Who is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s supportive fiancé, Riley Roberts? They went from college sweethearts to attending the Met Gala 2021 together – but what was that drama over his ‘gross pale male feet’?

May 11, 2024

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Riley Roberts leave after the 2021 Met Gala. Photo: Getty Images

Riley Roberts and New York congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, aka AOC, met at age 19 as Boston University students, started dating, split after graduating – then got back together around 5 years ago

Roberts, who was in Netflix’s 2019 documentary Knock Down the House, is no stranger to headlines – but probably didn’t expect an ex-adviser of Donald Trump to insult his feet

She made history at just 29 years old by becoming the youngest woman ever elected to Congress in 2018. Now, according to Forbes, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez – or AOC, as she’s affectionately known – has a net worth of around US$125,000, a significant amount for a woman who was bartending to make ends meet just a few years ago.

Since beginning her tenure as New York’s congressional representative, Ocasio-Cortez has become a largely divisive figure because of her progressive politics. One of her most controversial moments came at the 2021 Met Gala. The congresswoman wore a white, off-the-shoulder gown by designer Aurora James for the event, which featured the rallying cry “tax the rich” emblazoned in red on its back. The slogan was echoed on her handbag.

Aurora James, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Riley Roberts leave the 2021 Met Gala in New York City. Photo: Getty Images

The outfit led to an investigation over whether AOC violated congressional rules by accepting the gown – and other items – as impermissible gifts, reported the BBC. The outfit also divided many for its apparent hypocrisy; AOC is known for backing legislation that would tax the wealthy, and the exclusive Met Gala is very much an event for New York’s rich, per The New York Times, with tickets going for US$75,000 a pop this year.

Her partner is no stranger to headlines either. Riley Roberts was in the news after he appeared in Netflix’s 2019 Knock Down the House, a documentary that followed AOC and other progressive politicians.

So what else do we know about Roberts, and how did he come to date one of America’s youngest and most influential politicians?

How rich is Riley Roberts?

Forbes has described Riley’s wealth as “the black box at the centre of Ocasio-Cortez’s finances”. That’s because, per the publication, he does not have to report his assets as part of her official disclosures because they are not married. But given his long career in tech in the Big Apple, it’s easy to assume that he has a healthy bank balance.

Per the New York Post, he grew up in a wealthy area in Arizona as the son of a property agent. It’s been widely reported that he worked as a web developer after university and also did a stint of marketing for an online home management service, HomeBinder.

He’s not afraid to stir the pot

Roberts first met Ocasio-Cortez at a weekly student town hall called Coffee and Conversations when they were both 19-year-old students at Boston University, per Business Insider. It was at these Friday afternoon sessions that Roberts gained a reputation for “stirring the pot to keep rigorous and stimulating dialogue going”, keeping up with AOC’s ability to drive discussions, stated Cosmopolitan.