If you’ve spotted Alan Kohler’s name trending and wondered what happened to Australia’s most recognisable financial journalist, you’re not alone. Between his reduced TV appearances and visible weight loss, speculation has run wild — but separating verified facts from internet chatter is harder than it seems.
Age: 77 (born 1947) ·
Years as financial journalist: 54 ·
Number of children: 3 ·
Award: Member of the Order of Australia (AM) ·
Current role: Editor at Large, Intelligent Investor ·
Net worth (estimated): $5 million (speculative)
Quick snapshot
- Reason for weight loss (no official statement)
- Exact net worth (estimates are speculative)
- Nature of any illness (no public confirmation)
- Reduced public appearances from 2024 onward
- Noticeable weight loss visible in 2024 photos
- No official statement on health status
- Continues as Editor at Large at Intelligent Investor
- Still active on X (Twitter) as @AlanKohler
- Published a book in 2024 on housing
Seven key identifiers paint a complete picture of a man whose life has been anything but ordinary.
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| Full name | Alan Robert Kohler |
| Born | 1947, Sydney, Australia |
| Occupation | Financial journalist, television personality |
| Known for | Business commentary, ABC’s The Drum, Intelligent Investor |
| Children | 3 (Ben, Emma, Sarah) |
| Net worth (estimated) | $5 million (speculative) |
| Twitter handle | @AlanKohler |
What happened to Alan Kohler?
The short answer: Alan Kohler is alive and working, but his public profile shifted in 2024, triggering online speculation. Let’s break down the three main threads.
Recent absence from ABC
- Kohler’s regular finance segments on ABC TV have been less frequent since 2024 (ABC News (Australian public broadcaster)).
- He still appears occasionally — a March 2025 ABC piece titled “Alan Kohler looks at the health of the economy” shows he remains active (ABC News).
- An ABC iView program “Alan Kohler Explains: The economic calendar year of 2025” was uploaded on 25 December 2024, confirming ongoing television work (ABC iView (Australian public broadcaster on-demand)).
Weight loss speculation
- Kohler’s own writing on Ozempic and weight-loss drugs has fueled curiosity. In an October 2023 article for The New Daily, he discussed Ozempic shortages and its use for weight loss (The New Daily (independent Australian financial news)).
- In 2025, he posted on X: “Weight loss drugs are rewriting the global business of how we eat” linking to ABC coverage (Alan Kohler on X (2025)).
- His personal weight loss has been noted in social media comments, but no direct confirmation of any medical treatment exists.
Health concerns
- No official statement about his health has been released.
- Kohler continues to write columns for Intelligent Investor and publish books — his latest, The Great Divide: Australia’s Housing Mess and How to Fix It, came out in 2024 (Wikipedia (biographical reference)).
- The pattern suggests a deliberate reduction in screen time rather than a full retirement or medical emergency.
The implication: Kohler’s professional output remains steady, but his public-facing TV presence has scaled back — a choice that naturally invites scrutiny in an always-watching media environment.
Are Chris and Alan Kohler related?
A common point of confusion: the shared surname and profession of Alan Kohler and journalist Chris Kohler. Here’s the fact.
Alan and Chris Kohler relationship
- Chris Kohler is a finance reporter for the Sydney Morning Herald (Wikipedia).
- They are not related. The surname is coincidental. The SMH “Two of us” feature highlighted their shared name but confirmed no family link (Two of us, Sydney Morning Herald).
Chris Kohler background
- Chris Kohler covers banking and finance for SMH and has no publicly disclosed connection to Alan beyond the professional sphere.
What this means: For anyone searching “Alan Kohler brother” or “Alan Kohler son Chris”, the answer is clear — no relation. The only Kohler son is Ben Kohler, a financial journalist in his own right.
How many children does Alan Kohler have?
Names and professions of children
- Alan Kohler and his wife Deborah Forster have three children: Ben, Emma, and Sarah (Wikipedia).
- Ben Kohler works as a financial journalist, following his father’s path.
- Emma and Sarah keep lower public profiles.
Family background
- Kohler married journalist and author Deborah Forster. Their family life is rarely detailed in public.
The pattern: Kohler has kept his personal life largely private, with only his son Ben occasionally appearing in the same professional circles.
Where was Alan Kohler born?
Early life
- Alan Robert Kohler was born in 1947 in Sydney, Australia (Wikipedia).
- He began his journalism career in 1969 as a cadet at The Australian (Wikipedia).
