If you've read Free Money Finance for any amount of time, you know that the goal of this blog is to help you increase your net worth. So imagine my excitement when I found three articles yesterday that all dealt with net worths of famous people. I just couldn't wait to share them with you!
The first is from the Washington Post and is titled High Court Nominee Roberts Financially Fit. As you might imagine, it details the financial position of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts. Here are a few pieces from the article that summarize of where he is financially:
"John Roberts' net worth increased by $1.5 million since the Supreme Court nominee left a Washington law firm to become a federal appeals judge in 2003, his financial reports show."
"The 2005 report filed with the Senate Judiciary Committee listed his net worth at $5.3 million. The 2003 report listed a net worth of $3.8 million."
"An 83-page document released Tuesday shows Roberts' investment portfolio includes $291,200 in XM Satellite Radio, $264,000 in Dell computers and $106,553 in Texas Instruments."
"He took a major pay cut in 2003 when he left the Washington law firm of Hogan & Hartson, where he was a partner earning in excess of $1 million a year, for a seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and a salary of $171,800."
Not bad. Even if the guy doesn't make the Supreme Court, I think he'll be just fine. ;-)
The second piece I found was titled "Shaq's Net Worth Increases". Unfortunately, it's a subscription-only piece, but I did find several articles that detail the recent financial gains made by Miami Heat center Shaquille O'Neal. A couple of noteworthy comments:
"The Miami Heat Tuesday re-signed the NBA's most dominant big man, Shaquille O'Neal, to a five-year contract worth a reported $100 million."
"Over the NBA's 82-game regular season, Shaq will earn a stunning $320,975.61 per match which is about what a Porsche 911 turbo coupe will set you back."
I think Shaq's doing ok too.
Next up, we have Fidel Castro who Forbes estimates is worth $550 million. Details:
"Cuban President Fidel Castro criticized Forbes magazine on for the "infamy" of listing him among the world's richest people, with a net worth of $550 million.
"Once again, they have committed the infamy of speaking about Castro's fortune, placing me almost above the queen of England," Castro said in a speech to top officials of Cuba's ruling Communist Party, military and police.
"Do they think I am (former Zairian President) Mobutu (Sese Seko) or one of the many millionaires, those thieves and plunderers that the empire has suckled and protected?" he said in reference to his capitalist archenemy, the United States."
Whether it's $550 million or "only" $100 million, I think Castro is doing ok. Obviously, communism is working out for him.
That is what I find so funny about communism, is that it is not good for the people on the top, only good for the people on the bottom. I think the far left in the US has the same problem. More taxes they say, but I don't see them voluntarily writing checks to the U.S. department of Treasury since they seem to think the rich don't need their own money.
Posted by: YoungMiser | September 08, 2005 at 07:10 AM