth between $100 million and $150 million. This substantial fortune comes primarily from his ownership stake in WisdomTree Investments, though he has diversified holdings across various investments.
As founder and CEO of WisdomTree, Jonathan Steinberg owns a significant equity position in the publicly traded company. WisdomTree’s market capitalization fluctuates with market conditions but has generally traded in the $1-2 billion range, with Jonathan’s stake representing a meaningful portion of that value.
Maria Bartiromo husband net worth combined with her own estimated $50-75 million creates a household wealth exceeding $150-225 million, making them one of the most financially successful couples at the intersection of finance and media.
Income Sources and Compensation
Jonathan Steinberg WisdomTree CEO salary and total compensation is disclosed in the company’s public filings. As CEO, his annual compensation typically includes:
- Base Salary: Approximately $750,000-$1 million annually
- Cash Bonuses: Performance-based bonuses ranging from $500,000 to several million depending on company performance
- Equity Awards: Stock options and restricted stock units representing significant long-term incentive compensation
- Dividends: Income from his substantial WisdomTree stock holdings
Beyond WisdomTree, Jonathan Steinberg investments include real estate, private equity positions, and other ventures that contribute to his overall wealth.
Real Estate Holdings
Jonathan Steinberg Maria Bartiromo house portfolio includes impressive properties reflecting their combined success. The couple owns:
- A luxury apartment on Manhattan’s Upper East Side valued at several million dollars
- A summer residence in the Hamptons, a prestigious area of Long Island popular with Wall Street executives and media personalities
- Additional investment properties that provide both personal enjoyment and financial returns
These real estate holdings represent both lifestyle assets and smart investments in high-value markets that typically appreciate over time.
Personal Life and Marriage
Relationship with Maria Bartiromo
Jonathan Steinberg married Maria Bartiromo in 1999 in a wedding that brought together influential figures from finance, media, and business. Their relationship represents a true partnership of equals, with both achieving remarkable success in demanding careers.
Maria Bartiromo and Jonathan Steinberg relationship works because both understand the demands of high-level professional careers. Maria’s role as a Fox Business Network anchor requires early mornings, extensive travel, and constant engagement with market events. Similarly, Jonathan’s responsibilities as WisdomTree CEO involve global business development, investor relations, and strategic leadership.
The couple maintains residences in both Manhattan and the Hamptons, allowing them to balance the intensity of New York City professional life with relaxation in a more peaceful setting. They’re frequently seen at business and social events together, representing power couples in finance and media.
Does Jonathan Steinberg Have Children?
Jonathan Steinberg children: No, Jonathan and Maria do not have children together. This decision has allowed both to focus intensively on their careers without the additional responsibilities of parenthood. Both partners have demanding professional lives that require extensive time commitments, international travel, and constant availability for business matters.
While they don’t have children, both are involved in philanthropic activities and maintain close relationships with extended family members.
Family Legacy and Father’s Influence
Jonathan’s father, Saul Steinberg, was one of Wall Street’s most controversial figures. At his peak in the 1980s, Saul controlled a business empire and lived a lavish lifestyle that epitomized the excess of that era. However, his fortunes eventually declined, and he faced financial difficulties before his death in 2012.
This family history profoundly influenced Jonathan Steinberg’s approach to business. Rather than pursuing the high-risk, high-leverage corporate raiding strategies his father employed, Jonathan built WisdomTree as a sustainable, client-focused business with strong corporate governance and risk management. He learned both from his father’s successes and from his failures.
WisdomTree Investments: Building a Financial Empire
Company Overview and Mission
WisdomTree Investments, under Jonathan Steinberg’s leadership, has grown from a startup concept to a major player in the global asset management industry. The company’s mission centers on helping investors achieve better outcomes through innovative, cost-effective investment products.
As of 2025-2026, WisdomTree manages over $100 billion in assets across more than 300 exchange-traded products globally. The company operates in multiple markets including the United States, Europe, and increasingly in Asia, demonstrating Jonathan Steinberg business expansion capabilities.