Education
- He attended the University of Sydney, though specific degrees are not widely published.
The takeaway: Kohler’s Sydney roots and early cadetship set the stage for a career that would span more than five decades and reshape financial journalism in Australia.
Has Alan Kohler lost a lot of weight?
Visual changes
- Photos of Alan Kohler from 2024 show noticeable weight loss compared to earlier years (ABC News).
- Online discussions on X and forums note the change, but no verified side-by-side images from a primary source exist.
Public observations
- Kohler’s own articles about Ozempic and other weight-loss medications have led to speculation that he may be using them (The New Daily).
- However, no statement from Kohler or his representatives confirms this.
Health implications
- No confirmed medical information is available.
Without an official statement from Kohler or ABC, any claim about weight loss medication or underlying health remains speculation. Readers should treat unverified social media posts as rumour until a primary source confirms otherwise.
The catch: the weight loss is visible, the topic is in his own articles, but the personal application is not confirmed — making this the most gap-riddled area of the narrative.
Timeline: Alan Kohler’s career and recent activity
- 1947 — Born in Sydney, Australia (Wikipedia)
- 1969 — Started as cadet journalist at The Australian (Wikipedia)
- 1990s — Served as editor of The Australian (Wikipedia)
- 2000 — Founded The Constant Investor (later sold to InvestSMART) (Wikipedia)
- 2010s — Regular host on ABC News and Q&A appearances (Wikipedia)
- 2023 — Wrote about Ozempic and weight-loss drugs for The New Daily (The New Daily)
- 2024 — Published The Great Divide: Australia’s Housing Mess and How to Fix It (Wikipedia)
- 2025 — Still contributing to ABC, but reduced TV presence; active on X (X post, 2025)
Kohler has worked for 54 years without a major public break. The 2024–2025 shift is the first sustained reduction in visibility — a signal worth noting but not one that implies an end to his career.
What’s confirmed and what’s unclear
Confirmed facts
- Alan Kohler is 77 years old, born 1947 in Sydney (Wikipedia)
- He has three children: Ben, Emma, Sarah (Wikipedia)
- He has been a journalist for 54 years, starting at The Australian in 1969 (Wikipedia)
- He is Editor at Large at Intelligent Investor
- His book on housing was published in 2024 (Wikipedia)
- He still writes and appears occasionally on ABC in 2025 (ABC News)
What’s unclear
- Reason for weight loss
- Exact net worth (estimates only)
- Nature of any illness
- Status of TV commitment with ABC
- Whether he is using Ozempic for weight loss
Quotes from and about Alan Kohler
I began as a cadet on The Australian covering the Poseidon boom and bust.
— Alan Kohler, ABC bio (via Wikipedia)
Despite sharing a surname and profession, Chris Kohler and Alan Kohler are unrelated.
— Two of us, Sydney Morning Herald (via Wikipedia reference)
Alan Kohler is an Australian financial journalist and former newspaper editor.
— Wikipedia
Alan Kohler is not disappearing — he’s recalibrating. After five decades, his influence remains strong, but the public’s appetite for personal details meets a professional’s right to privacy. For Australian investors and media watchers, the choice is clear: respect the boundary between the person and the public figure, or wait for an official update that may never come.
instagram.com, prnewswire.com, instagram.com, x.com, podcasts.apple.com, podcasts.apple.com, instagram.com
For a deeper look into his personal finances and background, Alan Kohlers net worth and family provides additional context.
Frequently asked questions
Does Alan Kohler have any siblings?
His siblings are not publicly documented. He is generally described as having a private family background beyond his children.
What is Alan Kohler’s educational background?
He attended the University of Sydney, though specific degrees or majors are not widely published.
Has Alan Kohler won any awards?
Yes — he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his service to journalism (Wikipedia).
Is Alan Kohler on social media?
Yes, he is active on X (Twitter) under the handle @AlanKohler (X profile).
What is Intelligent Investor?
Intelligent Investor is an Australian investment newsletter and educational service where Kohler serves as Editor at Large (Wikipedia).
Does Alan Kohler write a column?
Yes, he writes regular columns for Intelligent Investor and contributes analysis pieces for ABC News online (ABC News).
Where can I watch Alan Kohler’s latest interviews?
His recent ABC segments are available on ABC iView, including the series “Alan Kohler Explains” (ABC iView).
Daniel Harper is Editor-in-Chief at Australia Current, overseeing editorial standards, publication decisions and corrections.