What Trump’s vice presidential candidate earned with his book and investments

(NewsNation) — Republican Ohio Senator JD Vance, recently nominated as former President Donald Trump’s running mate for the 2024 election, wrote about his roots in a poverty-stricken area of ​​Appalachia in his memoir, “Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis.”

However, today, Vance has an estimated net worth of around $5 million to $10 million (according to Celebrity Net Worth), according to Forbes.

After graduating from Ohio State University, Vance attended Yale Law School and graduated without student debt because he served in the Marine Corps and had well-paying jobs at elite law firms, Forbes writes.

After law school, Vance and his future wife, Usha Chilukuri, clerked in Cincinnati, Ohio, and moved to Washington, D.C. Forbes writes that Chilikuri clerked for then-District Judge Brett Kavanaugh and Vance started working at a corporate law firm. Eventually, the couple moved to California, where Vance became part of Mithril, a venture capital firm co-founded by Peter Thiel.

In 2016, he published “Hillbilly Elegy.” Two years later, JD and Usha Vance bought a house in Cincinnati for $1.4 million – Forbes now estimates the house’s value at $1.8 million.

According to Forbes, Vance had between $3 million and $10 million in venture capital and cash in 2021. The following year, he successfully ran for Senate in Ohio.

Winnings from Hillbilly Elegy Book, Movie

While many people praised Hillbilly Elegy for its focus on the theme of self-reliance, others criticized the film for its stereotypical and inauthentic portrayal of the Appalachian Mountains.

Despite criticism, the book became a bestseller and Vance was invited to give speeches and policy talks at at least 18 universities, the Associated Press reported. Those visits earned Vance more than $70,000, according to documents obtained by the AP.

As for the book itself, Vance reported earning $347,752 in 2021 from royalties from HarperCollins, not including income from a film deal with Netflix. When he announced he was entering politics, those earnings rose to $475,380.

Salary as a Senator

According to the Congressional Research Service, Vance earned less as a senator than he made from his books: the compensation of most U.S. lawmakers is $174,000.

Investments

Due to his experience as a venture capitalist, Vance owns shares in more than 120 private companies, writes Markets Insider, including the defense company Anduril Industries and the sneaker exchange StockX.

Most of Vance’s holdings in private companies are worth between $1,000 and $15,000, Market Insider said, citing the lawmaker’s most recent financial report, which uses 2022 data.

Vance’s largest publicly traded investments include the streaming service Rumble, Walmart, gold and Bitcoin, which he supports.