Bernie Sanders Net Worth and Income Sources

Senator Bernie Sanders Net Worth is estimated at approximately $556,000. This information is based on the assets and liabilities specified in the Vermont Senator’s financial disclosure [1].

The Junior United States Senator has assets that include mutual funds, bank deposits, and annuities. Each of these contributes to Bernie Sanders’ net worth estimate given above.

Bernie Sanders Net Worth: Assets

Assets in Bernie Sanders Net Worth Summary

Known Assets Minimum ValueMaximum ValueEarnings
Mutual Funds$289,000$910,000$0 – $4,400
Bank Deposits$131,000$365,000$0 – $800
Annuity$51,000$115,000$0 – $400
Total$471,000$1,390,000$0 – $5,600

Bernie Sanders Net Worth: Liabilities

Liabilities in Bernie Sanders Net Worth Summary

Known LiabilitiesMinimum ValueMaximum Value
Mortgage$250,000$500,000
Total$250,000$500,000
Sen. Sanders has been the Junior Senator for Vermont since 2007. Credit: Wikipedia

Bernie Sanders Net Worth: Income Sources

Sen. Bernie Sanders earns income from multiple sources. He earns a salary as as a Junior Member of the United States Senator. Sanders also earns money from mutual funds, bank deposits, annuities, pensions, and royalties.

Income Source 1: Salary from U.S. Senate

Sen. Bernie Sanders was initially elected to the U.S. Senate in 2007. The Democratic Socialist Senator receives the default U.S. Senate salary of $174,000 [2]. This salary is not counted in our Bernie Sanders net worth estimate above.

Income Source 2: Earnings from Assets

Sen. Sanders owns assets valued at between $471,000 and $1,390,000, according to his 2020 financial disclosure [1]. This consists of mutual funds, bank deposits, and annuities. He earns between $0 and $5,600 from these assets. Each of these assets contributes to our Bernie Sanders net worth estimate above.

Sen. Sanders has attempted to become the Democratic candidate for POTUS multiple times. Credit: NPR

Income Source 3: Pension

Sen. Sanders’ 2020 financial disclosure reveals he earns a city pension of $5,479 from the City of Burlington. This pension likely stems from his time as Burlington Mayor between 1981 and 1989 [3].

Income Source 4: Royalties

Sanders’s 2020 financial disclosure also reveals that he received approximately $171,280 in royalties from different publications and bookhouses. This is presumably from book sales.

Sen. Sanders was arrested while demonstrating against segregation as part of the Civil Rights movement in 1963. Credit: Reddit

Sen. Bernie Sanders Bio/Early Life

Bernard Sanders was born on September 8th, 1941, in Brooklyn, New York, USA. His father, Elias Ben Yehuda Sanders, was from Austria, Hungary [4]. His mother, Dorothy Sanders, was from New York City.

The young Sanders studied in Midwood, Brooklyn. He attended P.S. 197 elementary school and also went to Hebrew school during the afternoon. Sanders later completed his high school education at James Madison High School. He then attended Brooklyn College [5] before transferring over to the University of Chicago. He graduated in 1964 and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science.

Early Career

Bernie Sanders moved back to New York City after completing his college education. He then worked as a school teacher, a carpenter, and as a psychiatric aid. 

Sanders later moved to Stannard, Vermont, before settling in  Chittenden County in the mid-1970s.

Political Career

Bernie Sanders made his first official move into politics in 1980 when he announced he would be running for Mayor of Burlington, Vermont. He managed to beat his opponent Paquet with just 22 votes.

Sanders would run for re-election in 1982, 1984, and 1987, winning each time. He became popular among Vermont residents for his mayoral accomplishments, which were driven by his Democratic Socialism-centered views.

Bernie Sanders ran for a seat in the U.S. House in 1988 but lost the election to Republican Peter P Smith. Sanders ran for the same seat two years later and defeated Smith by securing 56% of the vote [6]. He became known for being a fierce critic of both political parties, whom he believed served only the wealthy.

