How Rich Is Dr. Fauci?
Anthony Fauci is probably the most famous doctor in America. He’s one of the longest-serving federal employees, as well as the highest-paid.
Dr. Fauci, 81, has served under six presidential administrations. The immunologist and physician has been the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) since 1984 and is the chief medical advisor to the president of the United States.
Dr. Fauci has played a vital public health role in slowing the spread of many viral diseases, from SARS to Ebola, as well as a crucial role in fighting the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. But he didn’t become a household name until 2020, when he was tapped to help President Donald Trump develop a response plan to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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What Is His Net Worth?
Dr. Fauci’s net worth exceeds $8 million, according to financial records made public in January. His wife’s assets bring their total worth to about $10.4 million, those records show.
They show Dr. Fauci’s investments (via an IRA and brokerage accounts) are worth $8.3 million, and his wife’s are worth $2.1 million.
How Much Does Fauci Make?
As director of the NIAID, Dr. Fauci earns approximately $430,000 — making him the highest-paid federal employee. According to fedsdatacenter.com, he made $417,608 in 2019. In 2020, he made $434,312.
In 2020, he also received perks and pension benefits of $200,500, $100,000 in royalties for his medical textbook and $13,298 in gifts and reimbursements. Additionally, he earned $1 million for the Dan David Prize, from Tel Aviv University.
The doctor also will be able to take a significant portion of his income into retirement — he’s eligible to receive around $350,000 per year in retirement benefits. It’s the highest federal retirement package that will be paid in U.S. history.
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More History
Dr. Fauci joined NIAID in 1968 as a clinical associate. He was promoted to the head of his laboratory’s clinical physiology department in 1974 and named head of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation in 1980.
When he took on the directorship of NIAID in 1984, he accepted with the condition that he be allowed to continue in his role as head of the Laboratory of Immunoregulation.
A Pop Culture Icon
Depending on their stance on the pandemic, people seem to either love or hate Dr. Fauci.
He has received much media attention, including being spoofed on “Saturday Night Live” and being the subject of a National Geographic biographical documentary titled “Fauci.” He went head to head with President Trump at the beginning of the pandemic and has fended off criticism from other Republican politicians — notably Sen. Rand Paul (Ky.).
Dr. Fauci is relatively nonchalant about negative feedback and differing opinions. He told The New Yorker that when it comes to dealing with political leaders during a crisis, “I go to my favorite book of philosophy, ‘The Godfather,’ and say, ‘It’s nothing personal, it’s strictly business.'”
He continued, “You just have a job to do. Even when somebody’s acting ridiculous, you can’t chide them for it. You’ve got to deal with them. Because if you don’t deal with them, then you’re out of the picture.”
He earned much of the public’s admiration, however, when he pushed for folks to get vaccinated, and many people in the first wave of vaccinations referred to their shot as the “Fauci ouchie.”
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Rich Is Dr. Fauci?
