President-elect Donald Trump’s nominee for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, has recently come under scrutiny for his financial disclosures. According to the released documents, Hegseth earned a substantial $4.6 million during his tenure as a Fox News host, a position he held from the beginning of 2022.
In addition to his earnings from Fox News, Hegseth also generated around $1 million through speaking engagements in 2023 and 2024. Many of these speaking engagements were hosted by conservative or Christian organizations. Notably, he received $150,000 for a speech delivered to the American Legislative Exchange Council in February 2023.
Aside from his media and speaking engagements, Hegseth also received royalties from three books he authored, including his latest work, “The War on Warriors.”
Furthermore, the financial disclosure revealed that Hegseth held stocks in prominent defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Honeywell. The disclosed value of these assets ranged from $1,001 to $15,000 for each company.
Interestingly, Hegseth also disclosed owning a stake in Bitcoin, with holdings valued between $15,001 and $50,000.
