Lester Holt's 2 Sons: All About Stefan and Cameron

Lester Holt has held various titles throughout his career, but his favorite role is being a dad to his sons: Stefan and Cameron.

The NBC Nightly News anchor met his wife, Carol Hagen, when he was still a student at California State University and they married in 1982. Five years after their wedding, Lester and Carol welcomed their son, Stefan. The pair then celebrated the birth of their second son, Cameron, a few years later.

During an interview with Yahoo Life in 2021, Lester opened up about his “terrific” sons. “We were very lucky when they were growing up,” he said. “They were good boys and they’re really solid, good men.”

The Emmy Award-winning journalist also praised them for the way they turned out as adults, telling the outlet that, “They’re friendly, they have a strong work ethic, they’re running their own way in life and as a parent, you really couldn’t ask any more,"

Unsurprisingly, the NBC star always talked with his kids about what was happening in the world, so the news was a big topic of conversation at the dinner table. His favorite way to bond with his sons, though, was through a good book.

“I loved reading to my boys before bed every night, and I love reading to my grandkids,” he told Yahoo Life.

His son, Stefan, has started a family of his own, making Lester a grandfather to three boys: Henry, Samuel and James.

In a 2021 appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, the anchor shared that he’s known as “Grand-dude” to his grandsons. He explained why he chose the nickname for himself, saying, “It bows to the fact that I’m older, but ‘dude’ says, ‘I still got it a little.’ ”

“It's all great,” Lester told Yahoo Life of being a grandparent. “It’s just fun to watch them grow. It’s also fun to see your child really take on the role of parent and watching them instill values in their children,” he said. “It’s very special.”

Here’s everything to know about Lester Holt’s sons: Stefan and Cameron.

Stefan Holt, 37

Lester became a father in 1987 when he and his wife, Carol, welcomed their firstborn son, Stefan Holt, who was born and raised in Chicago before moving to New York City at the age of 13.

“Throughout high school I would wake up early on Saturday mornings to hang out with Dad at 30 Rock when he anchored Weekend Today,” he told Fete Lifestyle Magazine in March 2024. “In fact, my dad gave me one of my first driving lessons in the parking lot at MSNBC. I only remember hitting one curb.

After high school, Stefan attended Pepperdine University in California where he began studying political science. However, he explained to Fete Lifestyle Magazine, he then caught a friend presenting on campus TV one day and then decided to follow in his father’s footsteps, declaring a second major in broadcast journalism.

According to Stefan, who’s currently a news anchor at NBC 5 News in Chicago, following a four-year stint at WMAQ-TV, the NBC owned-and-operated station in the same city, Lester wasn’t at all surprised by his career choice.

“From day one, he has been a constant source of support, and my go-to confidant for advice on how to navigate our profession,” he said of his father.

The Dateline host is also a bit of a fashion icon for him. “I’ll admit, many of my ties are hand-me-downs from my dad,” Stefan shared. “I’ve always been really impressed with his style.”

Aviation is another passion he shares with his father. Stefan even earned his private pilot license at age 19 while he was in college.

Pepperdine is also where he met his wife, Morgan Holt, in his sophomore year and the couple wed in July of 2012 on the college campus, according to Westchester Magazine. They welcomed their first child together in 2017, a baby boy named Henry. Two years later, their second son, Samuel, was born, followed by a third baby boy, James, in 2021.

Now a parent himself, Stefan looks to his own father for guidance. “He’s my mentor on being a great journalist, but also my example on how to be a great dad,” he told Fete Lifestyle Magazine.

“I consider myself such a lucky guy,” he shared with New York Family Magazine in 2019, explaining that his dad has taught him so much about both the broadcasting industry and about “how to be a father.”

In that same interview, Lester praised his son for all of his achievements. “I’m incredibly proud of Stefan,” he said. “He has really done a good job of earning his own way.”

He continued, “I’ve had a very successful career, he’s on his way to an amazing career as well and we’re supportive of each other.”

Cameron Holt, 34

In 1990, Lester and Carol welcomed their second son, Cameron. Like his older brother, he was born and raised in Chicago before the family moved to N.Y.C. However, unlike Stefan, Cameron tends to stay out of the public eye.

According to his LinkedIn profile, Cameron attended Stanford University where he studied science and technology. After earning a bachelor’s degree in mathematical and computational science, he then went on to get a master’s degree in management science and engineering. He also interned at CNBC for a summer.

Speaking to New York Family Magazine, Lester shared that Cameron was also interested in journalism at one point, but after his internship, he decided it wasn’t for him.

“He’s not the extrovert Stefan is, but he’s a little bit of a deep thinker; listening to him is just fascinating, sometimes,” he said of his younger son. “He’s very keen and an astute observer.”

Rather than pursuing a career in broadcast journalism, Cameron went into finance and currently works as an executive director at Morgan Stanley, per his LinkedIn page.

Still, he remains just as interested in the news as the rest of his family.

"We exchange messages frequently about anything that's breaking, or the headlines of the day," Lester told PEOPLE of Cameron in 2023.

Their close relationship was evident when Cameron surprised his dad in 2015 on the set of the Today show to congratulate him for becoming NBC’s Nightly News anchor.

“I’ve been watching Nightly News ever since I was a little kid, and I never thought my dad would be anchor,” Cameron said at the time. “I’m so proud of him right now.”