Melissa Lee (journalist)
Encyclopedia
Melissa Lee is a Chinese American
reporter and news anchor for CNBC
. Since January 2009 she has occasionally hosted Closing Bell
when Maria Bartiromo
is unavailable. She has also hosted Options Action, and is now the host of CNBC's 5pm ET daily show "Fast Money
" and Money in Motion: Currency Trading.
Lee took over as host of CNBC's 5pm ET daily show, Fast Money when Dylan Ratigan
left CNBC for companion network MSNBC on March 27, 2009. She was the interim host after Ratigan's departure, until April of the same year when she was appointed permanent host. Lee has received two Emmy Award
nominations for Business News.
To date, Melissa has hosted 5 CNBC documentaries:
Melissa Lee currently hosts 4 CNBC programs: Squawk on the Street, Fast Money, Options Action and Money in Motion: Currency Trading.
in the United States
, along with his wife and children. Lee's father graduated from Columbia University
and then moved to Great Neck, New York
. Lee grew up idolizing New York news anchor Kaity Tong
, who inspired Lee to become a reporter. Lee started her professional journalism career as a reporter for her hometown newspaper, the Great Neck Record. She graduated with honors from Harvard College
with a Bachelor of Arts
in Government in 1995. She also served as Assistant Managing Editor of the Harvard Crimson.
Prior to joining CNBC in 2004, Lee worked for Bloomberg Television and CNN Financial News. Before her career in television, Lee was a consultant at Mercer Management Consulting. Her cases focused on the banking and credit card sectors.
Chinese American
Chinese Americans represent Americans of Chinese descent. Chinese Americans constitute one group of overseas Chinese and also a subgroup of East Asian Americans, which is further a subgroup of Asian Americans...
reporter and news anchor for CNBC
CNBC
CNBC is a satellite and cable television business news channel in the U.S., owned and operated by NBCUniversal. The network and its international spinoffs cover business headlines and provide live coverage of financial markets. The combined reach of CNBC and its siblings is 390 million viewers...
. Since January 2009 she has occasionally hosted Closing Bell
Closing Bell
Closing Bell can refer to two CNBC programs, the original Closing Bell on CNBC , and European Closing Bell on CNBC Europe.-About the show:...
when Maria Bartiromo
Maria Bartiromo
Maria Bartiromo is an American television journalist, magazine columnist and author of three books. Bartiromo is a native of New York and attended New York University. She worked at CNN for five years before joining CNBC television...
is unavailable. She has also hosted Options Action, and is now the host of CNBC's 5pm ET daily show "Fast Money
Fast Money (CNBC)
Fast Money is an American financial stock trading talk show that began airing on the CNBC cable/satellite TV channel on 2006-06-21. Since October 10, 2007, it has broadcast every weeknight at 5pm ET, one hour after the close of trading on the New York Stock Exchange, until mid-2011 when it was...
" and Money in Motion: Currency Trading.
Lee took over as host of CNBC's 5pm ET daily show, Fast Money when Dylan Ratigan
Dylan Ratigan
Dylan Jason Ratigan is an American television host primarily covering financial markets, the global economy, and politics. He is host of The Dylan Ratigan Show which airs weekday afternoons on MSNBC. He is also a frequent contributor on The Huffington Post.- Early life :Ratigan was born in the...
left CNBC for companion network MSNBC on March 27, 2009. She was the interim host after Ratigan's departure, until April of the same year when she was appointed permanent host. Lee has received two Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
nominations for Business News.
To date, Melissa has hosted 5 CNBC documentaries:
- Made in China: The People's Republic of Profit
- Coca Cola: The Real Story Behind the Real Thing
- Porn: Business of Pleasure
- The $50M Con
- Code Wars: America's Cyber Threat
Melissa Lee currently hosts 4 CNBC programs: Squawk on the Street, Fast Money, Options Action and Money in Motion: Currency Trading.
Early life and education
Lee's grandfather immigrated from rural China to Buffalo, New YorkBuffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, along with his wife and children. Lee's father graduated from Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
and then moved to Great Neck, New York
Great Neck, New York
The term Great Neck is commonly applied to a peninsula on the North Shore of Long Island, which includes the village of Great Neck, the village of Great Neck Estates, the village of Great Neck Plaza, and others, as well as an area south of the peninsula near Lake Success and the border of Queens...
. Lee grew up idolizing New York news anchor Kaity Tong
Kaity Tong
Kaity Tong is a Chinese-born American broadcast journalist who has been a television news anchor in New York City since 1981.Born in Qingdao in the Peoples Republic of China to George and Anita Tong, Tong came to the United States with her family at age four. Growing up in Washington D.C., Tong was...
, who inspired Lee to become a reporter. Lee started her professional journalism career as a reporter for her hometown newspaper, the Great Neck Record. She graduated with honors from Harvard College
Harvard College
Harvard College, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is one of two schools within Harvard University granting undergraduate degrees...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in Government in 1995. She also served as Assistant Managing Editor of the Harvard Crimson.
Prior to joining CNBC in 2004, Lee worked for Bloomberg Television and CNN Financial News. Before her career in television, Lee was a consultant at Mercer Management Consulting. Her cases focused on the banking and credit card sectors.