What was King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz’s Net Worth? King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud was a Saudi Arabian politician and military commander who had a net worth of $18 billion at the time of his death in January 2015. King Abdullah ruled Saudi Arabia from 2005 until his death in 2015. King Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz also served as Saudi Arabia’s regent from 1996 to 2005 and was the Commander of the National Guard for 48 years, stepping down from the post in Fall 2010.During his reign as king, he was the absolute monarch of the desert kingdom. As King he oversaw the security of Islam’s holiest cities, as well as the control of 20% of the world’s most valuable oil reserves. He ascended the throne of the Kingdom in August 2005 following the death of his half-brother, King Fahd.During his reign as King he successfully led Saudi Arabia through the global recession with government spending and high oil production. He also managed to avoid losing power through the famous Arab Spring that that toppled several neighboring powers.Abdullah lost his second heir apparent when his brother, Crown Prince Nayef, died in June 2012. Prince Nayef was replaced by another brother, Crown Prince Salman, the former governor of Riyadh, as heir apparent. Salman became King in 2015 after Abdullah’s death on January 22, 2015 at the age of 90. Salman’s son Mohammed bin Salman is now the Crown Prince.? Compare King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz’s Net WorthEarly Life Abdullah was born on August 1, 1924 in Riyadh, though there are some conflicting reports about his birthday with some claiming he was actually eight years older. He was born to King Abdulaziz and mother Fahda bint Asi Al Shuraim. He was the tenth son of the king. Because he had so many brothers and experienced a speech impediment in his early years, some argue that his rise to ascension to the throng was somewhat delayed among his brothers.By August of 1963, Abdullah was made the commander of the Saudi National Guard. He was later appointed by King Khalid as second deputy minister, a post that reflected his status as second in line of succession to the Saudi throne. However, this appointment did cause some friction among some of his brothers, a few of whom supported a different line of succession. However, Abdullah’s status was more firmly implanted when King Khalid died and Fahd bin Abdulaziz became King, making Abduall the Crown Prince in 1982. Abdullah was very politically active in this role and was heavily focused on achieving peace in the Arab-Israel conflict.Reign as King Abdullah became King following the death of his half-brother, King Fahd, and formally succeeded to the throne on August 2, 2005. During his rule, he focused on implementing a number of domestic reforms including an education initiative that sent young Saudi men and women abroad for their university studies. He also initiated a top-to-bottom restructuring of the country’s court system to introduce concepts like judicial review of decisions and a greater emphasis on professional training for judges. He also streamlined the process by which entrepreneurs could start businesses in Saudi Arabia and encouraged the development of the alternative energy fields. He also focused on cracking down on homegrown terrorism and tried to weaken the influence of Al-Qaida. Following the Arab Spring, he also pledged $37 billion to focus on education and housing subsidies, jobless benefits, police reform, and health care improvements.Abdullah had a reputation of being pro-American and was considered to be a close ally of the United States. He had traveled as a young man to the United States and met with multiple American presidents during his life. He was very supportive of President Barack Obama’s presidency. He provided support to the US during their invasion of Iraq, though he expressed publicly his advice was against the invasion. He also tried to establish good relations with China, with a primary focus on trade.During his time as King, he was also criticized for various human rights abuses, including the treatment of women in Saudi Arabia. However he also received a number of honors and awards during his reign. He became an honored knight of the strictly Roman Catholic Order of the Golden Fleece, due in large part to his call for more religious dialogue among the monotheistic religions. He was also awarded a gold medal by the United Nations for his contributions to intercultural understanding and peace initiatives.Family Life Abdullah had a large number of wives, as is typical of Saudi Arabian kings, most of whom were from tribal backgrounds. He married the daughters of the al Shalan of Anizah, al Fayz of Bani Sakhr, and al Jarbah of the Iraqi branch of the Shammar tribe. Some of his more notable wives include Aida Fustuq, Munira bint Abdullah Al Sheikh, and Malka bint Saud bin Zaid Al Jarba Al Choumi. In total, he had about 30 wives and 36 children, 16 of whom are male. His eldest son, Mutaib, died at a young age, and some of his other sons have held prominent positions throughout the Middle East. His second eldest son, Prince Khalid, was the deputy commander of the Saudi Arabian National Guard West until 1992, Prince Faisal was the head of the Saudi Arabian Red Crescent Society, and Prince Turki was a pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force and governor of the Riyadh province, among others. Two of his sons have been involved in lawsuits, Prince Majid, and Mohammed, though charges were ultimately dropped.Among his 20 daughters, very few of them have public roles. One, Princess Adila, is a known advocate of a woman’s right to drive and was known for acting as “her father’s public face.” One of his daughters, Noura, died in a car accident in 1990. He also had four daughters with ex-sife Al Anoud Al Fayez, who remained under house arrest for several years. There were multiple media reports of their poor living conditions until the reports stopped and one of them, Princess Hala, reportedly died in September of 2021 of unknown causes.Illness and Death The King suddenly reduced his public activities in June of 2010. From 2010 to 2012, he underwent four back surgeries and it was reported that blood was accumulating around his spinal cord. He spent much of this time in hospitals in New York. During this time, the Crown Prince Sultan returned to Saudi Arabia from Morocco to ensure stability of the Kingdom.In January of 2015, the King contracted pneumonia and died on the 23rd of January at the age of 90 in Riyadh. His funeral was held the same day at the Grand Mosque of Riyadh and three days of national mourning were declared.
