Capitol Hill is brimming with millionaires, but if you think that most of the richest members of Congress got that way from working hard, guess again.
When you browse through the list of the richest members of Congress, one of the most common themes is that many of them married into wealth, regardless of gender.
The best-known beneficiary of spousal wealth is former Sen. John Kerry, D-MA, who recently left the Senate to serve as Secretary of State in the Obama administration.
Kerry's massive wealth, estimated at somewhere around $200 million, derives almost entirely from the extensive holdings of his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry, in the H.J. Heinz Company (NYSE: HNZ).
Others, like Rep. Jay Rockefeller, D-WV, and freshman Sen. Joe Kennedy III, D-MA, inherited parts of family fortunes built up by wealthy forebears.
Some have become millionaires while serving in Congress. While a generous salary of $174,500 per year certainly helps grow one's wealth, many savvy lawmakers are able to use their positions to make very rewarding investments that can add hundreds of thousands, if not millions, to their net worth.
In fact, the richest members of Congress do better than even other wealthy Americans. An investigation by The New York Times found that the median net worth of U.S. lawmakers grew 15% from 2004 to 2010, while the growth in median net worth of the wealthiest 10% of Americans was negligible.
And during that same period, the median net worth of the average American decreased by 8%.
It's little wonder that Congress has such a hard time relating to the financial struggles of the average American.
Here is a sampling of the richest members of Congress and where their wealth comes from:
If you think Congress is just a collection of fat cats who have let the middle class down, make sure you vote here in our Money Morning poll: Should Congress Live Like the Rest of Us?
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