He also serves as CNN Business Editor-at-Large and hosts the network’s monthly travel feature programme, Quest’s World of Wonder, wherein he explores a new destination every month through the course of meeting fascinating local people and going deeper into the heart of the city.
However, if you thought that it is just these two big shows that have been the highlights of his life and career, then let us take you down the track. There is significantly more to the notable business anchor than his thriving shows, vital skills, and finely aging experience. If you think you know Richard Quest enough, consider diving deeper from hereon!
Early years
Richard Quest was born on March 9th, 1962 in the city of Liverpool, Merseyside, England and has Jewish ancestry. He grew up alongside his three sisters in Merseyside and later in Leeds, about whom not much is known. He completed his school education at Roundhay School in Leeds and later went to the University of Leeds to earn a Bachelor of Law degree in 1983.
Unlike most other students who were doing sports, Quest did campus radio during his academic years. He joined BBC as a trainee journalist in 1985 before serving there as a North America Business Correspondent based on Wall Street for over twelve years. He joined CNN in 2001 and a year later started hosting the newly launched monthly feature show Business Traveller. An expert in business, travel, and aviation, Richard Quest made the perfect fit for the show as it involved taking the viewers through the nitty-gritty of doing business on the road and making the most of it.
Is Richard Quest gay?
Yes, the top CNN business news anchor, Richard Quest, is gay. On June 26th, 2014, in an episode of his primary show, Quest Means Business, he came out as gay in the closing segment of the program and added that it was good for his business as a financial journalist.
(Source- https://edition.cnn.com/videos/bestoftv/2014/06/27/quest-profitable-moment-gay.cnn)
Talking about the time when he was not open about his sexuality, Quest said that he spent a great deal of time being worried about it and what everyone would think. He wondered if the fact that he was gay would affect his credibility as a business journalist or would his viewers watch the program any differently. He concluded by saying that thinking like that saps energy, drains confidence, takes a toll on productivity, and is exhausting. “All in all professionally, I know the work I do here every day is better because I’m honest about who I am”, said Quest while signing off that night.
In 2018, while speaking on Capital FM Kenya, Quest stood by his words and said that he was unapologetic for advocating for the decriminalization of same-sex marriages. “I am obviously going to be advancing an agenda that says there should be at least the decriminalization of same sexual activity. It is straightforward, I am not gonna mess around with that one. That is obviously my belief,” he said.
(Richard Quest on Capital FM Kenya- https://youtu.be/V_V0niYJ-Os)
Is Richard Quest married?
Yes, Richard Quest is married. On October 12th, 2020, Quest took to his Instagram to announce that he got married to his longtime partner Chris Pepesterny over the weekend. The correspondent captioned his post, “We said ‘I DO’ at the weekend. Happiest day of our lives”.
The couple was initially slated to get married in March of the same year but had to postpone due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The two got engaged in May 2019, which Quest announced through his Instagram.
Shows hosted by Richard Quest
Quest Means Business
The show Quest Means Business, as defined by CNN, destroys the myth that business is boring and bridges the gap between incomprehensive economics and entertaining television. It airs at 3 pm ET / 8 pm BST from Monday to Friday on CNN International.
The programme talks about global business and the latest trends in the industry. Through his expertise in the sector, Quest discusses and scrutinizes financial facts, figures, trends, and analysis by roping in the leading industry experts. For instance, the first episode of Quest Means Business in 2023 started with a discussion on World Economy’23 with the former Reserve Bank of India Governor Raghuram Rajan. The conversation involved questions on what the new year holds for the world economy as the IMF warns of a slowdown.
Likewise, the show takes its viewers through the biz world via interesting and essential issues through the lens of industry experts. The well-thought guest list on the show ensures that there is ample variety of topics- from the energy crisis in Europe, to wage pressure issues in the US, and from Volkswagen vs. Tesla EV to economic predictions for the new year.
With a unique news presentation style, sometimes using props on the nightly episodes of Quest Means Business, Quest ensures that his easy-to-take-in analysis of business and financial news is not just about big firms or conglomerates, but for the common people being affected by them in one way or the other.
Business Traveller
Traveling is exhilarating but managing it through the ever-altering financial times can get challenging. Quest, through his rich experience in travel, aviation, and finance, brings a series of valuable episodes to his viewers on the monthly travel feature CNN Business Traveller.
Every month, he travels to various cities around the world and pours in his detailed experience of surviving out of a suitcase. He also includes hotels, airports, and other check-ins on his list and the show is said to be the definitive authority on making the most of doing business on the road.
Each half-hour episode captures the beautiful city that he visits while explaining to his audience the varied aspects of traveling to and from the city. This essentially involves talking to the professionals on the ground, getting into the different infrastructure facilities himself, and having a first-hand experience of the functionalities there for enhancing the understanding of his audience.
For instance, while on a travel venture to Oslo airport in Norway, Quest went on to witness and even take part in the massive ice-cleaning process with the crew members. Another such instance was when Quest explores the big and renowned hotel chains in London and brings the maximum insights for his audience by taking a conversational tour across the hotels.
Quest Express
This is the daily business segment of CNN International that airs live from the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. It is a half-hour program that offers a quick-fire briefing on the latest market trends, movements, and pivotal business stories. The show is designed and aired such that it sets the tone right for Quest Means Business that is broadcast after it.
With his expertise and impromptu presentation skills, Quest carefully takes his audience through the closing of the European trading day, the opening of the markets in New York, and the start of the business day in Silicon Valley with reports from correspondents around the world. The show, thus, presents the unfolding patterns of the market and the manner in which wealth and large firms impact global decisions.
Quest Express: Spotify makes debut on NYSE
Quest’s World of Wonder
Another show hosted by Richard Quest is the compelling monthly travel feature Quest’s World of Wonder. It was founded on the idea of telling people about the cities, giving them a glimpse of their spirit and what keeps them lively. This often involves the respective city’s beautiful and intricate architecture, its cultural food, entertainment escapades, and even the conventional experiences.
On one such episode of Quest’s World of Wonder, Quest visits the gorgeous city of Cappadocia in Turkey. From catching the early morning hot air balloons, to walking through the ancient caves & hideouts, riding a horse across the picture-perfect Cappadocian terrains, and learning to pick the most suitable & authentic carpets, Quest does it all!
It is this fascination with which Richard Quest and his team at the Quest’s World of Wonder explore various cities in depth that makes the show stand out.
Rounding up the quest
Other than having made his name in business news coverage, Richard Quest is also an established aviation correspondent at CNN International. His work as an airline anchor at the channel includes a number of interviews involving key airline executives. He has covered pivotal stories, such as the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302, the Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo crash, and the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
He penned the story and his distinctive perspective on covering the disappearance of MH370 in 2014 in his book ‘The Vanishing of Flight MH370: The True Story of the Hunt for the Missing Malaysian Plane’. Notably, the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) conferred the 2013 UNWTO Award for Lifetime Achievement upon him in recognition of his work as a business journalist reporting on the tourism industry.
By: Mahima Rabia
