Who are Gavin Newsom’s parents? California Governor’s dad’s link to billionaire explained as humble origins claim sparks doubts

California Governor Gavin Newsom's recent remarks about his modest childhood have shone a spotlight on his well-connected upbringing and his well-known ties to his father, who had connections to the billionaire Gordon Getty as close friends.

Newsom appeared on the recent episode of the All The Smoke podcast and spoke of his mother, Tessa Thomas Menzies, being a young single mother who worked very hard to raise him and his sister after his father left them.

"My mom was 19, pregnant and divorced a few years later, with two kids. Came from no money and just hustled. You know, worked hard, grinding every single day," Gavin Newsom  stated.

BREAKING - Conservatives are ruthlessly mocking Gavin Newsom after he debuted a new accent and a fabricated backstory, claiming he was so poor while growing up that he had to eat bread and mac and cheese just to pay the bills.

(His parents were millionaire socialites.) pic.twitter.com/eeWWIgvLH1

— Right Angle News Network (@Rightanglenews) October 26, 2025

He remembered having roommates to help share the rent and surviving on simple meals such as macaroni and cheese.
Though Newsom's story of determination is relatable for many, some have contested whether his description of financial hardship is reflective of his family's long-standing ties to some of the richest circles of San Francisco, mainly, the Getty family.

William Newsom III, Newsom's father, was a former appellate court judge in California and a long-time friend of oil heir Gordon Getty, the son of J. Paul Getty, once one of the richest men in the world.

They attended school together, after which William Newsom became a key figure regarding the management of the Getty family trust, valued at several billion dollars. He even helped to deliver the ransom when John Paul Getty III was kidnapped in 1973.

Even with his elite connections, William Newsom frequently insisted that he and his children did not partake in the Gettys' wealth. In a 2003 interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, he stated that his experience of financial hardship began after he ran for the Senate unsuccessfully in 1968, and Tessa took on multiple jobs:

"I made a foolish mistake of putting my own money in it and losing...I was around wealthy people, but I never had any money, nor did Gavin." 

More about their other rich connections and Tessa Menzies’ struggle to raise Gavin Newsom

Tessa, who brought Gavin up largely on her own, worked as a secretary, waitress, and paralegal to survive. Newsom has said he has a strong work ethic and has been resilient because of the way Tessa raised him.

But his childhood was also close to privilege. Reportedly, the Gettys treated him as one of the family and took him on family trips, including an African safari, and, after he graduated from Santa Clara University, helped him with funding his first business, the PlumpJack Group.

Aside from the Gettys, several notable San Francisco families, including the Pritzkers, Fishers, and Swigs, were key in supporting Newsom's initial political career.

Gavin Newsom did not grow up poor.

He was from a wealthy family which is totally fine…

But he lies about it painting himself as a “Hoop Dreams” story.

His childhood home recently sold for $3.6 million.

This is his hood where hoopin saved him.

He’s incapable of being honest. pic.twitter.com/Q4QNwsO3m6

— C3 (@C_3C_3) October 26, 2025

Connecting with these families would become important as he transitioned from a local restaurateur to San Francisco mayor, to lieutenant governor, and then to governor of California.

William Newsom, who died in 2018 at the age of 84, is remembered as an esteemed jurist and environmental advocate and an influence on his son’s political perspective. For her part, Tessa Menzies died in 2002, but has since become a hallmark of Newsom’s personal tale of rigor and determination.