Kamala Harris' Net Worth: How Much Is Biden's VP Really Worth?
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Politicians may not get into public service for the money, but that doesn't mean that they haven't made fortunes along the way. For instance, back in July 2019, when Vice President-elect Kamala Harris was among the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates, CNBC claimed that she was "one of the richest contenders in the 2020 presidential field."
The outlet noted how she "and her husband Douglas Emhoff [a partner at law firm DLA Piper in Los Angeles] made nearly $2 million" in 2018, as seen in tax returns. The figure included Harris' $157,352 senate salary, according to The Washington Post.
To backtrack a bit, Harris disclosed $140,000 in earnings while working as the district attorney for San Francisco in 2003, according to Forbes. The outlet estimates she earned the about the same amount of money when she became California attorney general in 2010. Then in 2018, she reportedly scored a $446,875 book advance for her memoir, The Truths We Hold: An American Journey, per Politico.
Despite earning impressive salaries throughout her career, she eventually suspended her bid for president in 2020 because she didn't "have the financial resources [needed] to continue." She explained in an email to supporters (via The Hill), "I'm not a billionaire. I can't fund my own campaign."
Harris may not be a billionaire, but she is relatively wealthy. Now that she is the Vice President-elect, curious minds want to know: just how wealthy is the politician?
Kamala Harris isn't nearly as rich as other politicians
There's no doubt that Kamala Harris is a rich woman. According to CNBC, a Senate financial disclosure form from 2018 revealed that Harris and her husband, Douglas Emhoff, "had between $2.5 million and $5.8 million in assets" at the time. Apparently, that amount was primarily "held ... in mutual funds, along with bank accounts, and retirement plans." The pair also had liabilities — including "mortgages, home equity lines of credit, and a commercial loan" — that were in the range of $2.8 million to $3.6 million.
So, how much does that mean Harris has? Well, Celebrity Net Worth estimates that her fortune sits around $4 million.
That may sound impressive, but it's worth noting she's not nearly as wealthy as the other politicians around her. Although Bernie Sanders only has $2.5 million (which is still a lot more than many people have in the bank), Joe Biden happens to be worth more than twice as much as Harris with a cool $9 million. As for President Donald Trump, he supposedly has $3.1 billion (an allegedly inflated figure).
Granted, although Harris may not be the richest among the bunch, she's still doing pretty darn well for herself.
Millionaire Kamala Harris wants to help 'working people'
Kamala Harris may be a millionaire — but as a politician, it's her job to be concerned about the finances of those she serves. That's why during the first 2020 Democratic primary debate, Harris shared her thoughts on financial matters of those who might not be as rich as she is. "Working families need support and need to be lifted up. And frankly, this economy is not working for working people," Harris stated, according to CNBC. She went on to explain what she intended to do as the vice president, and pledged to get rid off the 2017 Republican tax bill because she claimed that it "benefits the top 1 percent" of people earning money as well as "the biggest corporations in America."
Harris' plan was apparently proof that she was "committed to lifting up average Americans," per a statement from Harris' campaign spokesman. CNBC noted that her representative "highlighted her plans to give a tax credit of up to $500 a month to working families, raise teacher pay by an average of $13,500, transition to a universal health-care system, and close the gender pay gap." He added that Harris "is motivated by the thought of people up at 3:00 in the morning trying to make it all work. Her agenda is meant to address their needs and improve their lives."
While that surely interested plenty of people (and voters), that's not the only money-related issue that Harris has spoken out about.
Kamala Harris wants transparency over Donald Trump's $400 million debt
We may know all about how much money Kamala Harris has made over the years — and how much she's still likely banking — and we also know what her thoughts are when it comes to how she wants to help Americans with their own money. Beyond that, we know something else about Harris and money matters — that is, how she feels about Donald Trump's own money matters.
In October 2020, during the presidential election, Harris "gave a plain-spoken assessment of President Donald Trump's finances... hitting Vice President Mike Pence over the lack of transparency when it comes to Trump's debts," according to Business Insider. What might those debts be? Well, Harris was "referring to The New York Times' investigation into Trump's taxes, which found him mired hundreds of millions of dollars in debt obligations — $139 million of which he's personally on the hook for within five years."
Harris addressed the situation directly, saying, "We now know Donald Trump owes and is in debt for $400 million — and just so everyone is clear, when we say in debt, it means you owe money to somebody." And in this case, it apparently means a lot of money. So maybe Harris actually has more money than Trump after all.