What is James Carville’s Net Worth?James Carville is a political consultant and author who has a net worth of $10 million. That is a combined net worth with his wife, political strategist Mary Matalin. James Carville has been a strategist for candidates for public office in the United States and abroad. He achieved national recognition for his work as the lead strategist for Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign in 1992. Beyond his political work, Carville often appears on cable news shows and podcasts to share his expertise.? Compare James Carville’s Net WorthEarly Life and Career BeginningsJames Carville was born as Chester James Carville Jr. on October 25, 1944 in Fort Benning, Georgia. He is the oldest of eight children of James, who was stationed in Fort Benning during World War II, and Lucille, a former school teacher who stayed in Carville, Louisiana. As a young adult, Carville went to Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville, and then enrolled at Louisiana State University. He didn’t graduate at the time, as his poor grades caused the school to throw him out. Subsequently, Carville served two years in the US Marine Corps, with which he was stationed at Camp Pendleton in San Diego. Following the end of his enlistment, he returned to finish his studies at LSU, eventually obtaining his BS degree in general studies, and later a JD in 1973. Carville went on to work as a lawyer at McKernnan, Beychok, Screen and Pierson in Baton Rouge. He also worked for the political consulting firm Weill-Strother.Political Consulting in the 80sIn the early 80s, Carville was executive assistant to East Baton Rouge Parish mayor-president Pat Screen. His first big consulting job came in 1984, however, when he managed Texas state legislator Lloyd Doggett’s campaign for the open Texas Senate seat. Carville helped Doggett secure the Democratic nomination in a primary that included conservative Representative Kent Hance. However, in the general election, Doggett lost to Phil Gramm. Carville was more successful two years later, when he helped Bob Casey Sr. win his election to become governor of Pennsylvania. The following year, Carville served as a campaign manager to another gubernatorial candidate, Kentucky businessman Wallace Wilkinson, who also won election.Political Consulting in the 90sFrom 1989 to 1990, Carville helped lieutenant governor Zell Miller win Georgia’s gubernatorial nomination, and eventually the general election. Also in 1990, Carville consulted for Texas State Attorney General Jim Mattox, who was seeking his state’s Democratic gubernatorial nomination. Ultimately, Mattox lost to State Treasurer Ann Richards. Following this, Carville consulted for Harris Wofford in his campaign for a vacant Pennsylvania Senate seat. He helped create an aggressive and successful campaign that resulted in Wofford defeating his opponent, sitting US Attorney General Dick Thornburgh.In 1992 and early 1993, Carville assisted San Fernando Valley state assemblyman Richard Katz in his run for the Los Angeles mayoral election. Despite spending millions on television commercials, Katz finished in fourth place and failed to advance to the general election.Bill Clinton’s Presidential CampaignArguably Carville’s greatest political victory was in 1992, when he helped Arkansas governor Bill Clinton defeat the incumbent George H. W. Bush in the presidential election. His campaign theme was characterized by angry left-wing populism, with a focus on change, the economy, and healthcare. Following the successful election in 1993, Carville was honored as Campaign District Manager of the Year by the American Association of Political Consultants. The same year, his role in Clinton’s campaign was documented in the Oscar-nominated film “The War Room.”International Political CareerBeyond the United States, Carville has had a prolific political career working on election campaigns abroad. In the 90s, he assisted such candidates as UK Prime Minister Tony Blair; Brazilian presidential candidate Fernando Henrique Cardoso; Honduran presidential candidate Carlos Flores Facussé; Ecuadorian presidential candidate Jamil Mahuad Witt; Panamanian president Ernesto Pérez Balladares; Israeli prime ministerial candidate Ehud Barak; and Argentinian presidential candidate and then-governor Eduardo Duhalde.In the early 2000s, through his firm Greenberg Carville Shrum, Carville consulted in Bolivia for Revolutionary Nationalist Movement party presidential candidate Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada. Shortly after this, Carville worked in Venezuela as an advisor to business interests that wanted to displace Hugo Chávez from office following the unsuccessful 2002 coup d’état. Later in the decade, Carville became a campaign advisor to Afghan presidential candidate Ashraf Ghani. Among his other work abroad, Carville has worked as a senior advisor to Colombian presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos and Buenos Aires gubernatorial candidate Daniel Scioli.Other American Political WorkWhile consulting internationally, Carville also continued to work with presidential candidates in the US. In 2004, he became an informal advisor to John Kerry’s presidential campaign, and four years later, advised Hillary Clinton during her presidential run. For the 2020 presidential race, Carville endorsed Colorado Senator Michael Bennett’s ultimately losing campaign for the Democratic nomination.Media AppearancesFrom 2002 to 2005, Carville cohosted the CNN current events debate program “Crossfire” with Paul Begala. Carville continued to be a regular CNN contributor through 2013, after which point he joined Fox News Channel. In 2006, he switched his focus to sports and began hosting the radio show “60/20 Sports” with Luke Russert.In addition to serving as a host and contributor on news programs, Carville has appeared in numerous television and print advertisements. He has been in commercials for such major consumer brands as Heineken, American Express, Maker’s Mark, Coca-Cola, Nike, and Ariba. Carville has also made appearances in many films, including “The People vs. Larry Flynt,” “Old School,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation,” and “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford,” as well as on television shows such as “Mad About You,” “Spin City,” and “30 Rock.”Personal LifeIn 1993, Carville married fellow political consultant Mary Matalin, who had worked on the losing reelection campaign of George H. W. Bush. The couple has two daughters, and lives in Virginia.
