Andrew Ross Sorkin Related To Aaron Sorkin

So, the other day I was at a dinner party—yes, one of those where the Wi-Fi password is the main course—and someone declared, “Andrew Ross Sorkin is basically the financial version of Aaron Sorkin.” I nearly choked on my sparkling water. Wait, are they related? I thought. My brain started doing that thing where it tries to connect two very famous, very similar-sounding last names. You’ve probably done this too, right? It’s the kind of mental itch you can’t scratch until you Google it at 2 a.m.

Here’s the short, slightly disappointing answer: No, they are not related. Not by blood, not by marriage, not by a shared third cousin who writes for Broadway. Andrew Ross Sorkin (the financial journalist, New York Times columnist, and co-anchor of CNBC’s Squawk Box) and Aaron Sorkin (the Oscar-winning screenwriter of The Social Network and creator of The West Wing) share a surname and a knack for high-stakes dialogue. That’s it. No family tree branches linking them. I know—it feels like a missed opportunity for a really good Thanksgiving dinner.

The “Wait, They’re Not Cousins?” Moment

Let’s be honest: the confusion is entirely justified. Both guys are masters of their respective chaotic universes. Andrew Ross Sorkin broke the news of the 2008 financial crisis with Too Big to Fail, while Aaron Sorkin turned the founding of Facebook into a verbal ping-pong match of genius-level insults. See the pattern? Fast-talking, brainy, slightly intimidating. It’s like they were separated at birth—except, you know, one was born in 1977 (Andrew) and the other in 1961 (Aaron).

I’ve actually had people argue with me about this. “No, seriously, I heard Andrew is Aaron’s nephew!” someone once insisted at a bar. I let them have that one. Sometimes it’s nicer to let people live in a beautiful lie. The truth is that “Sorkin” isn’t a rare surname, but it’s not exactly Smith or Jones either. It’s a Polish-Jewish name, and both Andrews and Aarons are proud of their roots—but they didn’t share a childhood sandbox.

The Real Connection: Style, Not Blood

Here’s where it gets fun. If they’re not family, why does the coincidence feel so cosmic? Because both men write dialogue that crackles with intelligence and urgency. Aaron Sorkin’s characters walk and talk at a million miles an hour; Andrew Ross Sorkin’s subjects (hedge fund managers, Fed chairs) talk and deal at the same pace. Imagine a crossover episode: Andrew Ross Sorkin interviewing a fictionalized Mark Zuckerberg written by Aaron Sorkin. My brain would short-circuit.

Andrew Ross Sorkin Profile & Bio - CNBC

I once read that Andrew Ross Sorkin was “the Aaron Sorkin of finance journalism.” They both create worlds where words are weapons. Aaron’s scripts are basically a sequence of verbal gunfights; Andrew’s columns are the same, but with stock charts. Coincidence? I think the universe is just having a laugh at our expense. It’s like naming two guys “Einstein” who both happen to be physicists—but one studies gravity, and the other studies sales tax codes.

The Awkward “But Have You Met?” Moment

Fun fact: they have actually met. Or at least they’ve been in the same zip code. At the 2011 White House Correspondents’ Dinner, both Sorkins were in attendance. I picture them nodding at each other from across the room, like two wizards who recognize the same spell. Did they bond over last-name fatigue? “Oh, you get the ‘West Wing’ joke too?” No idea. But it’s a beautiful image.

Showtime Orders Drama Pilot From New York Times' Andrew Ross Sorkin

Still, don’t get me wrong—being related would be cooler. Imagine the family reunions: Andrew explaining quantitative easing while Aaron paces around plotting a monologue about it. “But if you write that speech, I can’t use my data!” “Too bad, Andrew—my version has more snark.” It would be a sitcom. A very sharp, very niche sitcom that nobody but CNBC and HBO subscribers would watch.

So Why Do We Care?

Because we love patterns. We love the idea that two people with the same name, doing similar things, must be part of a secret Sorkin Empire. It’s comforting, like discovering that the butcher, the baker, and the candlestick maker are all brothers. In a world where everything feels random, a shared last name offers a tiny, fake narrative. And let’s be honest: The real connection isn’t DNA—it’s the way they both make complexity feel urgent and personal. Andrew Ross Sorkin makes you care about mortgage-backed securities; Aaron Sorkin makes you care about a television show about a white house. That’s a superpower, not a bloodline.

So next time someone at a party asks “Are Andrew Ross Sorkin and Aaron Sorkin related?” you can smile knowingly. Nope. But they’re related in the way that all brilliant, fast-talking, obsessive craftsmen are related. It’s a fraternity of words. And you’ve just been admitted as an honorary member for asking the question. Now go re-watch The Social Network and read Too Big to Fail back-to-back for the ultimate double feature. You’ll feel the connection—even if their family trees don’t agree.