Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Stunning Net Worth Revealed
No one can put a price on what Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg did for women's rights and the LGBTQ community throughout her decades as a lawyer. But if one had to, we imagine the number would be rightfully steep. In fact, at the time of her death in September 2020, Ginsburg's net worth was estimated to be $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. While GoBankingRates.com reported the late icon's fortune to be between $3.95 to $9.22 million on account of her various assets, it's fair to conclude that the judge was sitting pretty as she fiercely advocated for social change.
With degrees from both Cornell and Columbia University, in addition to her nearly 30-year career as an associate justice for the United States Supreme Court, it's no surprise she was smart when it came to her finances. Ginsburg had several retirement plans and investment funds to her name when she passed, including the retirement account amassed during her time as a law professor for Columbia, her alma mater, which was valued at $500,001 and $1 million, according to her 2019 financial disclosure report, per GoBankingRates.com. Keep scrolling for more details about how Justice Ginsburg acquired her large fortune.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's Supreme Court salary wasn't too shabby
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg made a nice living while working on the Supreme Court. According to Celebrity Net Worth, her salary was about $235,000, which, of course, fluctuated over time. Ginsburg's 2019 annual take home was reportedly $258,900 and, as of 2020, her annual salary came to $265,600, per GoBankingRates.com.
In addition to her hefty yearly income, Ginsburg made a killing from her book "My Own Words," which was published in 2016. Her memoir was comprised of speeches and writings from throughout her career as a public official. She took home $204,000 in royalties, according to her financial disclosure report that year. And, although two films were made about the legendary advocate in the years before her death, there is no word on whether she received a payout from the box office haul.
On top of her various business endeavors, Ginsburg was awarded a $1 million prize from the Berggruen Institute in 2019 for "major achievements in advancing ideas that shape the world," According to the institute's website, Ginsburg earned the award for being a "lifelong trailblazer for human rights and gender equality." While she was grateful for the high honor, she donated the significant prize to charity, once again proving that she always put others' needs ahead of her own.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of the richest Supreme Court Justices in history
With Ruth Bader Ginsburg's impressive net worth, it should not come as a surprise that she was one of the richest U.S. Supreme Court Justices in history. Associate Justice Stephen Breyer holds the spot as the richest justice of all time with a record net worth of $6.15 million, but his portfolio could be worth more than $16 million due to his royalty deals, according to The Center for Public Integrity. Next comes Chief Justice John Roberts, whose reported net worth falls somewhere between $5 million and $11 million. Ginsburg rounds out the top three richest justices in history, however, thanks to her $4 million fortune.
Like her wealthy counterparts, Ginsburg also collected royalties from her various business deals, as previously stated. According to the Public Integrity study, at least six (or perhaps all nine) Supreme Court Justices are millionaires. Justice Samuel Alito follows Ginsburg with an estimated net worth of $2.3 million, then comes Sonya Sotomayor's $1.5 million, Elena Kagan's $1.3 million, Clarence Thomas's $585,027, and finally, Anthony Kennedy's $580, 003 fortune.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg's children are sitting pretty, as well
In addition to fostering her iconic law career, Ruth Bader Ginsburg also raised her two children, Jane and James. Although her son and daughter will most likely receive some of Ginsburg's fortune now that she is deceased, her kids were doing all right on their own prior to her passing. According to Refinery29, Jane attended Harvard and served on the Harvard Law Review, just like her mother. Jane also graduated with degrees from the University of Chicago and the Université de Paris II. With her extensive education, Jane went on to become the faculty director of Columbia's Kernochan Center for Law, Media, and the Arts, where we imagine she makes a pretty substantial living with her impressive title.
As for Ginsburg's son, James attended law school before shifting his focus to the entertainment industry. He became a record executive before going off on his own and creating Cedille Records, a Chicago-based not-for-profit label that supports classical musicians in the city and elsewhere. It looks like Ginsburg raised her kids to be just as successful as she was.