What is Sarah Sanders’ Net Worth and Salary?Sarah Sanders is an American campaign manager and political adviser who has a net worth of $1.5 million. She is perhaps best known for serving as the Press Secretary for the Trump Administration, although she eventually stepped down from this role. As Press Secretary she earned an annual salary of $179,000.After Trump’s departure from office, she announced plans to run as a candidate for the Governor of Arkansas in 2022. Sarah is also known for being the daughter of Mike Huckabee, who is a well-known political figure in the United States. Sanders is a Republican.Far from being overshadowed by her father, Sarah has become a notable political figure in her own right. In 2010, “Time Magazine” named her as one of the top 40 under 40 in the political world. However, she began her political career by working alongside Mike Huckabee when he campaigned for United States Senate for the first time in 1992. Sarah then served as a field coordinator for Mike’s 2002 reelection campaign for the Governor of Arkansas before becoming a senior advisor for Trump’s successful 2016 presidential campaign. Outside of her political career, Sarah is a founding partner at Second Street Strategies, a consulting firm for Republican campaigns based in Little Rock, Arkansas.? Compare Sarah Sanders’ Net WorthEarly LifeSarah Elizabeth Huckabee was born on August 13th of 1982 in Hope, Arkansas. Raised alongside two older brothers by Mike Huckabee and Janet Huckabee, Sarah attended high school in Little Rock and subsequently enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. During her college years, she was elected student body president and became an active member of various Republican student groups. By 2004, she had graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in political science. She minored in mass communications.CareerSarah Sanders began her political career by assisting with her father’s first campaign for US Senate. The bid was unsuccessful, and Sarah later admitted that he did not employ many staff members for his campaign. As a result, Sarah and other family members were heavily involved. Her father later became the governor of Arkansas in 1996. By 2002, she had become a field coordinator for her father’s 2002 reelection bid for the gubernatorial seat, which was successful. During this time, she also worked as a regional liaison for congressional affairs at the US Department of Education under President Bush. In 2004, she became involved in Bush’s reelection campaign in Ohio, again acting as a field coordinator.During the next few years, Sarah Sanders became a founding partner of Second Street Strategies and worked on a number of political campaigns within Arkansas. She also later became vice president of Tsamoutales Strategies. During this period, she worked with political figures such as Tim Pawlenty, John Boozman, and Tom Cotton. By 2016, she was working on her father’s presidential campaign. When her father’s chances clearly became unlikely, she started working with Donald Trump for his own 2016 presidential campaign. During this period, she mostly handled the campaign’s communications for coalitions, drawing upon her previous study of mass communications in university.After Trump claimed victory, Sanders won a place in the new administration as the Deputy White House Press Secretary. In 2017, she stepped in for Sean Spicer, who was unavailable at the time, and gave her first press briefing. Over the next little while, Sanders continued to stand in for Spicer on numerous occasions. During this time, she developed a reputation for fiercely defending the Trump administration at all times, later admitting that “it has been a hallmark of the Trump White House never to admit a mistake, never to apologize and never to cede a point.”In 2017, Spicer officially resigned, and Sarah took his place as the new White House Press Secretary. Over the next two years, Sanders answered questions from the press on a number of topics, including Trump’s sexual harassment allegations, the family separation policy, and the Red Hen restaurant controversy. She also found herself in hot water after sharing a video originally posted by an InfoWars reporter which showed Jim Acosta refusing to hand a microphone to an intern while having a verbal argument with Trump. In 2019, President Trump announced that Sanders would be leaving her role as Press Secretary. She then became a Fox News contributor, and in 2019 she announced her plan to run for Governor of Arkansas, just like her father.ControversySarah Sanders’ role as Press Secretary become controversial due to the findings of the Mueller Report. As a result of this report, it became clear that Sanders had admitted to lying while giving a press conference, specifically when it came to James Comey, the former FBI director. She later defended these mistruths, stating that she had acted in the “heat of the moment,” and that they were “slips of the tongue.” The Mueller Report was intended to condemn Trump, but it failed to do so — something that Sanders seized upon while claiming that the report completely “exonerated” Trump. However, the summary of the report specifically noted that it did not “fully” exonerate the president at the time. This was also seen as controversial.In 2018, Sarah Sanders was asked to leave a restaurant in Virginia because she worked for the Trump Administration. This created an incident known as the Red Hen restaurant controversy.Real EstateIn 2019, it was reported that Sanders and her husband had purchased a home in the Little Rock neighborhood of Pleasant Valley for $600,000.
