Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, was confirmed in January.

Mohd Rasfan / AFP via Getty Images

Key Takeaways

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has built his wealth through his time as a host for Fox News, speaking engagements, and book royalties.
Hegseth and his wife, former Fox News producer Jennifer Hegseth have a net worth of $3 million, according to an estimate by Forbes.
Hegseth has earned between $100,000 and $1 million in royalties for his books.

U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has built his multimillion-dollar wealth through his time as a host for Fox News, speaking engagements, and book royalties.

Hegseth was a television commentator before joining President Donald Trump’s second administration; he also served in the Army National Guard for several years, and was part of several active-duty deployments.1 He was confirmed in January.

Hegseth and his wife, former Fox News producer Jennifer Hegseth, have an estimated net worth of $3 million, according to Forbes.2 Here’s how Hegseth made his millions.

Fox News Salary

Prior to his role as Secretary of Defense, Hegseth was a co-host on Fox News’s “Fox & Friends Weekend.” Hegseth reported a total of $4.6 million in salary for 2023 and 2024 as a Fox News host on his most recent financial disclosure.3

Speaking Engagements and Book Royalties

Hegseth has earned at least $900,000 from 41 speeches listed on his financial disclosure.3 Hegseth has earned anywhere from $10,000 to $20,000 and up to $150,000 per speech, according to the disclosure.3

Hegseth also receives royalties from the books he has written. He received $348,000 as an advance for his book “The War on Warriors”, and $150,00 in advance for his book “Battle for the American Mind”, per his financial disclosure.

The former Fox News host also earned between $100,000 and $1 million in royalties for each book. (The disclosure only requires that a range be provided.)3

Other Investments and Real Estate

Per his disclosure, Hegseth earned anywhere from $100,000 to $1 million on a rental house in Baltimore, Md. Hegseth and his wife also own an estate in Goodlettsville, Tenn,, worth an estimated $3.2 million and which costs about $19,000 per month in mortgage, according to an estimate by Forbes.2

Hegseth also owns between $15,000 and $50,000 in bitcoin, per his disclosure.3

US Office of Government Ethics. “Pete Hegseth, Public Financial Disclosure Report.”

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