Q&A on the News

Q: How did Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-California) accumulate her net worth? —Skip French, Helen A: Prior to her 1987 election, Pelosi reportedly had never earned a salary, but “had become a major party activist, fundraiser and donor with her successful businessman husband, Paul, who now owns and operates Financial Leasing Services, a California real estate and venture capital investment and consulting firm,” according to Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call.

Pelosi’s current net worth is a minimum of $16 million, according to a March article in the Los Angeles Times. Most of the large assets belong to Paul Pelosi and are comprised of real estate and investments, according to the Los Angeles Times and financial disclosures compiled by Roll Call in its Wealth of Congress report.

“Their holdings include property worth at least $23 million, including a Napa Valley vineyard worth at least $5 million. Paul Pelosi has invested heavily in successful tech stocks including Apple, Disney, Comcast and Facebook — but he also lost $10 million as owner of the Sacramento Mountain Lions in the now-defunct United Football League,” according to Roll Call, which ranks Pelosi as the 30th richest on its list.

Roll Call notes that the couple’s $16.5 million in liabilities include mortgages and their real estate collection.