What was Ronald Reagan’s Net Worth?Ronald Reagan was an actor and Republican politician who had a net worth of $13 million at the time of his death in 2004. From 1981 to 1989 Ronald served as the 40th president of the United States. Earlier, he had served as the president of the Screen Actors Guild and subsequently the governor of California.Reagan is remembered for his policies of economic deregulation, the War on Drugs, the Iran-Contra affair, attacks on protestors, and disregard for the AIDS crisis and the LGBTQ community.? Compare Ronald Reagan’s Net WorthEarly Life and EducationRonald Reagan was born on February 6, 1911 in Tampico, Illinois to low-income parents Jack and Nelle. He was of Irish Catholic, Scottish, and English descent, and had an older brother named Neil. The family lived briefly in various towns throughout Illinois, such as Galesburg, Monmouth, and Chicago. They then returned to Tampico before finally settling in Dixon. There, Reagan went to Dixon High School, where he developed interests in sports and acting. His first job was as a lifeguard at the Rock River in Lowell Park. For his higher education, Reagan attended Eureka College where he graduated in 1932 with a C average. During his time in college, he was a member of the swim and football teams.Acting CareerFollowing his graduation from Eureka, Reagan worked in Iowa as a radio announcer for Chicago Cubs baseball games. While on the road with the Cubs in California in 1937, Reagan took a screen test that resulted in a seven-year contract with Warner Bros. studios. After spending his first years in Hollywood in the B-film unit, he had his first screen credit with a starring role in “Love is on the Air.” By the end of the 30s, Reagan had appeared in 19 films, including “Sergeant Murphy,” “Cowboy from Brooklyn,” “Dark Victory,” and “Naughty but Nice.” In 1940, Reagan had one of his most famous roles in “Knute Rockne, All American,” for which he earned the lifelong nickname of “the Gipper.”Reagan’s star rose considerably in the 40s, largely thanks to his starring role as a double amputee in Sam Woods’ “Kings Row.” Following this, he costarred with Errol Flynn in the WWII film “Desperate Journey.” Reagan was ordered to the military shortly after, but returned following his service to star in such films as “John Loves Mary,” “Bedtime for Bonzo,” “Cattle Queen of Montana,” “Hellcats of the Navy,” and the 1964 remake of “The Killers,” which was his final film.Screen Actors Guild PresidentIn 1941, Reagan was elected to the Board of Directors of the Screen Actors Guild. After the war, he returned to become third vice president. When the SAG president and a number of board members resigned in 1947 due to new union bylaws, Reagan was elected president. He went on to be reelected a total of six times throughout the 40s and 50s. During his tenure, Reagan notably advanced the Hollywood blacklist era, persecuting those believed to be loyal to communism.Governor of CaliforniaAlthough he began as a Hollywood Democrat, Reagan moved to the right in the 50s and became a Republican in the 60s. He received national attention for his role as a leading spokesman in the campaign of presidential contender Barry Goldwater. After he gave his infamous “A Time for Choosing” speech, he became a prominent conservative figure. In 1966, Reagan was elected governor of California. In his first term, he froze government hiring and raised taxes. He also sent officers and National Guard troops to suppress anti-war protestors at the University of California, Berkeley, resulting in the death of a student and several other injuries. Despite unsuccessful attempts to recall him in 1968, Reagan was reelected as governor in 1970.US PresidentIn November of 1979, Reagan announced his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination. In the election the next year, he defeated incumbent Democrat Jimmy Carter to become the 40th president of the United States. At just shy of 70 years old, Reagan became the oldest person to assume the position. He went on to win reelection in 1984 in a landslide victory over Democratic candidate Walter Mondale.During his presidency, Reagan implemented neoliberal economic initiatives dubbed “Reaganomics.” These involved tax rate reduction, economic deregulation, and cuts in government spending, which arguably benefited the wealthy at the expense of less fortunate.Among Reagan’s other accomplishments, he survived an assassination attempt in 1981. He continued to foster long-lasting societal damage when he initiated the War on Drugs, invaded Grenada, and fought against numerous labor unions. Additionally, he made cuts to domestic spending while increasing military spending, leading to a rise in federal debt.Reagan’s second term was dominated by foreign affairs, including the bombing of Libya, the Iran-Iraq War, and the infamous Iran-Contra affair, in which his administration covertly sold arms to the Khomeini government of Iran in order to illegally fund Contra rebels in Nicaragua. A major opponent of the USSR, Reagan also challenged Soviet General Secretary Mikhail Gorbachev to open the Berlin Wall, which eventually came down in 1989.Personal Life and DeathIn 1940, Reagan married his first wife, Jane Wyman, with whom he had costarred in the film “Brother Rat.” Together, they had daughters Maureen and Christine, and adopted a son named Michael. In 1948, Wyman filed for divorce. Subsequently, in 1949, Reagan met actress Nancy Davis. The pair married in Los Angeles in 1952. Ronald and Nancy Reagan had two children named Patti and Ron.In 1994, Reagan announced that he had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease. Over the ensuing years, his public appearances grew less frequent as his disease progressed. Reagan passed away at his Los Angeles home in 2004 at the age of 93.Real EstateIn 1989, the Reagans retired to a home in Bel Air, Los Angeles. Located at 668 Saint Cloud Road, the 1.5-acre property had a 7,200 square-foot mansion. Technically, a group of friends bought the home for the Reagans in 1986 for $2.5 million (that’s the same as $6 million in today’s dollars). Ron and Nancy leased the home with an option to buy at the $2.5 million purchase price. They exercised that option in 1989 upon leaving The White House.Their immediate next-door neighbor was movie producer Jerry Perenchio. Jerry’s property, known as Chartwell, was famous for being used in the opening credits of the original “Beverly Hillbillies” television show. After Nancy Reagan died in 2016, Jerry acquired the Reagan mansion for $15 million and incorporated it into Chartwell. Jerry razed the Reagan house to the ground to expand his gardens. Jerry died in May 2017. In August 2017 his heirs listed Chartwell for $350 million. They ultimately had to reduce the price several times before selling in December 2019 to Newscorp heir Lachlan Murdoch. The final sale price was $150 million which temporarily set the record for most expensive home sold in Los Angeles history. His record was broken two months later when Jeff Bezos paid $165 million for a Beverly Hills estate.
