Anderson Cooper 0 Inheritance He Also Explains Why Calling ‘CSker' to a guy is Anti Gay

US television newsreader Anderson Cooper has revealed that he won’t be inheriting a cent from his wealthy mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, telling radio host Howard Stern, “I’m doing fine on my own. I don’t need any.”

The 90-year-old heiress (who is the great-great-great-granddaughter of the railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt) is said to be worth some $US200 million ($216 million).

Speaking in an interview with radio Howard Stern, Cooper said his mother had already told him not to expect a penny.

“My mum’s made clear to me that there’s no trust fund. There’s none of that,” Cooper told Stern, adding that he completely understands her reasoning.

“I don’t believe in inheriting money… I think it’s an initiative sucker. I think it’s a curse.

“Who’s inherited a lot of money that has gone on to do things in their own life? From the time I was growing up, if I felt that there was some pot of gold waiting for me, I don’t know that I would’ve been so motivated.”

The 46-year-old journalist, who reportedly earns $US11 million ($12 million) a year as a result of his CNN contract, told the radio host that he takes inspiration from his father, who grew up poor in the American south.

“I’ve never paid attention to [money] honestly like my dad grew up really poor in Mississippi - I paid attention to that because I thought that’s a healthier thing to pay attention to than like some statute of a great-great-great grandfather who has no connection to my life,” he said.

Anderson’s father, Wyatt Emory Cooper, died in 1978 from a heart attack when his son was just nine-years-old.

Cooper says that as he approaches 50, he’s determined to start eating better.

“Yeah, I think I have like three years left,” Cooper said.

Cooper also spoke about the controversy surrounding Alec Baldwin and his use of homophobic language last year which prompted a reprimand from Cooper via Twitter.

Baldwin blamed some of the subsequent backlash on Cooper, but the journalist stood by his rebuke.

“I like Alec Baldwin, I think he’s incredibly talented, I think he’s incredibly smart,” Cooper said.

“When he called the person a cocksucker, and then said he didn’t know ‘c*******er’ was an anti-gay — I mean, what adult does not know calling a guy a ‘c*******er’ [is an insult].

“The worst thing you can possibly think of to say, which is what this situation was, to talk about a sexual act between two guys as being the worst thing you can possibly think of. That seems to indicate— but I never said he was homophobic. I have no idea what’s in his head.”