What Was Gloria Steinem Net Worth When She Died?

Gloria Steinem’s net worth was estimated at $20 million at the time of her death at the age of 92 in September 2026.

Steinem was an American feminist, journalist, author and activist who became one of the most recognizable leaders of the second-wave feminist movement in the United States.

Her influence grew rapidly during the late 1960s and 1970s. She used journalism, publishing, television and public speaking to campaign for gender equality and women’s rights.

Steinem also co-founded several influential organizations, including Ms. magazine, the National Women’s Political Caucus, the Women’s Action Alliance and the Women’s Media Center.

Her career eventually took her around the world, where she continued speaking about gender equality, reproductive rights and social justice.

Early Life

Gloria Steinem was born on March 25, 1934, in Toledo, Ohio.

She was the daughter of Ruth and Leo Steinem. Her mother was Presbyterian, while her father was Jewish. Steinem had German, Scottish and Polish ancestry.

Her childhood was unconventional. Her family spent considerable time traveling in a trailer while her father sold antiques.

Her mother struggled with mental health problems and spent extended periods in sanatoriums.

When Steinem was 10 years old, her parents divorced. She subsequently lived with her mother.

She attended Waite High School in Toledo before moving to Washington, DC, where she graduated from Western High School.

Steinem later attended Smith College in Massachusetts.

Gloria Steinem’s Journalism Career

Steinem began her professional career in the late 1950s as director of the Independent Research Service, an organization that received funding from the CIA.

She moved into journalism soon afterward.

In 1960, she became the first employee of Help! magazine. Her early journalism eventually led to assignments for major publications.

In 1962, she wrote an influential article about contraception for Esquire magazine.

The following year, she worked for Show magazine and famously went undercover as a Playboy Bunny at the New York Playboy Club.

She later wrote for Cosmopolitan magazine and contributed to the satirical television program “That Was the Week That Was.”

These experiences helped Steinem develop the writing and reporting skills that would later make her one of America’s most prominent feminist voices.

Steinem’s Rise to National Fame

Steinem gained widespread recognition after joining the staff of New York magazine in the late 1960s.

One of her most influential pieces was “After Black Power, Women’s Liberation,” which explored the emerging women’s liberation movement.

The article brought Steinem national attention and helped establish her as a leading figure in second-wave feminism.

Her profile grew even further in 1971 when she co-founded Ms. magazine.

The publication quickly became a major platform for feminist writing and political debate.

Its test issue sold all 300,000 copies within eight days, demonstrating the enormous demand for women’s-focused journalism at the time.

Ms. Magazine and Gloria Steinem

Ms. magazine became one of the defining publications of the American feminist movement.

Steinem was among its founders and became closely associated with the publication’s advocacy for women’s rights.

The magazine tackled subjects that were often ignored or treated as taboo by mainstream publications.

Through Ms., Steinem helped bring discussions about gender discrimination, reproductive rights, workplace equality and women’s representation into the national conversation.

Her work at the magazine significantly increased her influence as both a journalist and activist.

Gloria Steinem’s Activism

Steinem’s activism extended well beyond journalism.

In 1971, she co-founded the Women’s Action Alliance, an organization created to support feminist activists and advance women’s rights.

She was also among more than 300 women who helped establish the National Women’s Political Caucus.

The organization sought to increase women’s participation in politics and encourage women to seek elected and appointed positions.

In 1977, Steinem became an associate of the Women’s Institute for Freedom of the Press.

She continued working with nonprofit organizations throughout her career.

In 1992, she co-founded Choice USA, a youth-led reproductive rights organization. The group was later renamed Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity, or URGE.

Gloria Steinem and Presidential Politics

Steinem was involved in American presidential politics for decades.

Her political engagement began when she supported Adlai Stevenson during the 1952 presidential election.

In 1968, she worked on George McGovern’s presidential campaign, serving in roles that included fundraiser, lobbyist and press secretary.

Steinem later became an important Democratic Party supporter.

In 2008, she endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. She again backed Clinton when she became the Democratic presidential candidate in 2016.

Her political activism remained closely connected to her broader campaign for women’s political representation and equality.

Gloria Steinem’s Television and Film Work

Steinem also expanded her career into television and film.

In the early 1990s, she co-produced and narrated the HBO documentary “Multiple Personalities: The Search for Deadly Memories,” which won an Emmy.

Her life and career later became the subject of documentaries, books, stage productions and fictional portrayals.

The documentary “Gloria: In Her Own Words” explored her life and activism.

She was also the subject of the stage production “Gloria: A Life.”

Her story was adapted into the 2020 biographical film “The Glorias,” which portrayed her at different stages of her life.

Actress Rose Byrne also portrayed Steinem in the FX miniseries “Mrs. America.”

Gloria Steinem as an Author

Writing remained central to Steinem’s career.

Her life and activism inspired numerous biographies, including “Education of a Woman: The Life of Gloria Steinem,” “Gloria Steinem: Her Passions, Politics, and Mystique” and “Who Is Gloria Steinem?”

In 2015, she published her memoir, “My Life on the Road.”

The book reflected on her experiences traveling across the United States and meeting people involved in political and social movements.

Steinem dedicated the memoir to Dr. John Sharpe, the physician who performed her abortion in 1957 when the procedure was illegal in many circumstances.

International Activism

During the later stages of her career, Steinem became an international speaker on women’s rights and gender equality.

She traveled to different countries to lecture and speak about social and political issues.

In 2015, she participated in the International Women’s Day for Disarmament initiative.

The event brought together approximately 10,000 Korean women on both sides of the Demilitarized Zone to call for an official end to the Korean War and the reunification of divided families.

Her international work demonstrated how her influence had expanded beyond the American feminist movement.

Gloria Steinem’s Awards

Steinem received numerous awards during her lifetime.

Her honors included the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California’s Bill of Rights Award and the American Humanist Association’s Humanist of the Year award in 2012.

She was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame and received the New York Women’s Foundation’s Century Award.

She also received Parenting magazine’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the United Nations’ Society of Writers Award and the Veterans of Feminism’s medal of honor.

These honors reflected her decades of work in journalism, activism and advocacy.

Gloria Steinem’s Personal Life

Steinem maintained a relatively private personal life despite her public profile.

During the late 1980s and 1990s, she was in a relationship with media executive Mortimer Zuckerman.

In 2000, she married entrepreneur David Bale, the father of actor Christian Bale.

The marriage lasted until Bale’s death in 2003.

Steinem had no children and remained focused for much of her life on her writing, activism and public work.

Gloria Steinem’s Real Estate

Real estate was another important component of Gloria Steinem’s wealth.

She had a longtime connection to a historic brownstone on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

Steinem first lived in the building in the 1960s after renting an apartment there with a roommate.

She eventually purchased property in the building.

She bought her first unit in 1996 for approximately $160,000.

Over time, she acquired additional units and expanded her living space.

In June 2017, Steinem purchased another unit in the building for approximately $1.1 million.

She owned the first three floors of the building, with the third unit reportedly used as an office.

The property became a valuable part of her estate as Manhattan real estate prices increased over the decades.