What is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s net worth and salary?Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an American politician and educator who has a net worth of $200 thousand. In 2018 she was elected as a member of the United States Congress. Also known by her initialized acronym “AOC”, she began serving in January 2019. She represents New York’s 14th Congressional district.? Compare Alexandria Ocasio Cortez’s Net WorthSalaryAOC’s annual Congressional salary is $174,000.Early Life and CareerAlexandria Ocasio-Cortez was born in New York City, New York on October 13, 1989.She is the daughter of Blanca Ocasio-Cortez and Sergio Ocasio-Cortez and has a younger brother named Gabriel. Her father, who died in 2012, was a small business owner and her mother cleans homes.When she was five, the family moved to the suburban neighborhood of Yorktown Heights. She attended Yorktown High School where she was a very intelligent student. She came in second in the microbiology category of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in 2007.Her parents sold their family home in Yorktown, NY for $355,000 in 2016.After finishing high school, she enrolled at Boston University While she was a student, she served as an intern for U.S. Senator Ted Kennedy and also helped her family deal with a lengthy probate battle to settle her father’s estate following his death during her second year of college. She has said both experiences had a large impact on her. In 2011, Ocasio-Cortez graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in international relations and economics.After college, Ocasio-Cortez started a job as a bartender and waitress in order to help her mother from getting her house foreclosed on. She then launched Brook Avenue Press, a publishing firm that portrayed the Bronx in a positive light, and also worked for the nonprofit, National Hispanic Institute.In 2016, Ocasio-Cortez worked as an organizer for Bernie Sander’s presidential campaign. She then traveled across the United States visiting places like Flint, Michigan and the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in North Dakota in order to speak to the residents affected by the water crisis and the Dakota Access Pipeline. She was inspired by the activists working in these locations, as it was at this point that she realized politics was more accessible than she had thought. Soon after, she got a phone call from Brand New Congress, an organization that was recruiting progressive candidates.Political CareerIn April of 2017, Ocasio-Cortez began her campaign while also working at a taqueria in Union Square, New York City. She was the first person since 2004 to challenge Joe Crowley, the Democratic Caucus Chair, in the primary race. Because she was grossly underfinanced in comparison to Crowley, she had to rely on a strong grassroots mobilization campaign and made the decision to not take donations from corporations. Crowley did not participate in the only scheduled debate of the race and the two only met face-to-face once during the entire race. Ocasio-Cortez benefited from a number of endorsements from organizations like MoveOn and Democracy for America while most notable political figures endorsed Crowley.Ocasio-Cortez earned over 57% of the vote during the primary election. “Time” called it the biggest upset of the 2018 election so far, with other news outlets making similar statements. She was outspent by a margin of 18 to 1. She then went on to face the Republican nominee Anthony Pappas in the November 6 general election. Pappas did not actively campaign and Ocasio-Cortez was widely endorsed by progressive organizations, former President Barack Obama, and Senator Bernie Sanders. She won 78% of the vote and became part of the broader Democratic victory in the 2018 midterm elections, allowing the Democrats to gain control of the House of Representatives.Her win garnered a large amount of media attention. At age 29, she is the youngest woman to ever serve in the United States Congress and also the youngest member of the 116th Congress. She continued to receive high attention throughout her first years in office, even on par with that of the 2020 presidential candidates. She is part of an informal group of progressive members of Congress called “The Squad,” which also includes Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, Cori Bush, and Jamaal Bowman. The group represents some of the youngest and most progressive members of Congress.In terms of her political positions, Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of American. She supports various progressive policies like single-payer Medicare for All, tuition-free public college and trade school, cancelling outstanding student debt, guaranteed family leave, abolishing U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, privatized prisons, and more strict gun control policies. She also has been vocal about much more progressive environmental reforms and has described climate change as a massive security threat to the United States as well as worldwide civilization in general. Her environmental planned, called the Green New Deal, advocates for a transition to an electrical grid that runs on 100% renewable energy and calls for the end of the use of fossil fuels. She also has proposed various new tax plans that would impose greater taxes on the wealthy in order to help fund the Green New Deal. Additionally, she has been vocal about granting citizens of Puerto Rico further civil rights, including voting rights and disaster relief.Personal Life Ocasio-Cortez is Roman Catholic. While running for office in 2018, she resided in the Bronx with her partner, Riley Roberts, who works as a web developer. She reported that following the 2021 United States Capital attack, she has been in psychotherapy to cope with the aftermath.Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Wealth DisclosuresAn April 2018 disclosure filed by Alexandria showed that she had between $1,000 and $15,000 in savings, between $15,000 and $50,000 in checking and as much as $50,000 worth of student loan debt. The same disclosure showed that in 2017 she earned $26,581 working at a coffee shop/taqueria. She had no blind trusts for undisclosed assets. She earned $6,000 from her campaign as a salary. In her first year as a Congresswoman Alexandra earned $174,000. She also receives a $3,000 annual living expense credit, health/insurance and retirement benefits.The Center for Responsive Politics ranked her as one of the least wealthy members of the 116th Congress.
