David Cay Johnston Facts: Bio, Age, Height, Weight, Family, and Net Worth

David Cay Johnston is an American journalist best known for playing Author for the book Perfectly Legal.

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Best Known For:The book Perfectly Legal

Breakthrough:Began his newspaper reporting career at the San Jose Mercury News in 1968

10 Quick Facts About David Cay Johnston

Full Name: David Cay Johnston
Nationality: American
Profession: Journalist
Known For: The book Perfectly Legal
Date of Birth: December 24, 1948
Age: 77 years old
Place of Birth: San Francisco, California
Marital Status: Married
Spouse / Partner: Veronica Johnston
Beats: Business / Economy and Politics / Government

David Cay Johnston Age

David Cay Johnston is about 78 years old as of 2026. David Cay Johnston was born in 1948.

Education

His educational background includes studies at University of Chicago, Michigan State University, and other institutions.

University of Chicago
- Field of Study: Economics and Law
Michigan State University
- Period: 1972–1973
San Francisco State University
- Period: 1973–1975

Career & Work

David Cay Johnston's career includes news and reporting roles with The New York Times, a newspaper and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Organization: The New York Times

Role: Financial and investigative reporter

Period: 1995–2008

Details: New York · Reported extensively on federal taxation, pensions, business practices and economic policy, winning a Pulitzer Prize.

Organization: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Role: Reporter and assistant business editor

Period: 1988–1995

Details: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Reported on casino operations, waterfront affairs and business issues.

Organization: Los Angeles Times

Role: National news reporter

Period: 1976–1988

Details: Los Angeles, California · Covered national news for approximately twelve years.

Organization: Detroit Free Press

Role: Investigative reporter

Period: 1973–1976

Details: Detroit, Michigan · Worked in investigative reporting.

Organization: San Jose Mercury News

Role: Reporter

Period: 1968–1973

Details: San Jose, California · Began his professional newspaper career at age 19, covering political and community issues.

Organization: Syracuse University

Role: Law school faculty member

Period: Former

Details: Syracuse, New York · Served on the College of Law faculty for approximately fifteen years.

Rise to Fame

David Cay Johnston rose to prominence for his role for the book Perfectly Legal.

Notable Works

Notable media work includes Perfectly Legal, Free Lunch, and The Fine Print.

Book: Perfectly Legal (Author, 2003) — Investigates tax-system advantages enjoyed by wealthy individuals and corporations
Book: Free Lunch (Author, 2007) — Examines subsidies and other forms of preferential treatment for wealthy interests
Book: The Fine Print (Author, 2012) — Investigates corporate contracts, hidden fees and consumer costs
Book: The Making of Donald Trump (Author, 2016) — Investigative book examining Donald Trump's career and business history
Book: It's Even Worse Than You Think (Author, 2018) — Examines the actions and policies of the first Trump administration
Book: The Big Cheat (Author, 2021) — Examines Donald Trump's business dealings, political activities and family financial interests

Notable Coverage

United States tax system loopholes and inequities - The New York Times - 2001 - Reporting on the American tax system won the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting
Internal Revenue Service restructuring - The New York Times - 2000 - Reporting on tax administration earned a Pulitzer Prize finalist recognition
Corporate and individual tax avoidance - The New York Times - 2003 - Reporting on U.S. tax laws and avoidance strategies received a Pulitzer Prize finalist recognition
Casino and waterfront affairs - The Philadelphia Inquirer - Investigated casino operations, maritime issues and waterfront development

Awards & Achievements

Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting — The Pulitzer Prizes — 2001 — Reporting on loopholes and inequities in the United States tax system.
Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Beat Reporting — The Pulitzer Prizes — 2000 — Reporting on consequences of restructuring the Internal Revenue Service.
Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Beat Reporting — The Pulitzer Prizes — 2003 — Reporting on complex tax laws and how corporations and individuals exploited them.

David Cay Johnston Family & Relationships

David Cay Johnston is married to Veronica Johnston.

Lesser Known Facts

He helped establish DCReport, a nonprofit investigative news organization.
He has written extensively about taxation, corporate subsidies, consumer costs and economic inequality.