Sanders ran for the U.S. Senate in 2006. He managed to defeat businessman Rich Tarrant in an expensive political campaign [7]. Sanders was then re-elected in 2012 and 2018.

Sen. Sanders made national headlines for his attire at President Biden’s inauguration in 2021. Credit: New York Times

Presidential Run

Bernie Sanders gained worldwide attention after running for President of the United States in 2012, 2016, and 2020. Sanders was a popular Presidential candidate. However, he failed to win in the Democratic primaries. His closest attempt was in 2020 when he narrowly won the New Hampshire primary but failed to win the Democratic Party nomination [8].

Sen. Bernie Sanders Accomplishments

Sen. Bernie Sanders’ career is bustling with accomplishments. In addition to sparking a new political revolution among the younger generations, the Senator has attempted to pass legislation aimed at addressing wealth inequality.

Sen. Sanders has also earned numerous book deals and earns a fair amount of income from royalties, as seen in his 2020 financial disclosure.

Sen. Bernie Sanders Controversies

Sen. Bernie Sanders regularly receives criticism from Republicans as well as members of the Democratic party for his socialist positions. However, many people are enthralled by the Vermont Senator for his dedication and consistency in fighting for the working class.

Sen. Sanders received widespread coverage in the news after Democratic nominee candidate Elizabeth Warren revealed that Sanders had once told her that a woman couldn’t win the Presidency [9].  



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Bernie Sanders Biography 

Legal Name/Birth NameBernard Sanders
Bernie Sanders Net Worth$556,000
PseudonymsBernie
Sources of WealthJunior U.S. Senator from Vermont,Mutual Funds, Bank Deposits, Annuity, Pension, Royalties
Date of BirthSeptember 8th, 1941
Place of BirthBrooklyn, New York, USA
NationalityAmerican
GenderMale
Height6ft, 0 inches (1.83m)
WeightN/A
ReligionJewish
EthnicityAmerican
Marital StatusMarried 
Partner/SpouseJane Sanders (m. 1988), Deborah Shiling (m. 1964–1966)
Children1
Names of ChildrenCarina Driscoll (step-child)

Frequently Asked Questions About Sen. Bernie Sanders

What Party is Bernie Sanders With?

Sanders ran as an independent candidate until 2015 when he joined the Democratic Party.

What State is Bernie Sanders Senator For?

Sanders has been Junior Senator from Vermont since 2007.

What Books has Sen. Sanders written?

Sen. Sanders has released a number of books over the course of two decades. This includes Bernie Sanders Guide to Political Revolution, Outsider in the White House, and Our Revolution.

References

[1]. https://sec.report/Senate-Stock-Disclosures/Sanders/Bernard/c4a5f872-617c-4ea9-82b3-4ac52bde7779

[2].  https://www.senate.gov/senators/SenateSalariesSince1789.htm

[3]. https://www.newspapers.com/clip/64504803/the-burlington-free-press/ – Sanders becomes mayor

[4]. https://www.jta.org/2016/02/02/news-opinion/united-states/bernie-sanders-ancestral-town-in-poland-kvells-over-his-iowa-performance – Sen. Sanders’ father

[5]. https://edition.cnn.com/2015/05/27/us/bernie-sanders-fast-facts/index.html – Sen. Sanders attended Brooklyn College

[6]. https://www.sec.state.vt.us/media/308177/Rep10.pdf – Sanders wins House seat

[7]. http://elections.nbcnews.com/ns/politics/2012/vermont/ – Sanders wins Senate seat

[8]. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/11/us/politics/bernie-sanders-new-hampshire-primary.html – Sanders wins in New Hampshire

[9]. https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/01/14/sanders-warren-debate/ – Sanders Warren controversy


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Shane
Our Editor-in-Cheif works as a strategist at a Fortune 500 financial institution. He brings depth into our content with 10+ years of experience in managing businesses and evaluating deals. He loves the combination of boring business concepts and interesting pop culture snippets. This site is run by a team from major financial hubs in New York, Hong Kong, and London. Find out more about us.

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