What is Tony Blair’s Net Worth?Tony Blair is a British politician who has a net worth of $60 million. Tony Blair served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1997 to 2007. Before that, he served as Leader of the Labour Party, and afterward, became the executive chairman of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Among other things, Blair and his government were known for progressive constitutional reforms, military interventions in Kosovo and Sierra Leone, and policies supporting the War on Terror.? Compare Tony Blair’s Net WorthEarly Life Tony Blair was born on May 6, 1953 in Edinburgh, Scotland as the second son of Hazel and Leo. His older brother is Sir William Blair, and he also has a younger sister named Sarah. In 1954, the family relocated to Adelaide, South Australia, where Leo taught law at the University of Adelaide. They returned to the United Kingdom in 1958, moving to Durham, England when Leo got a job as a lecturer at Durham University. In England, Blair went to the Chorister School from 1961 to 1966. At the age of 13, he was sent to the Fettes College boarding school in Edinburgh. After leaving the school, Blair spent a gap year in London trying to become famous as a rock music promoter. He subsequently matriculated to St John’s College of the University of Oxford, where he studied jurisprudence. While there, he played guitar and sang in a rock band called Ugly Rumours, and also did stand-up comedy. Blair graduated in 1975; afterward, he joined Lincoln’s Inn and became a pupil barrister.Political BeginningsShortly after graduating from Oxford, Blair joined the Labour Party. He subsequently became involved in Labour politics in Hackney South and Shoreditch, and offered his candidacy for the Hackney council elections in 1982. That year, Blair was selected as the Labour Party candidate for the Conservative seat of Beaconsfield, which he ultimately lost. In 1983, he had more success as a candidate for the Trimdon branch of Sedgefield, and was elected as its MP. Blair’s political cachet rose rapidly following the election; he earned his first front-bench appointment in 1984 as assistant Treasury spokesperson.Leader of the OppositionBlair stood for election to the Shadow Cabinet in 1987; he later became shadow home secretary in 1992 following the resignation of leader Neil Kinnock. Following the death of Leader of the Opposition John Smith in 1994, Blair defeated Margaret Beckett and John Prescott to become the new Labour Party leader and Leader of the Opposition. During his tenure, Blair abolished Clause IV, which was the party’s formal commitment to economic nationalization. He also committed to the free market and the EU, and worked to weaken trade union influence within the party.Prime MinisterOn May 2, 1997, Blair became the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, with the Labour Party claiming its largest landslide general election win in history. In the process, Blair became the nation’s youngest leader since 1812, at 42 years of age. With further victories in 2001 and 2005, he was also the Labour Party’s longest-serving prime minister.During Blair’s premiership, the British government enacted a number of constitutional reforms, removing most hereditary peers from the House of Lords. It also established the UK’s Supreme Court and reformed the office of Lord Chancellor. Additionally, his government held referendums that paved the way for the 1999 establishment of the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly. Among the other notable actions of Blair’s early premiership, he oversaw a significant increase in public spending, particularly in education and healthcare. Thanks to his advocacy of multiculturalism, immigration experienced a considerable increase as well. Blair’s other social policies were mostly progressive. In 1998, he introduced the National Minimum Wage Act and the Human Rights Act, and in 2000 created the Freedom of Information Act. However, his time in office also saw increased incarceration rates due to his anti-social behavior legislation.On the foreign policy side of things, Blair oversaw the British interventions in Kosovo and Sierra Leone in 1999 and 2000, respectively. Although these were generally considered successful, Blair drew major controversy in the early 00s for supporting the foreign policy of US President George W. Bush and his administration during the War on Terror. He ensured that the British Armed Forces participated in the war in Afghanistan and the invasion of Iraq, and falsely claimed that Saddam Hussein’s regime held weapons of mass destruction. Later, after the 7/7 bombing in London in 2005, Blair introduced an array of anti-terror legislation that was also controversial.Post-Prime Minister VenturesBlair officially resigned from his premiership in June of 2007 after ten years in office. He was subsequently confirmed as Middle East envoy for the United Nations, European Union, Russia, and United States. In 2008, he introduced a new plan for peace and Palestinian rights. Blair later resigned as envoy in 2015.Blair also joined the private sector in the years after his premiership. He joined investment bank JPMorgan Chase in a senior advisory capacity, and advised Zurich Financial Services on issues related to climate change. In 2008, Blair created the organization Tony Blair Associates to provide strategic advice on politics and economics. However, he came under attack for conflicts of interest between this work and his role as a Middle East envoy. Among his other private sector work, Blair launched the Tony Blair Sports Foundation to promote childhood participation in sports, and created the Tony Blair Faith Foundation to encourage an understanding of people of different religious backgrounds, and to work toward eradicating global conflict and poverty. Later, in 2016, he launched the Tony Blair Institute to champion global change in organizations and governments.Personal LifeIn 1980, Blair married Cherie Booth; together, they have four children named Euan, Nicholas, Leo, and Kathryn. The family owns eight residences in total, with its primary one being in Connaught Square.
