Ian Lee CBS – Bio, Age, Height, Education, Career, Wife, Kids, Salary, Net Worth, Significant Contribution
Ian Lee Biography And Wiki
Ian Lee, an American journalist based in London, works as a correspondent for CBS News. Born in 1984 in Lander, Wyoming, he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in 2007, along with certificates in Islamic Studies and Arabic. He started his career as a multimedia editor at the Daily News Egypt from 2009 to 2011 while also freelancing as a video journalist for Time Magazine and producing news packages for Reuters for a year. Lee joined CNN after covering a church bombing in Alexandria, Egypt, on New Year’s Eve 2010, and went on to report on major events like the 2011 Arab Spring, the 2013 Egyptian coup d’état, the 2014 Gaza War, and the 2016 Turkish coup attempt.
Age
Ian Lee was born in 1984 in Lander, Wyoming, USA, making him 40 years old in 2024.
Height
Ian Lee is about 5 feet 10 inches (1.77 meters) tall.
Education Background
Ian Lee has a strong educational background, earning a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University in 2007, along with certificates in Islamic Studies and Arabic. In 2008, he received a Fulbright scholarship and spent a year at the American University in Cairo, studying differences in reporting between English and Arabic newspapers. He further advanced his education by obtaining a Master’s degree in War Studies from King’s College London in 2022.
Nationality And Ethnicity
Ian Lee is an American citizen by birth, having been born and raised in Lander, Wyoming, USA. He is of White-American ethnicity.
Milestones, Significant Contributions, And Notable Works
Ian Lee has built an impressive career with key milestones, major contributions, and significant achievements.
Milestones
- 2008: Earned a Fulbright Scholarship and studied at the American University in Cairo, Egypt.
- 2010: Joined CNN after covering a church bombing in Alexandria, Egypt, on New Year’s Eve.
- 2011: Reported on the Libyan Revolution and suffered injuries in Sirte from a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) explosion.
- 2019: Became a correspondent for CBS News, based in London.
Significant Contributions
- Provided extensive coverage of the 2011 Arab Spring, focusing on events in Egypt and Libya.
- Reported on the Al Jazeera journalist detentions in Egypt from 2013 to 2015, advocating for press freedom.
- Covered the 2017 solar eclipse from the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas in the Atlantic Ocean.
Notable Works
- Won an Emmy Award for his reporting on the 2011 Egyptian Revolution.
- Received a Peabody Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Tom Renner Award.
- His tweets from the January 25 Revolution were cited in A Twitter Year: 365 Days in 140 Characters by Kate Bussmann.
- His coverage of the Al Jazeera trial was featured in The Marriott Cell: An Epic Journey from Cairo’s Scorpion Prison to Freedom by Mohamed Fahmy.
- Reported on major global events, including:
- 2013 Egyptian coup d’état
- 2014 Gaza War
- 2016 Turkish coup d’état attempt
- 2017 North Korea crisis

Wife and Children
Ian Lee is married to Holly Dagres, an Iranian-American analyst and commentator specializing in Middle Eastern affairs, particularly Iran. She works as the editor of IranSource and curates The Iranist. The couple met in Cairo, Egypt, and exchanged vows on July 1, 2016, in an intimate ceremony with close friends and family.
Career
Ian Lee began his journalism career as a multimedia editor at Daily News Egypt from 2009 to 2011. During this period, he also worked as a freelance video journalist for Time Magazine and spent a year as a package producer for Reuters. His early experiences provided him with valuable field reporting skills and insights into international journalism.
In 2010, Lee joined CNN after covering the aftermath of a church bombing in Alexandria, Egypt, on New Year’s Eve. The following year, he reported on the Libyan Revolution and sustained injuries in Sirte when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) exploded near him. From 2011 to 2015, he extensively covered major global events, including the Arab Spring, the 2013 Egyptian coup d’état, the 2014 Gaza War, and the 2016 Turkish coup attempt. In 2017, he moved to Jerusalem to focus on reporting from Israel and the Palestinian territories.
Lee transitioned to CBS News in 2019 as a correspondent based in London. He played a key role in covering major international events across East Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. One of his most significant assignments included reporting on the 2017 North Korea crisis, providing critical insights into the region’s escalating tensions.
Throughout his career, Lee has received numerous accolades for his work. In 2008, he earned a Fulbright Scholarship, which allowed him to deepen his expertise in journalism. His coverage of the 2011 Egyptian Revolution won him an Emmy Award, while his exceptional reporting earned him both a Peabody Award and the Investigative Reporters and Editors’ Tom Renner Award. His notable coverage includes the Al Jazeera trial in Egypt from 2013 to 2015 and his report on the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017, from the Royal Caribbean Oasis of the Seas in the Atlantic Ocean.
Hobbies And Personal Challenges
Ian Lee enjoys photography and often takes pictures during his travels and work. He also loves exploring new places and cultures, which fits well with his job as a journalist.
In 2011, while covering the Libyan Revolution, he was injured in Sirte when a rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) exploded nearby, causing shrapnel wounds. From 2013 to 2015, he reported on the detention of Al-Jazeera journalists in Egypt and supported their cause.
His work often takes him to dangerous areas, where he faces risks and challenges while reporting from conflict zones and unstable regions.
Salary and Net Worth
Ian Lee works as a CBS News correspondent in London, earning an estimated annual salary of about $110,000. His net worth is believed to be between $1 million and $4 million.
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