Joe Kernen


Joseph Richard Kernen is an American news anchor who is the co-host of Squawk Box on CNBC.

Early life and education

Kernen grew up in Western Hills, Cincinnati and graduated from St. Xavier High School in 1974. He holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and a master’s degree in molecular biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he worked on cancer research.

Career

Kernen came to CNBC in the 1991 merger with Financial News Network, having joined FNN after a 10-year career as a stockbroker.
In 1995, he became the co-host of Squawk Box.

Controversies

Imitation of Indian accent and propagation of racial stereotypes

In September 2013, Kernen aroused controversy for imitating an Indian accent and musing on Indian stereotypes, facetiously asking if Indian rupees were accepted as currency at 7-Eleven.

Ignorance of Irish geography

In November 2014, during an on-air interview, Kernen asked IDA Ireland chief executive Martin Shanahan why Ireland did not use the pound sterling and asked if Ireland and Scotland were not on the same island. Kernen appeared to believe that Republic of Ireland was part of the United Kingdom.

Climate change denial

In February 2014, Kernen compared climate change to witchcraft.

Personal life

Kernen is married to Penelope Scott Kernen, a former commodities trader from Short Hills, New Jersey. They met after she joined CNBC in 1996 and were married in 1998 on a golf course.
His nicknames are "The Kahuna" and "The Hair".