Ben Smith Speaking Fee: $10,000 to $20,000

Ben Smith grew up on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, the son of a Jewish mother who was an author and a conservative father who served as an associate judge on New York’s Court of Appeals. He graduated summa cum laude from Yale in 1999, where he discovered a passion for journalism as an intern at The Forward and a writer for student publications. His early career took him from covering politics at Politico and local New York outlets to founding and running political blogs in the city. In 2011, Ben became editor‑in‑chief of BuzzFeed News. He led the newsroom through an era of explosive growth, earning a Pulitzer Prize and drawing attention for its blend of investigative rigor and digital innovation. During his tenure, BuzzFeed secured high‑profile scoops on politics and culture, including exclusive interviews and influential reporting that reshaped expectations of social‑media‑native journalism. He joined The New York Times in 2020 as a media columnist, where he dissected the digital transformation of journalism and held powerful institutions to account. Notably, his reporting on the collapse of Ozy Media helped spark a broader industry reckoning. In early 2022, he co‑founded Semafor, a global news platform designed to build trust through transparent journalism. As its editor‑in‑chief, he introduced the “Semaform” model, clearly separating facts, analysis, and opinions. Ben is also the author of Traffic: Genius, Rivalry, and Delusion in the Billion‑Dollar Race to Go Viral, a deep dive into the economics of digital news. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife, Latvian publisher Liena Zagare, and their three children. His career blends entrepreneurial energy with a dedication to journalism’s democratic mission.