He's a veteran of financial news and one of CNN's most recognizable faces. But anchor and chief business correspondent Ali Velshi cut his teeth in Canada.
As the economy plummeted, his career skyrocketed – he covered major business stories from the U.S. government's bailout plan to the collapse of U.S. mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

He shows no signs of letting up. He's climbing the corporate ladder fast and is moving from New York City to CNN headquarters in Atlanta to anchor CNN Newsroom weekdays, starting on Monday. He'll make the trip driving his 2005 Nissan Xterra off-road SUV.
“Most people seem surprised that's what I own. It doesn't seem to fit with what people think I do. My weekend or off-work persona is very different than what people think it is during the week.
“My lifestyle is so stylized in a way – I have to wear certain things. When I'm not working I like to have that rugged side of me back out. That used to be a bigger part of my life and it's a smaller part of my life so the car is symbolic of that,” says Velshi, who was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and raised in Toronto before he moved to New York in September, 2001.
“I have a lot of experience with off-road vehicles. I love a capable vehicle. I love being in here and feeling like nothing can stop me. I like the size of the vehicle, the fact it sits up high and it's rugged. I'm sure that car was built with someone like me in mind, someone who fancies himself a weekend warrior.