A prolific financial journalist with a career spanning more than three decades has died after a “brief illness”.
Ben White, 52, died Saturday. He served as Politico’s chief economic correspondent before his death and was a frequent contributor to CNBC.
The veteran journalist’s partner, Sara Schneider, broke the news in a publication on White’s account on X, formerly Twitter, where he had more than 100,000 followers.
“It pains my heart to tell you that Ben died on Saturday, June 1 after a brief illness,” Schneider wrote.
‘He loved his family, he was a journalist, he supported the Yankees and the Commanders and much more. He will always be in my heart and will be missed by many.”
Prominent finance and politics reporter Ben White, 52, died Saturday after a “brief illness”
White’s partner, Sara Schneider, broke the news of his death in a post on X, formerly Twitter.
Before joining Politico in 2009, White earned praise for his coverage of the Great Recession during his tenure at The New York Times.
The 52-year-old was US banking editor and Wall Street correspondent for the Financial Times between 2005 and 2007.
His byline has appeared in other publications, including The Washington Post, where he worked as a staff writer for nearly a decade.
White worked at Politico until September 2023, as author of the outlet’s ‘Morning Money’ column, which focused on finance and public policy.
After learning of his death, other journalists took to social media to share fond memories of their friend and colleague.
Washington Post journalist Dan Diamond described him as “kind and generous in an industry that often is not.”
“Editors invoked him as a model at Politico; he became a legend in the newsroom, and he always supported me as I tried to find my footing,” Diamond wrote, adding that he wished White could see the “flurry of tributes.”
Politico’s Jack Shafer called White “a great comrade, an excellent journalist and the coup d’état of sports fans.”
The 52-year-old served as Politico’s chief economic correspondent and was a frequent contributor to CNBC before his passing.
Before joining Politico, White gained attention for his award-winning coverage of the Great Recession at The New York Times.
White served as U.S. banking editor and Wall Street correspondent for the Financial Times from 2005 to 2007 and was a byline at The Washington Post.
Schneider described his late partner as “the sweetest, funniest, most loving, most complicated guy I’ve ever met” in a touching tribute.
Chuck Todd, chief political analyst for NBC News, said he was “speechless.”
‘Ben is a former Hotliner and, frankly, he was one of the good ones, both as a person and as a journalist. I’m so sorry to his family,” he wrote.
Political reporter Marc Caputo recalled working with White at The Messenger and Politico.
“Over the years, whenever I had a financial question, Ben was always available,” she wrote. ‘We were friends. This hurts.’
Author and financial policy expert Joshua Rosner described the 52-year-old as a “gentleman” and “one of the last journalists who fought for the right through truth and was always a friend of goodwill and decency.”
“I will miss him deeply, but I will always cherish my memories of him,” Rosner wrote before turning his attention to White’s grieving family.
‘I know there are no adequate words to express your pain or that of the children, but I know that when the tears subside you will be left with pride and smiles in the memory of such a rare person,’ he said.
Schneider posted a tribute on his personal Instagram account on Tuesday.
“I am so sad to say that my love Ben passed away on June 1st,” she wrote. ‘I will never forget. The sweetest, funniest, most loving and complicated boy I have ever met. I will love him forever.’
White is survived by his partner and three children.
