The Untold Truth Of David Muir

Audiences watch David Muir deliver the news from around the world nearly every night on "ABC World News Tonight," but most people who catch his program probably don't know much about the newscaster himself. Like many of the iconic anchors who came before him — like Walter Cronkite and Barbara Walters — Muir has kept the tradition of keeping out of the spotlight enough to not be a distraction to what's really important: the world's news.

"This is my dream job, no question," Muir told The New York Times when he succeeded Diane Sawyer as the host of "World News Tonight" in 2014. Despite the big shoes to fill, his dream has become an incredibly successful reality, with the show continually topping TV ratings.

How much do you know about the man behind the desk? It's time to tune into the untold truth of David Muir, from his feats and follies onscreen to the behind-the-scenes facts.

David Muir's path to becoming a journalist began at age 12. "As a boy, I remember watching television news and hoping one day I would be lucky enough to have a job that would take me to far away places," Muir told IES Abroad. He specifically watched the local nightly news in Syracuse anchored by Ron Curtis. The 12-year-old wrote to Curtis to ask how to get into the business of reporting the news on TV, and Curtis replied (via The New York Times), "Competition in television news is keen. There is always room for the right person. It could be you."

Right away, Muir approached his station, WTVH, and earned himself an internship. Over the years, he worked during off-times from school, and his co-workers would track his height as he grew up on the station's wall. Going on to conduct interviews as a high school student, Muir was developing his signature onscreen persona of well-informed professionalism and charisma.

Heather Rich Puchta, one of Muir's lifelong friends, remembered him as a determined young journalist. "He knew he was going to be in New York City," she recalled to Syracuse.com in 2014. "He'd say, 'I'm going to be the next Dan Rather.'" Need more proof? Puchta also shared that for Halloween one year, a young Muir dressed up as a reporter.

One surprising fact about David Muir is his command of the Spanish language. While attending Ithaca College, he was given the opportunity to study abroad at the University of Salamanca in Spain. As an aspiring young reporter, this cultural experience provided practice to a future career in traveling the world to chase a story.

"At the time, studying abroad was a chance to take a break from my academic discipline and flex a different kind of muscle learning a language and exploring a tiny corner of the world I had never imagined I would temporarily call home," Muir recounted to IES Abroad. He chose the university because of the "special allure given its age and beauty." Plus, he had a foundation of learning Spanish in high school. Muir said he looks fondly back on his time in Spain and recalled people-watching in the town.

Once his semester abroad ended, Muir returned to his undergraduate studies back in New York State. But he continued to study Spanish. "I still use it today," Muir explained. For example, he utilized his language skills in 2015 when he met Pope Francis — whose native language was Spanish — in the Vatican prior to interviewing him.

After interning at WTVH-TV in Syracuse, New York, David Muir eventually secured a full-time reporting job there. It was in that newsroom where Muir picked up on pieces of advice from senior reporters. Once when he got stuck on an assignment, Muir recalled to The Washington Post, a veteran reporter told him: "'Well, to get the story, you've just got to get out there and get the story.' It was such valuable advice about just getting out of that newsroom. Getting into that cruiser and going to the story."

For his journalistic work in Syracuse, Muir earned an honor from the Associated Press for best enterprise reporting and best television interview. In 2000, Muir landed a job as a reporter for WCVB-TV in Boston and once again earned high praise from the Associated Press for his reporting on 9/11.

But it wasn't just in New York state where Muir's career excelled. In a 2014 interview for The New York Times, he recounted how reporting from New Orleans after the devastation of Hurricane Katrina left a lasting impression. "I remember wanting to slouch down in the back seat because it felt like an invasion of their suffering," he relayed about riding through the streets in a rental car. "But as difficult as it is — and as deep as the suffering might be that you're witnessing — that camera lens in the window is going to give them a voice."

In 2014, David Muir received his biggest promotion ever to lead anchor of "ABC's World News Tonight." And seeing as how his immediate predecessor was legendary journalist Diane Sawyer, he had some revered shoes to fill. Before then, starting in 2011, Muir was the weekend anchor on "ABC World News with David Muir." "I often say that my job is to keep Diane's chair warm two days a week. And it's an honor to do that," he told Syracuse.com during those years.

ABC News president James Goldston explained why Muir was their obvious pick to take up Sawyer's long-held seat. "When Diane said she was ready to step down, it was essentially a non-decision," Goldston told The Washington Post in 2020. The executive added that Muir, who was only 40 at the time, "was ready, and he glided into the chair."

