Who Is Joel Schiffman? Hoda Kotb’s Ex-Fiance's Job and Kids

Hoda Kotb and her former fiancé, Joel Schiffman, went through a lot together. The Today star and Joel are the parents of their two young kids, Haley Joy and Hope Catherine, and were previously engaged.

Hoda and Joel had been a couple since 2013 and started their family together when they adopted their first child, Haley, in 2017. They expanded their brood when they adopted their second daughter, Hope, in 2019. Joel and Hoda announced their split in January 2022.

“Joel and I have had a lot of prayerful and meaningful conversations over the holidays and we decided that we are better as friends and parents than we are as an engaged couple, so we decided we are going to start this new year on our new path as loving parents to our adorably delightful children and as friends,” she revealed during the third hour of Today.

Scroll below to learn more about Joel.

They Met at an Event Hoda Didn’t Even Want to Go To

Hoda first met Joel in the summer of 2013 after she spoke at an event for Wall Street professionals. Following the discussion, she was signing some of her books when all of a sudden Joel approached her.

“They asked me to sign some books and one guy is like, ‘Can you sign it to my grandma?’ And this guy walks up and he’s like, ‘I’ll take a book,'” she explained during a segment on the morning talk show in April 2014. “And I was like, ‘Who do you want me to write it to — your girlfriend, your wife, your aunt?’ And he goes, ‘Write it to me.'”

She Used to Call Him ‘Boots’ to Keep Him Private

When they began dating around 2013, Hoda used to refer to Joel as “Boots” because she didn’t want to give away his name for privacy reasons. However, their relationship was outed when pics of the two surfaced while they were away on a romantic beach getaway.

“Here’s the thing … you know when you’re keeping something so close to the vest?” the once host asked during a segment on Today. “And I have kept this so close to the vest, I didn’t even say his name. We called him ‘Boots’ forever because we just showed his shoes [on the show].”

They Adopted Their First Daughter in 2017

In February 2017, Hoda and Joel adopted baby girl Haley Joy. Following the incredible adoption, Hoda opened up to People about how her treatment for breast cancer left her unable to conceive.

“I was afraid to even say it out loud, because then it felt so real,” she candidly admitted. “I said, ‘Think about it for a day or a week or whatever.’ And he said, ‘I don’t need a day. Let’s get this journey going.’ At that point I blubbered like a baby. It was like the dam burst.”

He Is a Dad of 3

Aside from being the loving dad of his and Hoda’s adopted daughters, he’s also the proud father of his eldest daughter, Kyle Schiffman. The doting daughter was in full support of her dad’s relationship with the talk show host.

“It’s great to finally see just the two of them are so happy and they love doing the same thing,” Kyle previously gushed to Closer Weekly in an exclusive interview just weeks after her dad’s engagement. “They just enjoy each other’s time and they’re perfect for each other and I love them both so much!”

He Has a Successful Career

Joel was has paved quite the impressive career for himself. Not only did he excel in school, receiving a Bachelors Degree at the University of California and a Masters Degree from the University of Pennsylvania, but he also participated in a lot of extra curricular activities while studying.

The financier has been the vice president and director of financial institutions at Janus Group, a leading global active asset manager that assists clients in achieving their long-term financial goals.