Product Innovation and Strategy
WisdomTree’s product lineup has evolved significantly since its 2006 launch:
Smart Beta ETFs: The company’s original fundamentally weighted equity ETFs remain core products, offering alternatives to traditional cap-weighted index funds.
Income-Focused Products: WisdomTree has developed extensive fixed income and dividend-focused equity ETFs, appealing to investors seeking income generation.
International and Emerging Markets: Recognizing that US investors need global diversification, WisdomTree offers comprehensive international equity and fixed income exposure.
Thematic and Sector ETFs: The company has launched targeted products focused on specific themes like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and battery technology.
Currency Hedged ETFs: WisdomTree pioneered currency-hedged international equity ETFs, allowing investors to gain foreign stock exposure while hedging currency risk.
Digital Assets: Responding to investor interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology, WisdomTree has developed digital asset products in markets where regulations permit.
Market Position and Competition
WisdomTree competes in the highly competitive ETF industry against giants like BlackRock (iShares), Vanguard, State Street (SPDR), and Invesco. While smaller than these behemoths, WisdomTree has carved out a strong position through product differentiation and strong relationships with financial advisors.
The company’s focus on fundamentally weighted and smart beta strategies distinguishes it from pure index replicators, allowing it to charge slightly higher fees while still offering value relative to actively managed mutual funds.
Business Philosophy and Leadership Style
Innovation and Adaptation
Jonathan Steinberg’s leadership philosophy emphasizes continuous innovation and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom. He built WisdomTree on the premise that the investment industry’s dominant approach (market-cap weighting) wasn’t necessarily optimal, and he’s continued applying that innovative mindset to new challenges.
His approach to financial leadership combines respect for proven investment principles (like diversification and cost-consciousness) with openness to new ideas and technologies. This balance has allowed WisdomTree to evolve while maintaining its core identity.
Focus on Client Outcomes
Unlike some Wall Street executives focused purely on gathering assets and generating fees, Jonathan Steinberg has consistently emphasized the importance of delivering genuine value to investors. WisdomTree’s marketing focuses on how its products can help investors achieve specific goals, whether generating income, gaining international exposure, or implementing tax-efficient strategies.
This client-centric approach has built trust with financial advisors who recommend WisdomTree products to their clients, creating a virtuous cycle of growth based on performance and reputation rather than just marketing dollars.
Long-Term Vision
Jonathan Steinberg career demonstrates patience and long-term thinking. He founded WisdomTree in 2006 and has led it for nearly two decades, weathering market volatility and competitive pressures. Many entrepreneurs would have sold the company or moved on to new ventures, but Jonathan has remained committed to building WisdomTree into a lasting institution.
This long-term perspective extends to product development, where WisdomTree invests in building expertise and products even when immediate demand is uncertain, betting that quality and innovation will eventually be rewarded.
Comparison: Investment Management Industry
Jonathan Steinberg vs. Industry Peers
| Metric | Jonathan Steinberg (WisdomTree) | Industry Comparison |
|---|---|---|
| Assets Under Management | $100+ billion | Mid-sized ETF provider |
| Company Founded | 2006 | Newer than BlackRock, Vanguard |
| Product Focus | Smart beta, fundamentally weighted | Differentiated approach |
| Global Presence | US, Europe, Asia expansion | Growing international footprint |
| Innovation Focus | High (cryptocurrency, thematic) | Above average for industry |
| Fee Structure | Competitive, moderate premium | Mid-range pricing |
| Market Share | ~1.5% of ETF industry | Significant player among mid-tier |
Latest Updates (2025-2026)
What is Jonathan Steinberg Doing Now?
As of 2025-2026, Jonathan Steinberg continues serving as CEO of WisdomTree Investments, actively leading the company’s strategic direction and business development efforts. He remains engaged in expanding WisdomTree’s product lineup, particularly in areas like digital assets, sustainable investing, and international markets.
Recent quarters have seen WisdomTree focusing on:
Cryptocurrency and Digital Asset Expansion: WisdomTree has been developing additional digital asset products where regulations permit, positioning the company to benefit from institutional adoption of cryptocurrency investments.
