Pete Hegseth (born June 6, 1980, age 43) is an American TV personality, activist, and author with an estimated net worth of $4 million and a salary of $100,000 to $300,000 per year.
Pete Hegseth is one of those who have helped shape the narrative of the American political landscape. Hegseth, an Ivy League-educated political scientist, and counterinsurgency expert, has served in the US Army in places like Iraq and Afghanistan.
Pete Hegseth Net Worth
He has also founded several veteran advocacy organizations and is the author of several best-selling books. Pete Hegseth is also a media personality, frequently appearing on Fox News as a contributor, correspondent, and co-host of one of their popular programs, which contributes to his $4 million net worth as of January 2024.
Pete Hegseth is a Minnesota native who grew up with a strong appreciation for traditional American values. After graduating from Forest Lake High School in 1999, he went on to Princeton University to study political science. Hegseth excelled in his studies during his four years at the institution. Aside from the classroom, he was the publisher of The Princeton Tory, a conservative magazine.
He also enrolled in ROTC (Reserve Officers’ Training Corps), a college program that trains young adults to become officers in the United States Military. Pete Hegseth graduated from Princeton in 2003 and began his career at the now-defunct global investment bank Bear Stearns. He worked as their equity capital markets analyst and could have earned up to $85,000 per year, which is the typical entry-level salary on Wall Street.
Pete Hegseth Was United States Army
He was the United States Army Infantry Platoon Leader in Iraq and Guantanamo Bay. From 2004 to 2007, Working on Wall Street must have been exciting, but Pete Hegseth did not let it deter him from his ultimate goal of serving in the military. In 2003, he was commissioned as a reserve infantry officer in the United States Army National Guard, a position he held until he was called up to active duty in 2004. He left his lucrative Wall Street job to serve as an infantry platoon leader at Guantanamo Bay for a year. He then volunteered for additional duty and spent the next two years (2005-2006) in Iraq.
Pete Hegseth served in cities such as Baghdad and Samarra, where he was an Infantry Platoon Leader and a Civil-Military Operations officer, respectively. He distinguished himself and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal (for a valiant or meritorious act in a combat zone), the Combat Infantryman Badge, and his second Army Commendation Medal. In addition, he was promoted from second lieutenant to first lieutenant. His salary as a first lieutenant ranged from $46,812 to $64776 per year, allowing him to save some money.
He was deployed to Afghanistan in 2012 and earned between $46,812 and $64,776.
Pete Hegseth returned to civilian life after his tour in Iraq ended in 2007, but his military career did not end there. In 2012, he was called back to active duty and deployed to Afghanistan with the Minnesota Army National Guard. He was assigned to the Counterinsurgency Training Center in Kabul as a senior counterinsurgency instructor. His rank remained first lieutenant at this point, and he most likely earned between $46,812 and $64,776 that year.
Pete Hegseth left the active military after 2012, but he still serves in the Individual Ready Reserve (IRR). This group consists of former trained soldiers who can be called up to active duty at any time. They are not paid, so Hegseth, who now holds the prestigious rank of major, is not currently receiving any pay from the United States Army.
From 2007 to 2012, Pete Hegseth served as the Executive Director of Vets for Freedom.
Pete Hegseth’s military career has been punctuated by periods of political activism. The Minnesota native was the executive director of Vets for Freedom from 2007 to 2012. This is a nonpartisan organization made up of veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They are committed to educating the American public and contributing national security strategies. When Hegseth first joined Vets for Freedom, the organization had no staff, a small membership, and a limited budget. With a $9 million budget and a dozen staff members, he was able to turn things around and grow their membership to 95,000.
Pete Hegseth CEO Of Concerned Veterans for America
He was the CEO of Concerned Veterans for America, where he earned up to $200k per year. Pete Hegseth’s success at Vets for Freedom helped him secure the position of CEO of Concerned Veterans for America in 2015. This is yet another political advocacy group that promotes policies that will protect the freedom and prosperity for which veterans fought. Hegseth led the organization for three years as CEO, transforming it into the largest conservative veterans’ advocacy organization in America. His exploits were not forgotten. Former President Donald Trump was mentioned as a possible candidate to lead the United States Department of Veterans Affairs in 2017. Nonetheless, he was unable to secure the position.
Pete Hegseth’s salary at Vets for Freedom and Concerned Veterans for America is not known to the public. We can, however, make some educated guesses. Hegseth was chastised for employing his brother at Concerned Veterans for America and paying him $108,000. As the head of the organization, his salary must have definitely exceeded this, implying that Pete Hegseth earned up to $200k per year, which contributed significantly to his $4 million net worth.
Pete Hegseth Media Career
Pete Hegseth is now focusing on his lucrative media career, pending any future military service or political overtures. The Iraq and Afghanistan veteran joined Fox News as a contributor in 2014 and has since risen to become a network mainstay. He has appeared as a contributor and correspondent on a number of shows, including The Kelly File, Outnumbered, America’s Newsroom, and Happening Now.
Pete Hegseth Books Sales Contribute
He also contributes to FoxNews.com, their online publication. Pete Hegseth is also a Fox and Friends co-host. This is a daily news/talk show program that focuses on a variety of topics and includes interviews, segments, updates, and analysis. The show averages millions of viewers and ranks high on the list of cable news programs in the United States.
His Fox salary ranges from $100,000 to $300,000 per year.
It is difficult to determine Pete Hegseth’s exact salary at Fox. Cable news contributors’ salaries are shrouded in mystery, and he is no exception. Even when he divorced his second wife in 2018, he worked hard to keep the details of his Fox contract hidden. However, there have been some revelations about Fox News’ salary structure.
Several former Fox News personalities were appointed to government positions during the Trump administration and were required to reveal their pay. A review of this reveals that the most popular, such as former national security adviser John Bolton, earned between $400k and $500k, while those in the middle earned between $70k and $100k. The lowest rung earned between 30k and 40k. Given that Hegseth is no longer an understudy but a popular star, his salary can range from $100,000 to $300,000.
Pete Hegseth’s Career History and Net Worth Sources: Bear Stearns equity analyst (2003)
Guantanamo Bay military service (2004)
Iraqi military service (2005-2006)
Vets for Freedom Executive Director (2007-2012)
Afghanistan military service (2012)
Concerned Veterans for America’s CEO (2012-2015)
Contributor to Fox News since 2014
Pete Hegseth’s net worth is influenced by the sales of his books.
Pete Hegseth’s books are another lucrative source of income for him. The Fox News personality has written several books, all of which reflect his conservative political views. In The Arena: Good Citizens, a Great Republic, and How One Speech Can Reinvigorate America (2017), American Crusade: Our Fight to Remain Free (2020), Modern Warrior: Real Stories From Real Heroes (2020), and The Battle for the American Mind: Uprooting a Century of Miseducation (2022) are among them. These books have sold thousands of copies, justifying Hegseth’s royalties from his publishers.
