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You’ve seen the face. That steady, calm expression that has anchored NBC Nightly News for years. But if you think the "Holt legacy" is just one guy in a suit reading a teleprompter, you’re missing the actual story.
When people search for "Lester Holt son," they usually expect to find a carbon copy of the dad. And sure, while there’s a definite family resemblance—and some shared vocal DNA—the reality of the Holt sons is way more interesting than just a case of "like father, like son."
Lester and his wife, Carol Hagen, have two boys: Stefan Holt and Cameron Holt. One took the baton and ran straight into the newsroom. The other? He headed for the high-stakes world of finance and complex engineering.
The Anchor in the Making: Who is Stefan Holt?
Stefan is the one you’ve likely seen on your screen. Honestly, if you live in Chicago or New York, he’s probably been in your living room as often as his dad.
Born in 1987, Stefan basically grew up in newsrooms. While other kids were playing tag, he was hanging out at 30 Rock on Saturday mornings while Lester anchored Weekend Today. He even got one of his first driving lessons in the MSNBC parking lot. He admitted in an interview with Fete Lifestyle Magazine that he remembers hitting exactly one curb. Not bad for a beginner.
Following the Blueprint
Stefan didn't actually start out wanting to be a journalist. He went to Pepperdine University to study political science. But then, he saw a friend presenting on the campus TV station and it just clicked.
He didn’t just ride his dad’s coattails, though. He put in the work:
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- Internships: KABC-TV in LA and NBC News in London.
- The Florida Years: He started at WPBF in West Palm Beach as a reporter.
- The Chicago Return: He moved to NBC 5 Chicago (WMAQ) in 2011.
- The New York Jump: In 2016, he moved to WNBC in New York. This was a wild moment—he was literally working on the same floor as his dad.
Imagine going to the breakroom for a coffee and bumping into the guy who moderated the presidential debates. That was their life for four years.
Why He Went Back to Chicago
In 2020, Stefan made a move that surprised some people—he headed back to Chicago to anchor the 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. news. Some folks thought it was a step back, but it was really about family. Stefan and his wife, Morgan, have three boys now: Henry, Samuel, and James.
Lester is apparently obsessed with being a grandfather. He calls himself "Grand-dude." He told Kelly Clarkson that the name acknowledges he's older but still has "it" a little bit.
The Deep Thinker: Who is Cameron Holt?
Then there’s Cameron. He’s the younger brother, born in 1990. If Stefan is the extrovert who loves the camera, Cameron is the "astute observer," as Lester puts it.
He didn't want the spotlight. While his brother was studying broadcast journalism, Cameron went to Stanford University. He didn't just get a degree; he leaned into the hard stuff—Mathematical and Computational Science. Then he doubled down with a Master’s in Management Science and Engineering.
The Finance Route
Cameron did flirt with the family business once. He interned at CNBC for a summer. But after seeing the sausage get made, he decided it wasn't his vibe.
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Instead, he went into finance. Today, he’s an Executive Director at Morgan Stanley. It’s a completely different world from the 6 p.m. news, but the family still bonds over the headlines. Lester has mentioned that they constantly text each other about breaking news. Cameron is still a news junkie; he just prefers to analyze the data rather than report it.
The Connection Most People Miss
The coolest thing about this family isn't the fame. It's the aviation.
Lester is a licensed pilot. It’s his escape. Stefan caught the bug too and earned his private pilot license at just 19 years old. They share this technical, high-focus hobby that has nothing to do with being "TV famous."
It’s also worth noting how Stefan describes his dad. He doesn't talk about him like a celebrity mentor. He calls him his "go-to confidant." In an industry that can be incredibly cutthroat and fake, having a dad who has seen it all and still wears hand-me-down ties (Stefan admits he wears his dad's old ties) is pretty grounding.
The "Holt Way" of Parenting
Lester and Carol seem to have pulled off the impossible: raising two successful kids in the public eye without any of the typical "celebrity kid" drama.
When Cameron surprised Lester on the set of the Today show back in 2015 to celebrate him becoming the permanent anchor of Nightly News, the pride was written all over his face. He told the audience, "I’ve been watching Nightly News ever since I was a little kid... I'm so proud of him."
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Why the "Lester Holt Son" Search Matters
People search for this because they want to know if the integrity they see on screen is real. When you look at how Stefan and Cameron turned out, it sort of confirms the suspicion that Lester is exactly who he appears to be.
One son carries the torch in the newsroom, keeping the "Holt" name synonymous with trust in Chicago. The other builds a powerhouse career in finance, proving that the family's intellectual curiosity isn't limited to the teleprompter.
The Real Takeaway:
If you’re looking to follow the "Holt" model for success, whether in your own family or career, here is what actually works:
- Focus on the Craft: Stefan didn't start in New York. He started in West Palm Beach. He did the 4:30 a.m. shifts. Don't skip the "boring" years of your career.
- Diversify the Interests: Cameron showed that you can be part of a "famous" family and still carve out a completely independent identity in a different industry.
- Find a "Third Space": For them, it was aviation. For you, it might be something else. Having a hobby that demands total focus helps keep the professional stress in check.
- Stay Grounded: Literally. Use a nickname like "Grand-dude" and don't take the prestige too seriously.
The Holt legacy isn't about being on TV. It's about being a "solid, good man," which is exactly how Lester describes his sons. That’s a much higher bar than just getting a high Nielsen rating.
To keep up with the latest in the family’s reporting, you can catch Stefan on NBC 5 Chicago’s evening broadcasts or see Lester's occasional updates on the grandkids via his social media.