What is Beto O'Rourke's net worth?
Beto O'Rourke is an American politician and businessman who has a net worth of $9 million. According to his most recent Congressional wealth disclosure, Beto owns at least $3 million worth of real estate and at least $6 million worth of other investments. Beto O'Rourke served as a member of the El Paso city council from the 8th district from 2005 to 2011. He became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 16th district in 2013. O'Rourke was the Democratic Party nominee for the 2018 Texas U.S. Senate race against Republican incumbent Ted Cruz. He ultimately lost that race. He also ran an unsuccessful campaign for Texas governor in 2022.
Is Beto's wife a billionaire heiress?
Beto O'Rourke has been married to Anne Sanders since 2005. Together they have three children. In an October 2018 profile of Beto, the New York Times referred to his father-in-law William Sanders as a "billionaire real estate developer". Follow-up articles by other less-credible news sites somehow magically estimated that William had a net worth of $20 billion. That would be news to us. We do not currently rank William Sanders on Celebrity Net Worth, but if we did he would certainly not be a billionaire.
So how rich is Beto O'Rourke's "billionaire" father-in-law William Sanders?
In 1966, William Sanders founded a company called International Development Corp. In 1968 he relocated the company to Chicago and renamed it LaSalle Partners. Over time, the company morphed into what is known today as Jones Lang LaSalle. Sanders sold his stake in the firm in the 1980s for $65 million. That's the same as roughly $165 million today after adjusting for inflation.
Several years after selling his stake, Sanders created a new company called Security Capital Group, headquartered in Santa Fe. The Real Estate Investment Trust eventually went public and by 2000 had an estimated $25 billion in assets under management. Sanders sold this company to G.E. Capital in 2002 for $4 billion in cash plus the assumption of $1.4 billion in debt. His personal cut of the sale was $250 million. Not ready to hang up his spurs, in 2012 a company called Brookefield Asset Management bought 81% of a company Sanders partly owned called Verde. The sale valued Verde at nearly $900 million but Sanders' personal cut of the deal was $22 million.
Clearly he has been extremely successful, but the numbers don't quite add up to billionaire status. In late 2018 Forbes pegged William Sanders' net worth at $500 million. Plenty of money to bankroll his son-in-law's Presidential dreams, but not enough to make his daughter a billionaire heiress. That's especially true when you consider Amy has a living mother and four siblings!
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Early Life and Education
Beto O'Rourke was born Robert Francis O'Rourke to parents Melissa Martha and Patrick Francis O'Rourke. He grew up in El Paso, Texas, where his father served as the County Commissioner. O'Rourke attended a private boarding school in Virginia called Woodberry Forest School, where he played on the varsity soccer team.
After graduating from high school, O'Rourke attended Columbia University in New York City, where he majored in English Literature. During his time at Columbia, O'Rourke played bass guitar in a punk rock band called Foss, which gained a small following in the New York City music scene.
Early Career and Family Life
After graduating from Columbia in 1995, O'Rourke moved back to his hometown of El Paso, where he worked as a proofreader for a publishing company and later started a technology business called Stanton Street Technology Group. In 2005, he married his wife Amy Hoover Sanders, a fellow El Pasoan and the daughter of real estate mogul William Sanders. They have three children together.
Political Career
O'Rourke first entered politics in 2005 when he was elected to the El Paso City Council. During his six years on the council, O'Rourke focused on revitalizing the downtown area, promoting green energy, and supporting the arts. In 2011, he decided not to run for reelection to the council and instead ran for Congress.
Congress
In 2012, O'Rourke ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in Texas's 16th congressional district, which includes El Paso and several surrounding counties. He ran as a Democrat against incumbent Representative Silvestre Reyes in the primary and won with the help of grassroots organizing and a strong social media presence. In the general election, O'Rourke faced Republican Barbara Carrasco and won with over 65% of the vote.
During his time in Congress, O'Rourke focused on issues such as immigration reform, veterans' healthcare, and gun control. He also gained national attention for his efforts to legalize marijuana and for his use of social media to engage with his constituents. In 2018, O'Rourke decided to run for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Senator Ted Cruz.
Senate Campaign
O'Rourke's Senate campaign gained national attention for his charismatic personality, progressive platform, and impressive fundraising. He traveled to all 254 counties in Texas, holding town hall meetings and rallies and using social media to connect with voters. His campaign focused on issues such as healthcare, immigration reform, and gun control.
Despite O'Rourke's strong showing, he ultimately lost the election to Cruz by a margin of 2.6%. However, his campaign energized young voters and progressives in Texas and across the country, and he became a rising star in the Democratic Party.
(Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images)
Presidential Campaign
In March 2019, O'Rourke announced his candidacy for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination. His campaign focused on issues such as immigration reform, healthcare, and climate change. However, O'Rourke struggled to gain traction in the crowded field of Democratic candidates and ultimately dropped out of the race in November 2019.
2022 Gubernatorial Campaign
In 2022 Beto mounted a campaign for governor of Texas. He was ultimately defeated by the incumbent Greg Abbot, who earned 55% of the vote.
