$8 Million
What is Sarah Palin’s Net Worth?
Sarah Palin is an American politician, author, and television pundit who has a net worth of $8 million. Sarah Palin is a well-known political figure in the United States, having run as vice president alongside John McCain in 2008. She also served as the ninth Governor of Alaska from 2006 to 2009, after which she resigned. After starting her political career in Wasilla with an election to the city council, Palin became mayor of the city in the mid-90s.
Sarah then spent years working as the chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, an organization that is responsible for the safety and efficiency standards of Alaska’s oil fields. In 2006, Palin made history after becoming the youngest person to ever be elected as the Governor of Alaska. She was also the first woman to reach this position. After her resignation in 2009, Sarah has continued to play a notable role in American politics. She is known for endorsing the Tea Party movement and Donald Trump.
Biography
Sarah Palin’s Political Career
Sarah Louise Palin, born on February 11, 1964, is a prominent American politician, commentator, author, and reality television personality. She served as the ninth governor of Alaska from 2006 until her resignation in 2009 and gained national recognition as the 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee alongside U.S. Senator John McCain.
Early Political Involvement
Palin’s political journey began when she was elected to the Wasilla city council in 1992. She furthered her political career by becoming the mayor of Wasilla in 1996. In 2003, she was appointed chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, responsible for overseeing the state’s oil and gas fields for safety and efficiency. At the age of 42, Palin achieved a significant milestone by becoming the youngest person and the first woman to be elected governor of Alaska in 2006.
Challenges and Resignation
However, Palin’s tenure as governor faced challenges, including immense legal fees incurred by both her and the state of Alaska due to her fights against ethics investigations. These challenges eventually led to her resignation in 2009.
2008 Vice Presidential Nomination
In 2008, Palin reached a major milestone in her political career when she was nominated as John McCain’s vice presidential running mate at the Republican National Convention. She became the first Republican female vice presidential nominee and only the second female vice presidential nominee of a major party, following Geraldine Ferraro in 1984. Despite their efforts, the McCain-Palin ticket lost the 2008 election to the Democratic Party’s Barack Obama and Joe Biden. This campaign significantly raised Palin’s national profile.
Post-Governor Career
After resigning as governor in 2009, Palin actively campaigned for the fiscally conservative Tea Party movement. She endorsed several candidates in multiple election cycles, most notably supporting Donald Trump in his 2016 presidential run.
Television and Writing
In addition to her political career, Palin has carved out a niche in television and writing. From 2010 to 2015, she provided political commentary for Fox News. She also hosted TV shows, including “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” in 2010–11 and “Amazing America with Sarah Palin” on the Sportsman Channel in 2014–15. Moreover, she oversaw a short-lived subscriber-based online TV channel, the Sarah Palin Channel, via TAPP TV from 2014 to 2015. Her personal memoir, “Going Rogue,” written after the 2008 election, has achieved significant success, selling more than one million copies.
Recent Political Endeavors
In the summer of 2022, Palin entered the special election for Alaska’s at-large congressional seat following the death of Representative Don Young. She ran in the special election but lost to Democrat Mary Peltola, who completed Young’s unfinished term. Palin faced Peltola and others again in the November general election for the same seat but once more lost to Peltola, who won re-election to serve a full two-year term.
Early Life and Education
Sarah Palin was born in Sandpoint, Idaho, as the third of four children of Sarah “Sally” Heath and Charles R. “Chuck” Heath. She has English, Irish, and German ancestry. Her family moved to Skagway, Alaska, when she was a few months old, where her father began teaching. Subsequently, they relocated to Eagle River, Anchorage, in 1969, and finally settled in Wasilla, Alaska, in 1972.
During her school years, Palin was actively involved in extracurricular activities. She played the flute in the junior high band, was the head of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes at Wasilla High School, and participated in the girls’ basketball and cross-country running teams. Her senior year was marked by her role as co-captain and point guard of the basketball team, which won the 1982 Alaska state championship and earned her the nickname “Sarah Barracuda” due to her competitive nature.
In 1984, Palin won the Miss Wasilla beauty pageant and finished as the second runner-up in the Miss Alaska pageant, where she also earned the title of “Miss Congeniality.” She displayed her musical talents by playing the flute during the talent portion of the contest and received a college scholarship.
Educational Pursuits
After graduating from high school in 1982, Palin embarked on her academic journey. She initially enrolled at the University of Hawaii at Hilo but later transferred to Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu for a semester in the fall of 1982. She then returned to the mainland, attending North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene for the spring and fall semesters of 1983. Continuing her pursuit of higher education, Palin enrolled at the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, starting in August 1984. She later attended Matanuska-Susitna College in Alaska beginning in the fall of 1985. Palin’s academic journey came full circle when she returned to the University of Idaho in January 1986 and received her bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis in journalism in May 1987.
Early Career
With her degree in hand, Palin embarked on her professional career. She initially worked as a sportscaster for KTUU-TV and KTVA-TV in Anchorage and later as a sports reporter for the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman. These early career moves allowed her to fulfill her aspirations in the field of journalism.
Personal Life and Family
In August 1988, Sarah Palin eloped with Todd Palin, her high-school sweetheart. Their union resulted in five children: sons Track Charles James and Trig Paxson Van, and daughters Bristol Sheeran Marie, Willow Bianca Faye, and Piper Indy Grace. Trig, born in 2008, was prenatally diagnosed with Down syndrome.
The Palin family expanded with the arrival of eight grandchildren. Bristol, Track, and Willow each contributed to the family’s growing numbers.
Todd Palin worked as an oil-field production operator for oil company BP before retiring in 2009. He also owns a commercial fishing business.
Religious Beliefs
Sarah Palin’s religious journey saw her baptized Catholic as a newborn. However, her family transitioned to non-denominational churches after that. They eventually joined the Wasilla Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church, which Palin attended until 2002. Following this, she switched to the Wasilla Bible Church. Some news reports referred to her as the first Pentecostal/charismatic believer on a major-party ticket when she ran for vice president, but Palin herself prefers the label of a “Bible-believing Christian.”
Divorce
Sarah Palin’s personal life underwent a significant change when Todd Palin filed for divorce on August 29, 2019, citing “incompatibility of temperament.” In the divorce proceedings, he requested an equal division of debts and assets and joint custody of their son, Trig. The divorce was finalized on March 23, 2020.
