Net Worth Ranker
What Is Sarah Palin’s Net Worth?
Sarah Palin, an American politician, author, and television personality, has accumulated a net worth of approximately $8 million. This figure represents the culmination of her earnings from various endeavors, including her political career, media appearances, book sales, and other ventures.
Sarah Palin’s Sources of Income
Political Career: Palin’s career in public service includes her time as the Mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, from 1996 to 2002. Her salary as mayor was modest compared to her later earnings. From 2006 to 2009, she served as the Governor of Alaska. While the exact salary figures for her time as governor aren’t consistently available, governors’ salaries typically range from $100,000 to $200,000 per year. Palin also received compensation during her 2008 campaign as the Vice Presidential nominee, though this money was used to fund her campaign, and she did not receive any income from this.
Media Appearances and Contracts: Following her resignation as governor, Palin became a commentator for Fox News. The details of her Fox News contract were not fully disclosed, but it’s estimated that she earned approximately $1 million per year. In addition to this, Sarah Palin has also hosted television shows such as “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” on TLC and “Amazing America with Sarah Palin.”
Book Sales: Palin’s autobiography, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” was released in 2009 and sold over two million copies worldwide. Given the average royalty rate for authors, she likely earned several million dollars from book sales alone.
Cameo Earnings: In a May 2022 financial disclosure, it was revealed that Sarah Palin earned $211,529 from the app Cameo in 2021. The amount earned from Cameo, which allows users to purchase personalized videos from celebrities, significantly contributes to her income stream. In addition, she earned $88,000 from website advertising from a corporation called Young Conservatives LLC, $40,200 for giving one speech, and $10,000 earned for taking part in a bus tour for a group called Club for Growth, bringing her total income for 2021 to $430,000.
Early Life and Career
Sarah Louise Heath was born on February 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho. She spent her high school years in Wasilla, Alaska, where she played basketball and was a beauty pageant contestant. She attended the University of Hawaii at Hilo for a year before transferring to North Idaho College and later the University of Idaho, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1987.
Before entering politics, Palin worked as a sportscaster in Anchorage. She married Todd Palin in the late 1980s and helped with his commercial fishing business. Her political career began in 1992 when she was elected to the Wasilla City Council. In 1996, she became the mayor of Wasilla, serving until 2002.
Alaska Governor Tenure
In 2006, Sarah Palin became the Governor of Alaska, defeating incumbent Frank Murkowski. Initially, her approval ratings were high, reaching up to 93%. However, her popularity declined over time due to controversies such as a corruption probe involving a for-profit corporate prison and initiatives related to wolf hunting. Palin resigned as governor in 2009.
2008 Vice Presidential Campaign
In 2008, John McCain selected Palin as his running mate for the vice presidency. This decision catapulted her into the national spotlight, but her performance during the campaign was heavily scrutinized. The scrutiny had a negative effect on McCain’s bid. The film “Game Change” (2012) portrayed Sarah Palin’s time with McCain, with Julianne Moore playing Sarah.
Post-2008 Activities
After the 2008 election, Palin became a frequent commentator on Fox News and launched her show, “Sarah Palin’s Alaska.” In 2009, she released her autobiography, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” which became a bestseller. In 2017, Palin filed a defamation lawsuit against “The New York Times” over an article that allegedly blamed her for the 2011 shooting of politician Gabby Giffords. The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2022.
In the summer of 2022, Palin ran in the special election for Alaska’s at-large congressional seat, which was vacated after Representative Don Young’s death. She lost to Democrat Mary Peltola and again lost to Peltola in the November general election for the same seat.
Real Estate Investments
In 2011, Sarah and Todd Palin purchased a six-bedroom home in Scottsdale, Arizona, for $1.75 million. They sold this property in 2016 for $2.275 million, generating a profit of $525,000. In 2015, they acquired a second property in Scottsdale, Arizona, for just under $1 million. They began constructing a dream home on this property but never completed the project. In 2019, Sarah and Todd sold the half-built house and the property for $6.2 million, realizing a profit of $5.263 million. The Palins also co-own several properties in Alaska, though specific details about these properties are not widely available.
Personal Life
Sarah and Todd Palin eloped in August 1988 and had five children and eight grandchildren. Todd worked for the BP oil company as an oil-field production operator and retired in 2009. He also owns a commercial fishing business. Todd filed for divorce from Sarah in August 2019, requesting an equal division of assets and debts and joint custody of their son Trig. The divorce was finalized in March 2020.
