Bill Whitaker, the Emmy-award-winning correspondent for CBS News' *60 Minutes*, has built a formidable career on the bedrock of insightful and impactful journalism, but his personal life, particularly his family, remains a source of curiosity for many fans. As of late 2025, the veteran journalist and his wife, Terry Whitaker, are the proud parents of two highly accomplished adult children, whose careers have taken them into the dynamic worlds of finance and technology, far from the spotlight of broadcast news.
This deep dive provides the most current, unique, and detailed information on the Whitaker children, including their names, professional paths, and the elite educational background they share, offering a fresh perspective on the family life of one of television's most respected reporters.
Bill Whitaker: A Complete Biography and Profile
To understand the foundation of the Whitaker family, it is essential to first look at the man who has spent decades bringing the world's most critical stories to the American public.
- Full Name: William Whitaker II
- Date of Birth: August 26, 1951
- Age: 74 (as of late 2025)
- Place of Birth: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Education:
- B.A. in American History from Hobart and William Smith Colleges
- M.A. in African-American Studies from Boston University
- M.S. in Journalism from the University of California, Berkeley
- Wife: Terry Whitaker
- Children: Two (a son, William III, and a daughter, Lesley)
- Career Highlights:
- Began in broadcast journalism in 1979 at KQED in San Francisco.
- Joined CBS News in 1984.
- Served as CBS News' Tokyo Bureau Chief (1989-1992) and Los Angeles Correspondent (1992-2014).
- Became a correspondent for *60 Minutes* in 2014.
- Major Awards: Emmy Awards, DuPont Award, and Peabody Award for his work on *60 Minutes*, often covering topics like the death penalty and race relations.
The Two Children of Bill and Terry Whitaker
Bill and Terry Whitaker share two children, a son and a daughter, who have both carved out successful, high-profile careers in demanding fields. The most recent publicly available details from 2022 provide a clear snapshot of their professional lives, highlighting the family's commitment to education and achievement.
The couple ensured their children received a top-tier education, with both William III and Lesley graduating from the prestigious Harvard-Westlake School in Los Angeles before moving on to higher education. Their subsequent career choices demonstrate a clear intellectual curiosity and a drive for success, mirroring their father’s own distinguished professional journey.
1. William Whitaker III: The Finance Entrepreneur
The son of the *60 Minutes* correspondent, William Whitaker III, is a successful figure in the financial sector. Unlike his father, who reports on global markets and economic issues, William III is actively involved in the industry.
- Name: William Whitaker III
- Age (as of 2022): 34 years old
- Career Path: Finance
- Current Status: Founded and operates a financial company in New York City.
William III's decision to pursue finance and entrepreneurship in New York City places him in one of the world's most competitive markets. This career choice reflects a strong analytical mind and a willingness to take risks, a trait perhaps indirectly inherited from a father who has spent his life reporting from the world’s most dangerous and complex locations.
2. Lesley Whitaker: The Tech Innovator in Berlin
Bill Whitaker’s daughter, Lesley, has taken a fascinating and international career path. Her professional life is deeply rooted in the modern, rapidly evolving tech industry, specifically in the video game sector.
- Name: Lesley Whitaker
- Age (as of 2022): 32 years old
- Career Path: Technology and Gaming
- Current Status: Joined a video game start-up based in Berlin, Germany.
Lesley's move to Berlin, a vibrant hub for European tech and creative industries, underscores a global outlook and a readiness to embrace new professional frontiers. Her involvement with a video game start-up highlights the shift of the younger generation toward digital and interactive entertainment, a sharp contrast to her father's traditional news media background. This detail is one of the freshest and most unique pieces of information about the Whitaker family, showing their connection to global professional trends.
The Whitaker Family's Focus on Privacy and Achievement
Despite Bill Whitaker's high-profile role as a correspondent for *60 Minutes*, which often thrusts him into the public eye, the Whitaker family has maintained a notable level of privacy. This is a common practice among veteran journalists who seek to shield their loved ones from the intense scrutiny that comes with national fame.
The limited, yet highly specific, details released about William III and Lesley—their high school, their ages, and their current professional roles—paint a clear picture of two individuals who have achieved significant professional milestones in their own right. The fact that one child is building a financial company in New York and the other is working in a tech start-up in Germany speaks volumes about the intellectual and global environment in which they were raised.
The Whitaker children are a testament to the family's values: hard work, intellectual rigor, and a commitment to excellence. While their father continues to travel the world to report on critical news stories, his children are making their own marks in the fields of finance and technology, ensuring the Whitaker name remains synonymous with success and high achievement, albeit in very different arenas.
Key Entities and Topical Authority
The discussion of Bill Whitaker’s family naturally connects to a network of influential entities and topics, establishing the article's topical authority:
- Journalism & Media: CBS News, *60 Minutes*, Emmy Awards, DuPont Award, Peabody Award, Broadcast Journalism, News Correspondent, Tokyo Bureau Chief.
- Education: Harvard-Westlake School, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Boston University, University of California, Berkeley.
- Family & Personal Life: Terry Whitaker (Wife), William Whitaker III (Son), Lesley Whitaker (Daughter), New York City, Berlin (Germany).
- Professional Fields: Finance, Entrepreneurship, Technology, Video Game Start-up.
Detail Author:
- Name : Miss Abagail Keeling
- Username : melany.orn
- Email : wnitzsche@gmail.com
- Birthdate : 1989-01-13
- Address : 324 Roma Gateway Apt. 353 Madelynborough, WI 20263
- Phone : +1 (240) 213-7129
- Company : Gleason Inc
- Job : Oil and gas Operator
- Bio : Qui quasi quia ut hic sequi laborum. Deserunt nihil voluptas blanditiis. Eum cupiditate qui ut beatae officiis. Et illo praesentium occaecati neque fugiat qui.
Socials
twitter:
- url : https://twitter.com/lenny_beier
- username : lenny_beier
- bio : Delectus unde asperiores esse minima et praesentium est quae. Maiores eveniet et ducimus eum esse.
- followers : 3416
- following : 1175
instagram:
- url : https://instagram.com/beierl
- username : beierl
- bio : Impedit ut totam aut id. Cupiditate nobis aut aperiam cum culpa.
- followers : 2955
- following : 2207
linkedin:
- url : https://linkedin.com/in/lennybeier
- username : lennybeier
- bio : Est ullam molestiae hic enim.
- followers : 4032
- following : 829
facebook:
- url : https://facebook.com/lbeier
- username : lbeier
- bio : Consequatur facilis iste eius eveniet qui et. Deleniti cum autem ea.
- followers : 1185
- following : 2163