Cenk Kadir Uygur was born on March 21, 1970, in Istanbul, Turkey, to a secular Muslim family. His family emigrated to the United States when he was eight years old, settling in East Brunswick, New Jersey, where his father worked as a commercial real estate developer. Raised in New Jersey, Uygur graduated from East Brunswick High School and initially became more religious during his college years before later identifying as an atheist. He pursued higher education at the Wharton School of Business, majoring in management, and earned a J.D. from Columbia University School of Law, practicing as an attorney in Washington, D.C., before transitioning to media and political commentary. Uygur is a Turkish-American political activist known for his left-wing populist views. He is the co-founder and host of The Young Turks network. His career includes occupations as a radio personality, YouTuber, journalist, and politician, with a brief stint attempting political office. He has been married to Wendy Lang since 2008.