Artificial Intelligence and Technology ETFs: Recognizing investor interest in AI and emerging technologies, WisdomTree has launched targeted thematic products capturing these trends.
Model Portfolio Solutions: The company has expanded its model portfolio business, providing turnkey asset allocation solutions for financial advisors and their clients.
International Growth: WisdomTree continues expanding in European and Asian markets, diversifying revenue sources and accessing growth opportunities outside the mature US market.
Any Recent Projects or News?
In 2025, Jonathan Steinberg has been actively promoting WisdomTree’s enhanced focus on direct indexing and personalized investment solutions. The company has invested in technology platforms that allow advisors to create customized portfolios for clients while maintaining the benefits of index-based investing.
WisdomTree has also announced partnerships with major financial institutions to distribute its products, expanding its reach beyond independent financial advisors to include wirehouses and regional broker-dealers.
Jonathan Steinberg continues to be a vocal advocate for innovation in financial services, speaking at industry conferences and appearing in financial media (though less frequently than his wife) to discuss investment trends, market outlook, and the future of asset management.
The company has also emphasized environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, launching several ESG-focused ETFs that combine WisdomTree’s fundamental weighting methodology with sustainability screens.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old is Jonathan Steinberg?
Jonathan Steinberg is 59 years old as of 2025, having been born on August 5, 1965. He founded WisdomTree Investments when he was 41 years old and has led the company for nearly two decades.
What is Jonathan Steinberg’s net worth?
Jonathan Steinberg’s estimated net worth in 2025 is between $100-150 million, primarily derived from his ownership stake in WisdomTree Investments, where he serves as founder and CEO. Combined with wife Maria Bartiromo’s wealth, their household net worth exceeds $150-225 million.
Is Jonathan Steinberg married?
Yes, Jonathan Steinberg has been married to Maria Bartiromo, the prominent Fox Business Network anchor and financial journalist, since 1999. They are considered one of the power couples in finance and media, with both achieving significant success in their respective careers.
Does Jonathan Steinberg have children?
No, Jonathan Steinberg and Maria Bartiromo do not have children. Both have focused their energies on demanding professional careers in finance and journalism, with Jonathan leading WisdomTree Investments and Maria hosting major business news programs.
What is Jonathan Steinberg famous for?
Jonathan Steinberg is famous for founding WisdomTree Investments in 2006 and pioneering fundamentally weighted ETFs that challenged traditional market-cap weighted indexing. He’s also known as Maria Bartiromo’s husband and for building a successful asset management company managing over $100 billion.
How did Jonathan Steinberg start his career?
Jonathan Steinberg started his career by founding Individual Investor magazine in 1987 at age 22, demonstrating early entrepreneurial abilities. He later worked at Prudential Securities before founding WisdomTree Investments in 2006, which became his defining professional achievement.
Conclusion
Jonathan Steinberg represents the best of American entrepreneurship and financial innovation, having built WisdomTree Investments from a bold idea into a $100+ billion asset management powerhouse. His journey from the son of a controversial Wall Street figure to a respected ETF executive and business leader demonstrates both the advantages and challenges of following in a famous parent’s footsteps while forging an independent path.
With an estimated Jonathan Steinberg net worth 2025 of $100-150 million, combined with his wife Maria Bartiromo’s substantial wealth, the couple represents one of the most successful partnerships at the intersection of finance and media. His achievements at WisdomTree—pioneering fundamentally weighted indexing, building a global distribution network, and continuously innovating with new products—have earned him respect throughout the investment management industry.
Looking toward 2026 and beyond, Jonathan Steinberg shows no signs of stepping back from WisdomTree’s leadership. As financial markets evolve with new technologies like blockchain, artificial intelligence, and personalized investing, his track record of innovation positions WisdomTree to remain competitive. Whether expanding into digital assets, developing more sophisticated thematic ETFs, or growing internationally, his vision continues driving the company forward. The success story of Jonathan Steinberg business achievements serves as inspiration for entrepreneurs seeking to challenge established industries and demonstrates that patient, client-focused innovation can build lasting value in even the most competitive markets.