Gavin Newsom mocked for poor childhood story despite Getty family connection

Gavin Newsom is getting roasted online after claiming in his new memoir he grew up poor.

In profile pieces ahead of the February 24 launch of “Young Man in a Hurry” Newsom claims he struggled badly with dyslexia and his dysfunctional family.

Newsom, a likely Democratic contender for the 2028 presidential election, downplays his elite connections.

As the New York Times noted in its profile of the California governor, Newsom insists that the “privileged caricature of his background is mistaken.”

In Vogue, the writer claims, “People assume Newsom comes from money. He doesn’t. Access, yes. Privilege, yes. Money, no.”

However, people online feel differently.

They were quick to point out he was raised alongside the Gettys, one of the wealthiest families on the planet.

Valery Walsh, a frustrated voter, wrote on Facebook that she wishes Newsom were just honest.

“He was the son of a judge, he wasn’t poor,” Walsh wrote.

Reflecting on her own upbringing south of San Francisco, she added, “We only bought Wonder Bread when I found a coupon. My dad was a blue-collar worker and my mom was a stay-at-home mom.”

Newsom’s parents were Tessa Thomas Menzies and William Alfred Newsom III, a California appeals court judge and longtime attorney and trust manager for the Getty family, one of the richest oil-fortune dynasties in the United States.

Newsom’s father was a close friend of billionaire heir Gordon Getty, whose family’s vast oil and investment fortune — once valued in the billions — helped seed Newsom’s early business ventures, including backing for the PlumpJack Group and generous support for campaign events.

Another user called Newsom tone-deaf.

“His version of poor is that he didn’t get new shows each week and have a cell phone as a kid! Liar!” Randall Robinson wrote.

In a community post on Facebook, over 600 users flooded comment threads, highlighting his connections to elite families and political lineage.

“He grew up in one of the four most powerful families in Ca. No way he’s ever gone without a meal unless he wanted to diet,” one person wrote.

Newsom also had connections with the Brown political dynasty — former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown even wrote letters of recommendation for Newsom’s college applications.

In 1991, Newsom posed for a San Francisco Chronicle “Children of the Rich” feature, highlighting his place among the city’s elite long before he entered politics.

People on X also roasted the governor.

“POOR LIL’ GAVIN,” one user wrote. “Everybody feels sorry for Gavin Newsom. He’s had a tough life.”

“So lunch at French Laundry?” they added, referencing the pricey three-Michelin-star Napa Valley restaurant where Newsom faced criticism for dining during the 2020 coronavirus lockdown.

Newsom’s political ascent has not been without deep pockets.

Eight of San Francisco’s wealthiest families — the Gettys, Fishers, Pritzkers, Swigs, Marcuses, Buells, Wilseys and Guggenheims — contributed roughly $2 million of the $61 million raised across his campaigns and independent committees, the Los Angeles Times reported in 2018.

While these donors accounted for a small fraction of the total raised, their early backing was crucial, giving Newsom a foothold as a political newcomer before his campaign coffers were later bolstered by labor unions, Hollywood figures, tech billionaires and statewide supporters, the paper said.

Despite a silver-spoon upbringing — luxury safaris, elite schools and wealthy connections — Newsom’s single mother and early jobs, like delivering newspapers, instilled a strong work ethic and independence, his supporters say.

However, critics say Newsom is politically positioning himself as a struggling, relatable figure for rural and swing-state voters while quietly laying the groundwork for a potential presidential run.

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