You can probably say that financial guru Suza Orman bets on a sure thing not only in money, but also in real life.
“KT is my life partner. KT stands for Kathy Travis. We’re going on seven years,” she told The New York Times during an 2007 interview.
Äs one of the most popular lesbians on TV, Suze is known for her shows like The Suze Orman Show on CNBC and Suze Orman’s Financial Freedom in QVC.
Suze Orman: The early years
Born and bred in Chicago in 1951, Suze’s Jewish parents had roots that could be traced back to Russia and Romania.
Graduating with a degree in social work, she became a waitress in California. Tapping friends for a $52,000 loan to open a restaurant, she invested the money through Merrill Lynch, which she soon lost.
She then worked for Merrill Lynch and learned the ins and out of financial investments to figure out what happened to her investment.
Already a fighter in the world of investments then, she sued the company for her loss and won.
In 1983, she became Vice President of Investments for Prudential Bache Security before forming her own company, Suze Orman Financial Group, in 1997.
Suze Orman: From money to writing
Suze’s first foray into publishing came in the form of booklet with the title The Facts of Single Premium Whole Life.
She would give out this booklet, which gave advice on different premiums, to anybody for free.
From this, she developed a taste for writing and has published nine best-selling books, including The 9 Steps to Financial Freedom, and You Earned It Don’t Lose It.
Her last book, The Money Class: Learn to Create Your New American Dream, came out in 2011. These books catapulted her to popularity, from which she moved on to television in 2002.
Suze’s appeal to people was the simple way she would explain finance. She would also add some spirituality to it.
Suze Orman, the LGBT activist
Outspoken as hell, Suze was an out lesbian during her stockbrokers days, complete with white cowboy boots and red Sassoon pants in the ’80s.
That’s why it’s no surprise that she was one of the popular voices clamoring for same-sex marriage. She also donated money for the presidential campaign of Barack Obama in 2008.
On TV, she would air her arguments for same-sex marriage. She would also give talks about growing up a lesbian and moving to California.
“It’s so much easier to be gay when you live in California,” she explained. Later on, she would marry KT in 2010.