What is Cory Booker's Net Worth and Salary?
Cory Booker is an American politician and lawyer who has a net worth of $3 million. He has been serving as a U.S. Senator from New Jersey since 2013, becoming the first black U.S. Senator from New Jersey. Previously, he was the mayor of Newark from 2006 to 2013 and ran for the Democratic nomination in the 2020 presidential election, ultimately losing to Joe Biden.
Salary and Book Royalties
Booker earns a $174,000 Senate salary and significant royalties from his book "United." He made $325,000 in 2016 and $400,000 in 2015 from book royalties. According to his 2017 wealth disclosure, Booker reported $550,000 in assets, primarily in brokerage accounts.
Finances and Tax Returns
Between 1998 and 2013, Booker earned over $4 million before taxes, paying more than $1 million in taxes during that period. His total earnings from speeches exceed $2 million before taxes, and he has donated over $400,000 to charity.
Early Life and Education
Born on April 27, 1969, in Washington, DC, Cory Booker was raised in Harrington Park, New Jersey, in a religious household. He attended Northern Valley Regional High School, where he played varsity football. Booker earned his BA in political science and MA in sociology from Stanford University. He was a Rhodes Scholar at the University of Oxford, earning a degree in US history before getting his JD from Yale Law School in 1997.
Career Beginnings
After law school, Booker worked as a staff attorney at New York's Urban Justice Center and a program coordinator for the Newark Youth Project. He entered politics in 1998, winning a seat on Newark's Municipal Council, where he highlighted issues like drug dealing, violence, and urban development through a 10-day hunger strike.
Mayor of Newark
Booker ran for mayor of Newark in 2002 but lost. He ran again in 2006 and won, later being reelected in 2010. As mayor, he reduced the crime rate, improved city services, expanded affordable housing, and reduced the city budget deficit. Booker also initiated the "Let's Move! Newark" program and made notable rescues, including saving a woman from a fire.
US Senator
After Senator Frank Lautenberg passed away in 2013, Booker ran for and won the Senate seat, becoming the first African-American Senator from New Jersey. He was reelected in 2014 and 2020. Booker has focused on progressive issues, advocating for same-sex marriage, women's rights, universal healthcare, economic reforms, and climate change, among other issues.
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2020 Presidential Election
In 2019, Booker announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the 2020 presidential election. Despite participating in the first five debates, he did not qualify for the sixth debate and ended his campaign in early 2020.
Other Endeavors
Booker is on the board of advisers of Democrats for Education Reform and the board of trustees of Columbia University's Teachers College. In 2012, he co-founded the video-sharing technology company Waywire but resigned after becoming a Senator. Booker also appeared in the Oscar-nominated documentary "Street Fight" and the Peabody Award-winning series "Brick City." He was featured in the 2011 documentary "Miss Representation."
Personal Life
Booker has had relationships with author Cleo Wade and actress Rosario Dawson. He currently resides in Lincoln Park, Newark, New Jersey, having previously lived in Brick Towers and a three-story rental in the South Ward.