As far as the reason the executive believed Muir attracted so many viewers, Goldston cited the anchor's attitude. "He brings tremendous empathy" and "a natural optimism," Goldston said. One example is Muir's closing series "America Strong," which reports on heartwarming stories of courage and human nature from around the country.

Before he was a household name, David Muir attended Ithaca College and graduated near the top of his class. Even after becoming a wildly successful and famous news anchor, Muir keeps in touch with his alma mater and even supports scholarships for the school's journalism students.

In 2011, Muir returned to Ithaca College to deliver the commencement speech, during which he called upon his experiences as a reporter. Muir told a story about one of his trips to Cairo, Egypt, where he interviewed a young woman in Tahrir Square who created a social media movement to advocate for freedom in Egypt. Egypt's President Mubarak resigned only a few days later as a result of the public's backlash. Muir told the soon-to-be graduates that his role on TV isn't the only way to create change in the world. "You don't need a camera or a microphone to have a voice," Muir said.

Then, Ithaca College further acknowledged the anchor's success by officially naming him Dr. Muir. The class of '95 graduate received an honorary doctorate degree two decades after he earned his bachelor's degree.

As David Muir revealed to USA Today in 2019, "There's no such thing as a typical workday." But, when he does have to get behind the "ABC World News Tonight" desk, there's a few patterns the newscaster keeps consistent. Like so many people, the first thing the anchor does is check his phone. More specifically, phones. "I have more than one, which I think many people do in this business," he explained.

Muir reads the notes from his editors but also watches the news from his competitors. "[I] like to see really what everyone's reporting on and what people are talking about," he said. His days are filled with conversations with producers, meetings, and more research. "I can honestly say that this newscast is a living, breathing thing," he confessed. And to Muir, it's important to be thorough in all the preparation leading up to the early evening to make the best program possible for the audience. "I think there's an expectation today that if people are going to take time out of their own busy lives to watch us at 6:30, that we owe it to them to break through the noise," he acknowledged.

How does Muir wake up and put in all this hard work every day? His energy is fueled in part by caffeine. The anchor told Vanity Fair in 2015 that his favorite vice are the "venti red eyes, i.e., 20-ounce Starbucks coffees with a shot of espresso."

Being a nightly news anchor means looking your best every evening in front of America. For David Muir, that means following the tradition of those who came before him by wearing dark suits, simple white shirts, and plain ties. When asked by Vanity Fair to describe his style, Muir responded: "Classic but understated." His classic suit-and-tie look on screen is often courtesy of Ermenegildo Zegna, the famous Italian suit maker.

Outside of work, he wears jeans from the stylish French brand A.P.C. and is often spotted in gold-framed Randolph aviators. What's so special about this pair of shades? "I did a story on them," Muir explained, adding how the company has maintained a contract with the U.S. Air Force. Cinephiles may recognize Robert Redford in "Spy Game" with those same aviators.

Part of Muir's fashion inspiration comes from TV. He admitted to binge-watching the AMC series "Mad Men" because the show's design reminded him of growing up in New York state. And can you guess what sunglasses Jon Hamm's lead character wears in the show? Randolph aviators. With much thanks to his inspired fashion style, in 2014, Muir was voted one of People's "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2014.

In order to lead his popular show, David Muir is constantly working, which means less time for his personal and social life. As far as what Muir has made public knowledge, he's single and spends much of his time preparing and delivering the news. That said, one of his more heartwarming characteristics is his hometown and love for his family. "When I turn onto I-81 and drive into those hills, there's nothing I love more than rolling those windows down. Nothing can match that feeling," he told Vanity Fair in 2015 about driving home to Syracuse.

Muir even thinks about his hometown and his parents who still live right outside of Syracuse when he reports the news. As he explained to The Washington Post in 2020, Muir thinks about viewers just like his parents in their small town. "I do think about what won't waste their time, what will set their mind at ease," he said.

The outbreak and lockdown of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 drastically affected the way everyone worked, and this was especially the case for TV production. David Muir and the "ABC World News Tonight" team implemented restrictions, and many journalists were forced to begin working from home.

In April of 2020, Muir reportedly created a space to broadcast from in his New York City home. But most of the time, the anchor was able to get behind the real desk, only with a smaller skeleton crew. "It's a day-to-day decision," he explained to The Washington Post about either making the short trip to the studio or staying home. "But as long as I can come in, I will."