What is Eliot Spitzer’s Net Worth?Eliot Spitzer is an American lawyer, political commentator, and Democratic Party politician who has a net worth of $75 million. After graduating from Princeton and Harvard, Spitzer began his career as a lawyer with several New York law firms. He then became the Attorney General of New York and earned a fearsome reputation within the financial services industry for his strict approach to corruption. In 2006, Eliot was elected as the New Governor of New York.His tenure would end in disgrace and controversy after his dealings with prostitutes were discovered. Forced to resign in disgrace, Spitzer then spent his time appearing on various television shows while also serving as an instructor at the City College of New York. During this period, Spitzer also began to build up what has been described as a “real estate empire.” In 2013, he made a failed attempt to re-enter the world of politics, losing to Scott Stringer in an election for the role of New York City Comptroller. That said, Spitzer is still a member of the Democratic Party.? Compare Eliot Spitzer’s Net WorthEarly LifeEliot Laurence Spitzer was born on June 10th of 1959 in the Bronx, New York City. His mother was an English literature professor, while his father was a well-known real estate mogul by the name of Bernard Spitzer. Raised in an affluent Jewish household alongside two siblings, Eliot attended Princeton University after scoring extremely high test scores. While at Princeton, he obtained an AB from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. Spitzer then attended Harvard Law School after obtaining a perfect score on the Law School Admission Test and earned his Juris Doctor. During his time at Harvard, he met and married his first wife while also serving as an editor for the “Harvard Law Review.”CareerEliot became a clerk after graduating from Harvard before gaining employment with a law firm in New York. He then joined the New York County District Attorney’s office and spent a number of years pursuing organized criminals such as the Gambino crime family. In the early 90s, Spitzer departed from the District Attorney’s office and spent a number of years working with various law firms in New York.Also during the early 90s, he ran for Attorney General for the first time. After an initial loss, he was eventually successful in 1998. He was re-elected in 2002 before announcing plans to run for Governor of New York in 2004. In 2006, he became successful and defeated the Republican candidate John Faso. During his time as Governor, Eliot campaigned to legalize same-sex marriage and tried to limit police surveillance powers.ControversyIn 2008, “The New York Times” reported that Eliot had been paying $1,000 per hour for the services of a high-class escort employed by a company called Emperors Club VIP. A federal wiretap revealed that he had met for two hours with a 22-year-old woman, later revealed to be Ashley Dupre, who later declined to comment on the ordeal. It was later determined that Spitzer had paid about $15,000 to this escort company for seven or eight encounters with prostitutes. As more information was revealed, it quickly became clear that this was not an isolated incident. It has since been estimated that Spitzer spent about $80,000 in total for the services of prostitutes over his political career, during which was he was serving as Attorney General and Governor.Federal authorities were tipped off when Spitzer started to engage in suspicious banking transactions. His bank reported these transactions due to anti-money laundering laws put in place by the Patriot Act. Initially, authorities allegedly wondered if Spitzer was accepting bribes, but their investigation ultimately led them to the prostitution ring. As a result, Spitzer immediately resigned. His wife stood by him as he faced this controversy, although they eventually started living apart before ultimately divorcing in 2013.RelationshipsAfter divorcing his wife in 2013, Eliot began a brief relationship with spokeswoman Lis Smith. He then became engaged to Roxana Girand in 2019 after the pair began a relationship back in 2017. Girand is the founder and president of well-known real estate agency Sebastian Capital. In 2020, it was reported that they had postponed their planned marriage due to Covid-19 concerns.Real EstateSince stepping away from politics, Spitzer has become quite active in the world of real estate. This is especially true after beginning his relationship with real-estate figure Roxana Girand. It should be noted that Spitzer is no stranger to real estate, as he is the son of the well-known real estate developer Bernard Spitzer. Eliot eventually created Spitzer Enterprises, which is a rebrand of his late father’s company, Spitzer Engineering.In 2020, it was reported that Roxana and Girand had purchased two condos in the Upper East Side of New York worth a total sum of $4.37 million. The two condos measure a combined total of 2,276 square feet. Building amenities include a pool, a roof deck, and a garden with a waterfall.According to his tax returns, Spitzer earns a considerable income as a landlord. This income has increased from $1.4 to over $2.5 million per year over a period spanning from 2006 to 2012. Many of the buildings that generate rental income for Eliot were previously built or owned by his late father. In 2013, it was reported that this rental income was responsible for roughly 60% of Spitzer’s yearly earnings.In 2015, it was reported that Spitzer had set a world record with the sale of an office building in Midtown New York for $1.78 billion. At the time, this was the highest price per square foot ever paid for an office building. Eliot’s real estate company closed the deal.
