The 5 wealthiest members of Congress - and how they made their fortune
Members of Congress earn an annual salary of $174,000
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Members of Congress earn an annual salary of $174,000 -- more than double the average American's income -- but the majority of lawmakers are worth substantially more money.
More than half of those in Congress are millionaires, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which based its analysis on data from lawmakers' most recent personal financial disclosures. The median net worth of members of Congress who filed disclosures last year is just a little more than $1 million.
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Still, the wealth is largely concentrated at the top; for instance, the top 10 percent of the wealthiest lawmakers have more money than the bottom 90 percent.
These are the five wealthiest members currently serving in the House and Senate -- and a closer look at where their fortune came from -- based on a recent analysis from the Center for Responsive Politics.
The data is based on lawmakers' most recent annual financial disclosures, filed last May, revealing their finances through 2018. Federal lawmakers report a range for their wealth but not exact amounts. Some lawmakers have not filed those reports yet.
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That includes Sen. Kelly Loeffler, R-Ga., who's estimated to be worth more than $500 million. If that's the case, Loeffler is by far the wealthiest member of Congress. In April, Loeffler announced she would sell all of her stocks after coming under fire for selling $20 million in shares following a briefing in the weeks leading up to the coronavirus pandemic.
1. Sen. Rick Scott - $259 million
Sen. Rick Scott, who formerly served as the governor of Florida. (Getty Images)
The Florida Republican became the wealthiest member of Congress when he was elected in 2018 -- despite pouring $65 million to defeat Democratic incumbent Bill Nelson. He'd previously served as the governor of Florida.
A former health care executive, Scott built his massive fortune by creating one of the country's largest hospital networks, the Columbia Hospital Corporation, according to the Tampa Bay Times. (He resigned in 1997 amid a federal fraud investigation; the company eventually settled with the Department of Justice for $1.74 billion).
2. Sen. Mark Warner - $214 million
U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), vice-chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, speaks at a panel discussion on disinformation and the 2020 campaign co-hosted by PEN America. (Photo by Paul Morigi/Getty Images for PEN America)
Warner, a Democrat from Virginia, built a fortune as a technology and telecommunications investor and executive before entering politics.
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He signed on to Columbia Capital, a venture-capital partnership focused on the wireless industry. In the span of 10 years, he made $150 billion, according to The Atlantic.
3. Rep. Greg Gianforte - $189 million
Montana Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte meets with members of the business and environmental community at Chico Hot Springs below Emigrant Peak on October 10, 2018 in Pray, Montana. (Photo by William Campbell-Corbis via Getty Images)
Gianforte, a Montana Republican, is the wealthiest member of the U.S. House of Representatives. He attributes the majority of his wealth to a software company that he built in the 1980s.
4. Rep. Paul Mitchell - $179 million
Rep. Paul Mitchell, R-Mich., walks down the House steps after final votes of the week in the Capitol on Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018. (Photo By Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Getty Images)
The Michigan Republican is a former corporate executive from Dryden and a former owner of Ross Medical Education Center. His assets include a slew of high-value stocks and partnership income from a private investment fund, according to Roll Call.
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Mitchell, a former for-profit college executive whose average net worth surged from $101 million to almost $180 million in the span of one year, will not seek reelection this year.
5. Sen. Mitt Romney - $174 million
The Utah Republican and 2012 Republican presidential candidate grew his fortune while running Bain Capital. He worked at the Boston venture capital firm for nearly 15 years.