No matter what side of the US political parties you connect with, you’re bound to have heard about Paul Ryan. This Wisconsin-born Republican has the distinction of having been the speaker of the House of Representatives for several years. With a history full of politics and finance, just how much is Paul Ryan’s net worth?
Starting Out Small From Wisconsin to Ohio
Paul Ryan was born and raised in Wisconsin before he left the state to study political science and economics in Oxford, OH. The politician combined his two passions, which served him well while navigating his education and career during this time.
While in school, Ryan hit the ground running with his political aspirations by working as an intern for Senator Robert Kasten. After graduation, the young future congressman started to get his first political paychecks after accepting a position as Kasten’s aide.
Politics and Think Tanks Set the Congressman’s Political Career in Motion
Ryan worked in the aide position until 1993, when he hopped on board Empower American, described as a conservative think tank. This allowed him to keep his hand in politics while flexing his economic muscle. This organization hired him as an economic advisor and speechwriter for Empower America, which was co-founded by Jack Kemp.
Paul became the legislative director for Sam Brownback from 1995 to 1997. He was also able to be a speechwriter for his friend, Jack Kemp, when Kemp was running for vice president with Bob Dole for the 1996 presidential election.
Once the presidential election was over, it was time for Ryan to run for a seat in the House of Representatives. He was successful, and in 1999, the politician officially took his seat and got to work.
Within a few years, Ryan set himself on a solid path taking on several political roles. He got experience under his belt that would help him embark on his own successful political journey. Either way, the money started rolling in very early in his career.
Money Making Mostly Outside of Politics
Senators and members of Congress have a decent income. Paul Ryan could live a very comfortable life on what he’s made throughout his political career, but he didn’t stop earning his yearly salary.
According toBusiness Insider,Ryan’s been slowly accumulating a nice net worth over the years.
Some of these moves include:
- Shortly after Paul took his seat, he invested in rental property in his home state of Wisconsin. His properties brought in anywhere between $15,000 to $50,000 per year. He reinvested that income into buying more rental property, bumping his net worth to somewhere between $250,000 and $500,000 before flipping them in 2001.
- Ryan owned a 21.37% stake in Ryan Limited Partnership (RLP) before he even had his seat in Congress. In 1998, his worth through RLP was $45,358 and grew to be anywhere between $100,000 and $250,000 by 2011. The substantial growth may be attributed to assets like Google, Starbucks, Amazon, McDonald’s, Apple, and other companies with high profiles.
- Investments seem to pay off for Ryan, who has made a reported $46,000 to $74,000 from his ⅕ stake in Ryan-Hutter Investment Partnership’s gains from Home Depot stock.
- In an exciting and lucrative move, Ryan saw the fall of the tech boom coming and invested in the Fidelity Contrafund. This company’s work is about identifying the underperformance of blue chips and other stocks. Although he invested around $15,000 in the group, his stake is now worth around $50,000 to $100,000.
- Natural resources seem to be of interest to Paul. He’s got investments in:
- Red River Pine, LLC
- Little Land Company
- Ava O Ltd
- Investing in your wife’s family business might be a romantic move on Paul’s part. If not, it’s certainly a lucrative one. He invested in a 10% share of the Blondie & Brownie Gravel Company. The estimated worth of that stake today is somewhere between $100,00 and $250,000.
If nothing else, Ryan has proven that he understands money, investing, and making the right move at the right time. He’s mastered the art of investing low and letting it grow. With talent like that, it’s no wonder people are curious about his net worth!
What About Love and Money?
Clearly, Paul Ryan has no problem making his own money, but he got a bump up in the net worth department when he married his wife. Before the two met, Janna Ryan had an excellent job as a tax attorney and corporate lobbyist. They both had substantial incomes that became one huge sum after they married.
According to an Article in theLA Times, the Ryans have an estimated value of several million dollars. Jenna’s wealth accounts for a considerable portion of their net worth.
Continuing to Climb Higher and Higher in Politics
Politics certainly has been at the center of everything Ryan does and accomplishes. And each step he takes allows him the opportunity to earn more every year. Here are some of the politician’s high points:
- In 2011, Paul Ryan became the chairman of the House Budget Committee.
- In 2012, he was selected to be Mitt Romney’s running mate for the presidential election.
- In 2015, Paul was named chairman of the Ways and Means Committee.
- Also in 2015, Ryan was elected Speaker of the House.
Ryan’s life in politics earned him a decent income. Paul brought in an annual income of around $223,500 for his role as a speaker.
In 2018, Ryan announced that he would step down and not run for reelection. According toMarket Realist, he stated that his motivation for leaving his position mainly had to do with wanting to spend more time with his family. At the end of his term in 2019, he walked away from his role in the political arena.
Political Pensions Pay Off
Just because Paul Ryan isn’t active in politics anymore doesn’t mean he’s not reaping the benefits of his time in Washington.CNBC.comreports that he might be eligible for a pension plan that would allow him to get $84,930 annually. Investments, yearly salaries, and a pension plan can add up fast when looking at anyone’s net worth.
What’s Paul Ryan up to Now?
After the speaker bowed out of the political arena, he became a member of the board of directors with the Fox Corporation. According toSalary.com, Ryan earned $334,986 for his position.
One can assume that this role will allow Ryan to spend more time with his family while actively earning a substantial income. This was, after all, the core reason the politician gave when he did not seek reelection. Again, another intelligent and lucrative move on Paul’s part!
What Is Paul Ryan’s Net Worth?
Between his political career, investments, and the money he married into through his wife, Ryan has made many smart financial moves. According toCelebrity Net Worth, Paul Ryan’s net worth is estimated to be $8 million.
Paul has been earning a comfortable income since he first started in politics. His current position shows that he knows and appreciates the value of a regular paycheck. When you add up all of his investments and the money his wife brought into the marriage, the Ryans seem to have plenty to retire on someday.
You can also read:
- How Joe Manchin Achieved a Net Worth of $12 Million
- How Donald Trump Achieved a Net Worth of $2.5 Billion
- How Marjorie Taylor Greene Achieved a Net Worth of $700,000
- How Joe Biden Achieved a Net Worth of $8 Million
- How Nancy Pelosi Achieved a Net Worth of $120 Million