What is Angela Merkel’s Net Worth?Angela Merkel is a German politician and former research scientist who has a net worth of $11.5 million. Angela Merkel began serving as Chancellor of Germany in 2005. She was elected over and over until announcing in October 2018 that she would not seek a fifth term in 2021. Before this, she held a number of positions in government, including Minister for Women and Youth, Minister for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, General Secretary, and Leader of the Opposition. As chancellor, Merkel has been recognized as the most powerful woman in the world and the leader of the European Union.? Compare Angela Merkel’s Net WorthEarly Life and Career BeginningsAngela Merkel was born on July 17, 1954 in Hamburg, West Germany to Herlind, a teacher of Latin and English, and Horst, a Lutheran pastor. She has two younger siblings named Marcus and Irene. When Merkel was just a few months old, the family moved to Templin, where she grew up in the countryside north of East Berlin. Merkel had her first taste of politics in 1968 when she joined the Free German Youth, the official communist youth movement of the Marxist-Leninist Socialist Unity Party of Germany.In school, she excelled in mathematics and Russian. Merkel went on to attend Karl Marx University, Leipzig, where she studies physics. After graduating, she studied and worked at the Central Institute for Physical Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences in Berlin-Adlershof. Merkel obtained her doctorate degree in quantum chemistry in 1986, and subsequently worked as a research scientist for a few years.Political Career in the 90sMerkel’s political engagement was catalyzed in 1989 by the fall of the Berlin Wall. One month after this historic event, she joined the new East German political movement Democratic Beginning. In 1990, Merkel became the deputy spokesperson of the pre-unification caretaker government, led by Lothar de Maizière. That same year, she stood for election to the Bundestag, and gained her entry into parliament. From 1991 to 1994, she served as Minister for Women and Youth in the federal cabinet. Subsequently, Merkel was promoted to Minister for the Environment and Nuclear Safety, significantly elevating her platform. Her political cachet continued to rise in 1998, when she was appointed General Secretary of the CDU. Two years later, Merkel became the first female leader of a German party when she was elected as Chairperson of the CDU.Leader of the OppositionIn 2002, Merkel became the Leader of the Opposition in the Bundestag. During her tenure through 2005, she championed a reform agenda for Germany’s social and economic systems, and supported changes to German labor law. Additionally, she advocated for a strong German-American partnership, and came out in favor of the invasion of Iraq in 2003.Chancellor of GermanyIn 2005, Merkel was appointed to succeed Gerhard Schröder as the new chancellor of Germany. In the process, she became the first woman to be elected to the position. Merkel led a grand coalition comprised of the CDU, the Christian Social Union, and the Social Democratic Party of Germany. Later, upon her reelection in 2009, Merkel formed a coalition government with the Free Democratic Party. She won reelection once again in 2013 with a landslide victory, and established a second grand coalition with the Social Democratic Party. Once again in 2017, Merkel led the CDU to reelection and formed a third grand coalition.During her tenure as chancellor, Merkel has dealt with such events as the European migrant crisis, the German asylum government crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. On the side of foreign policy, she has emphasized international cooperation and the emboldening of transatlantic economic relations. In 2008, Merkel served as President of the European Council, playing an integral role in the negotiation of the Berlin Declaration and the Treaty of Lisbon. Around the same time, she also played a critical part in managing both the global economic crisis and Europe’s own debt crisis. Later, in the 2010s, Merkel and her government received some criticism for their response to the migrant crisis, particularly their decision to suspend European provisions to asylum seekers. However, Merkel went on to become a staunch supporter of refugees, welcoming hundreds of thousands of Middle Eastern migrants to Germany.In domestic policy, Merkel is known for her Energiewende program, which strives to phase out nuclear power in Germany in favor of low-carbon, renewable energy sources. When it comes to health care, Merkel has made many reforms to the Bundeswehr, and successfully navigated the COVID-19 pandemic. Merkel has announced that she will not seek a fifth term as chancellor in 2021.Most Powerful Woman in the WorldThroughout her tenure as chancellor, Merkel has been called the de facto leader of the European Union and the most powerful woman in the world. She is also the senior G7 leader. In a 2018 survey, Merkel was found to be the most respected world leader, and in 2019, was the commencement speaker at Harvard University. Additionally, she has received a myriad of accolades. On top of her honorary doctorates from prestigious institutions, she has won the Vision for Europe Award, the Jawaharlal Nehru Award, the Indira Gandhi Peace Prize, and the Elie Wiesel Award, among others.German Chancellor SalaryThe Chancellor of Germany earns 251,448 Euros per year in salary. That’s the same as just under $300,000 USD.Personal LifeWhile in college in 1977, Merkel married fellow physics student Ulrich Merkel; they divorced in 1982. Later, in 1998, Merkel wed quantum chemist Joachim Sauer, whom she had met in 1981.Merkel is a major fan of football, and is known to listen to games while in the Bundestag. She is also a Lutheran member of the Evangelical Church in Berlin, Brandenburg, and Silesian Upper Lusatia.