It’s the end of an era as Anna Wintour quit her role as editor-in-chief of American Vogue after 37 years. The British-born journalist, who’s become one of the most powerful women in publishing and a major player in the fashion world, announced her decision to step down from helming the fashion bible, a position she has held since 1988.
The former editorial assistant, 77 – who was appointed a Dame by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 2017 for her contribution to fashion and journalism, and was honoured as Companion of Honour for her services to fashion by King Charles in his 2023 Birthday Honours – is the longest serving editor-in-chief of the magazine. She told staff that she will step aside from running the magazine day-to-day, but will remain in charge of Vogue globally and as chief content officer of Conde Nast media company.
Her decision came after she told King Charles that she has no plans to retire, as she received her latest accolade. 'It makes me even more convinced that I have so much more to achieve,' she said. 'The last time I was here the Queen gave me a medal and we both agreed that we had been doing our job a very long time, and then this morning His Majesty asked me if this meant I was going to stop working and I said firmly, no.'
‘Now, I find that my greatest pleasure is helping the next generation of impassioned editors storm the field with their own ideas, supported by a new, exciting view of what a major media company can be. And that is exactly the kind of person we need to now look for to be Head of Editorial Content for US Vogue,’ she said.
Meanwhile, Anna – who’s thought to have been the inspiration behind The Devil Wears Prada character Miranda Priestly – will continue ‘paying close attention to the fashion industry and the creative cultural force that is our extraordinary Met Gala’, adding, ‘And it goes without saying that I plan to remain Vogue’s tennis and theatre editor in perpetuity.’
What does Anna Wintour do?
Anna is one of the most influential power players in the fashion industry, often gracing the front row of Fashion Weeks and helped launch the careers of designers such as Marc Jacobs, Alexander McQueen and John Galliano. As well as being editor-in-chief of US Vogue, a position which she held for 37 years, she’s also the main organiser and co-chair of the Costume Institute of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s annual Met Gala, a staple in New York society and celebrity calendars.
What is Anna Wintour’s net worth?
Anna Wintour has an estimated net worth of $50 million, as of 2025, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
What is Anna Wintour’s annual salary?
Reports indicate that Anna was paid $4 million annual salary for her job as US Vogue’s editor-in-chief, doubled from her $2 million pay in 2005. In addition to being in charge of the fashion magazine, she is Conde Nast’s Global Chief Content Officer and works across the company’s other publications including The New Yorker, Conde Nast Traveller, GQ, Glamour, Architectural Digest and Vanity Fair amongst others.
Does Anna Wintour pay for her own clothes?
It takes money to maintain Anna’s sleek bob and those designer sunglasses – her ‘uniform’. Luckily for her, it’s one of her work perks, with Conde Nast picking up the bill for Anna’s hair and make-up ‘every day of the week’. She also reportedly gets a $200,000 annual allowance for her ‘workwear’ clothes, although we’d expect that she gets a fair few freebies thrown her way, given her status in the fashion industry.
Shereen Low is a senior news and entertainment writer for Grazia UK, who has covered some of the biggest showbiz news from the past decade.