During the pandemic, "World News Tonight" was at the top of its game. In July of 2020, the show was the viewership leader for all programs on broadcast and cable in key age demographics. But why was "World News Tonight" such a success during this uncertain time in the world? "The answer to the anxiety people are feeling isn't to deliver a portrait that is rosier than reality," Muir observed to The Washington Post. "When the pandemic hits is not the time to try to build up trust. It has to be in the works for a long time."

Part of the job description of a lead news anchor is exploring the world and bringing viewers along for the ride. "I've always believed in going where the story takes you, to be there and breathe it in," David Muir explained to The Washington Post in 2020.

Muir's reporting has truly taken him around the globe; from Iraq, to report on the Islamic State, to Auschwitz, where he interviewed survivors of the Holocaust. In 2011, Muir had the honor to travel to South Africa to interview the first lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. Add political and cultural touchstones to that list, like Egypt, Haiti, Israel, Japan, and more.

"It is impossible to choose which story has had the most impact on me because so many of them have left me profoundly moved. It's always the people," Muir explained to IES Abroad in 2014. He pointed out one particular visit to Ethiopia, where he was reporting on a doctor from the U.S. performing cataract surgeries on locals. The news team witnessed the operations and the emotional reactions from people who hadn't seen their families or children in years. "I will never forget the mothers with tears streaming down their faces ululating the moment they could see again," Muir shared.

It can undoubtedly become heavy to report the news on a daily basis. Outside of work, David Muir appears to clear his head through a few different hobbies. Muir played sports growing up, but admitted that his future career seemed to be a better fit. "I wasn't nearly as good on the Little League field as I was in the newsroom," he explained to USA Today, referencing his first internship at a TV station.

As an adult, Muir told Vanity Fair, he enjoys playing tennis. "My backhand is better than my forehand, which isn't saying much," he joked. To stay in shape, Muir likes to hit the gym and often hops on the treadmill. But while he's breaking a sweat, he's also using the time to dive into another one of his hobbies: music.

Muir confessed to loving the "Teen Party" playlist on Spotify. "It sounds ridiculous," Muir admitted, explaining that those curated songs are "what everyone will be listening to in a few months." Another one of his favorite Spotify playlists for working out, he told USA Today, is the "Global Top 50." His tastes range from Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello to a cover by Whitney Houston and Kygo. "Every day, I find a new song that I love," the anchor added.

David Muir has built a career enjoyed by only a handful of journalists in television history. In December 2025, "ABC World News Tonight" completed its 10th consecutive year as America's most-watched newscast in terms of total viewership. In doing so, it widened the gap between itself and "CBS Evening News" to its highest point in 34 years, and Muir's personal wealth has reportedly grown concurrently. According to Celebrity Net Worth, Muir's ABC News salary checks in at a whopping $8 million annually, while his reported net worth sits at $25 million.

With his hefty paycheck in tow, Muir decided to pick up a piece of land for some peace of mind. In 2023, the anchor purchased a $7 million home on Skaneateles Lake — one of the Finger Lakes in the state of New York — near his family. Muir also bought a historic townhouse in Manhattan's West Village for $4.2 million in 2013, then sold the property for nearly $7 million in 2025. Clearly, it's good to be the king of network news.

In 2021, David Muir made waves when he and his team traveled to southern Madagascar to report on the extreme hunger and near-famine conditions present in the region, a result of rising temperatures, severe drought, and sandstorms caused by climate change. The reporting raised eyebrows, as a nation thought to be responsible for only 0.01% of the world's annual carbon emissions over the last 80 years suffers some of the harshest consequences of humankind's contribution to the problem.

The World Food Program reportedly raised more than $3 million in just a few days after the airing of Muir's report, helping to provide life-saving meals for people struggling to survive, including the over 500,000 children that were a primary focus of Muir's story. "We are truly grateful to our viewers for going on the journey with us. We saw the desperation in the faces of the children. What we witnessed was truly catastrophic, and let's hope this is just one step in getting them the help they so desperately need," Muir told TVNewser (via AdWeek) following the outpouring of donations. The "ABC World News Tonight" anchor was later recognized with a George Polk Award, an annual honor bestowed for the team's environmental journalism and shedding light on the crisis in Madagascar.

All eyes have been on the conflict between Russia and Ukraine for the past decade, but news reporting has ramped up — alongside the country's tensions — since Russia's invasion in 2022. At the center of that conflict has been Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who stepped out onto the world stage thanks to his staunch defense of his country and its people. Not much was known about Zelenskyy before the conflict, and David Muir played a significant role in raising the politician's profile in the United States.

