After completing his service in the military, Pete Hegseth smoothly transitioned to a career in politics. He became a conservative activist and joined Republican causes. Now, he is a famous political pundit, author, and television host on Fox News. As of 2023, Pete Hegseth has an estimated net worth of 19 million.
Early Life
Peter Hegseth is from Forest Lake, Minnesota, and was born on June 6, 1980. In his hometown, he went to Forest Lake Area High School and later attended Princeton University.
There, he became active in Republican and conservative politics. Hegseth served as the publisher of a student publication, The Princeton Tory. He earned his bachelor’s degree in 2003.
After graduating, he worked as an equity capital market analyst for Bear Stearns, a now defunct global investment bank. In 2013, he got a master’s degree from the Harvard Kennedy School
Military Service
While working at Bear Stearns, Hegseth was commissioned by the Army National Guard as a reserve infantry officer. In 2004, he rose up to become the platoon leader of the Minnesota National Guard.
He was stationed in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba and also volunteered in Iraq. Hegseth was an infantry platoon leader in Baghdad and civil-military operations officer at Samarra.
As a captain, he went back on active service in 2012. Peter was deployed to Kabul, Afghanistan, where he became a senior counterinsurgency instructor and received two Bronze Stars for his service.
Political Career
In 2012, Pete Hegseth campaigned for Minnesota’s Republican Senate nomination but withdrew from the senate candidacy just before the primary election. He was involved in various causes for military veterans, such as Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America. In 2014, Hegseth began contributing to the Fox News channel.
Pete became a prominent ally and backer of Donald Trump’s presidential campaign in 2016. He frequently acted as Trump’s advisor while the former president was still in office. In 2018, he co-hosted All-American New Year on Fox News.
Net Worth and Earnings
Journalists have the potential to earn a substantial income, particularly if they excel in their field. This was the case with Pete Hegseth. In 2018 his earnings at Fox News were $2 million per year and the following year, his annual salary rose to $3 million.
Pete received $5 million in 2020 to stay with the network, with no change in pay. In 2022, it is reported that his yearly salary jumped to $6 million. The numbers are expected to grow, but for now, his net worth stays at $19 million.
Personal Life
Pete was once married to Meredith Schwarz. In 2008, he tied the knot with Samantha Deering and later had three children with her. However, he had an affair with Jennifer Rauchet, and they conceived a child. Because of this, Deering divorced him in 2017.
Two years later, Pete married Rauchet and adopted three stepchildren. Pete owns a BMW, Jaguar, Mercedes, and Tesla. Apart from cars, he has a luxury watch collection worth $1.2 million. He keeps them all in his home in Holmdel, New Jersey.