In March 2022, Muir became one of the first American correspondents to interview Zelenskyy when he conducted a remote question-and-answer session with the Ukrainian president, who participated from his office in Kyiv. Six months later, Muir made the trip to Ukraine for a second interview with Zelenskyy, in an effort to raise awareness of the country's plight as coverage of the war waned in the U.S. "It is impossible to truly understand the scope of this war, the atrocities committed, without spending time with Ukrainian families here and witnessing their sadness, their fear, and their enduring strength first hand," Muir told The Hollywood Reporter at the time.

For someone whose job includes delivering some of the most grim and difficult to digest news to the masses on a nightly basis, David Muir's status as a TV heartthrob and internet thirst trap may be the unlikeliest aspect of his ascension to media stardom. Social media is flush with commentary on his smoldering looks and impeccable style choices. Muir's personal aesthetics have pervaded the pop culture zeitgeist to such a degree that even his good friends have started to swoon over him.

Muir's vacation buddy and "Live with Kelly and Mark" host Kelly Ripa told the "World News Tonight" anchor on the couple's show (via People) that they love to visit him, thanks to their shows' shared occupancy at ABC/Disney's New York headquarters. "Sometimes we just go up and stare at him and he doesn't even know we're there," she relayed. Not only that, she also let slip that she has taken "some very indecent photos" of herself standing with photos of Muir hung up around the building. Ripa's husband and co-host Mark Consuelos — who have a strange relationship themselves – joked that HR had to get involved.

Muir can't help but laugh at some of the attention he receives, telling People in 2025, "People will forward TikTok videos, but only because they are laughing out loud at them and making fun of me and saying, 'When did you become Daddy?' So I don't know whether that happens when you hit 50 or what, but I'll take it as a compliment, I think."

Despite his unlikely heartthrob status, David Muir's romantic exploits have largely remained shrouded in mystery over the years, as the award-winning journalist continues to keep his life off-camera private. According to the Daily Mail, Muir was seemingly in a relationship with the former deputy editor of Jezebel, Kate Dries, around September 2015. Dries reportedly described Muir as a "sweetie" in a blog post and described going on holiday together. However, Muir has offered little publicly regarding his relationship status or even whether he has any children out in the world.

Whether he's keeping something (or someone) secret or he simply prefers to navigate life free of obligation to a partner is anyone's guess. This much is certain — Muir is a family man through and through, playing the part of doting uncle to his six nieces and three nephews. He also loves his dog, a German shorthaired pointer called Axel.

All the positive attention paid to David Muir's physical appearance and style choices over the years notwithstanding, some have broken from the crowd to offer criticism of the "World News Tonight" anchor and his on-air looks since he became the face of ABC's news division. In fact, Muir tragically went viral while covering the California wildfires in January 2025 for allegedly prioritizing his appearance over the dire circumstances he was reporting on.

Sharp-eyed viewers noticed that Muir's fire jacket was pinned in the back with clothespins as he reported from the scene, an apparent attempt to make the garment more form-fitting. Conservative talk show host Megyn Kelly was among those who cried foul, remarking on her show, "The abject vanity of this man ... This is not dress up time. That's something that my little boys did when they were still in the single digits ... not on the news when people are dying."

Others defended Muir, saying that utilizing such tricks to maximize a reporter's aesthetic for a visual medium is common practice. Muir similarly caused a stir with his looks while wearing a tight t-shirt to report on the Texas floods later that year, and for flashing a bicep in a 2023 Instagram snap taken amid the Israel-Hamas conflict.

More than a decade after David Muir took the proverbial baton from Diane Sawyer, the incredible ratings and viewership he has cultivated on "ABC World News Tonight" speak for themselves. However, Muir has managed much more than mass appeal with his reporting over the years, also earning critical praise and receiving recognition in the form of awards from many prestigious organizations.

In 2025, Muir and "World News Tonight" won their third-consecutive Emmy in the outstanding live news category. Muir, who didn't attend the award ceremony, later said while guesting on "Live with Kelly and Mark," "It meant more to me to be able to see [the team] go up on the stage. And they're incredible, you know, these folks I've been working with for 11 years now." Muir has also won multiple Edward R. Murrow awards and, in 2024, he was honored by Arizona State University with the Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism.

Time listed Muir among its 100 most influential people of 2025. His "WNT" predecessor and friend Diane Sawyer wrote of his selection: "I am lucky that my successor is also the irreverent friend I want to hang out with when the camera shuts down. Though I am also miffed that he's the guy who can leap two flights of stairs, vault into the anchor chair, and never lose focus — or his breath."