Al Sharpton Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What Is Al Sharpton’s Net Worth and Salary?

With a net worth of $500 thousand, Al Sharpton is recognized as an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and talk show host on television and radio. He is renowned for being an outspoken and controversial figure in the struggle against racial prejudice and injustice in the United States.

Alleged Financial Problems

A “New York Times” exposé in November 2014 indicated that Al Sharpton was purportedly experiencing significant financial troubles. According to the report, he and his businesses were said to owe $4.5 million in back taxes, both state and federal. Of this total, it was alleged that approximately $3.7 million represented Sharpton’s personal tax liability. Sharpton denied these claims, asserting that the liens had been addressed. However, he did not disclose the amount he had paid off, and the “Times” was unable to verify his assertions.

Early Life

Born Alfred Charles Sharpton Jr. on October 3, 1954, in Brooklyn, New York City, he is the child of Ada and Alfred Charles Sharpton Sr. Following his father’s departure from the family in 1963, his mother struggled to provide for them. They applied for welfare assistance and relocated from their middle-class community to the Brownsville public housing projects in Brooklyn. After graduating from Samuel J. Tilden High School, he enrolled in Brooklyn College, though he left after two years.

At around the age of nine or ten, Sharpton was ordained as a Pentecostal minister by Bishop F.D. Washington. Following Washington’s passing in the late 1980s, Al became a Baptist and was re-baptized in 1994 by Reverend William Augustus Jones, solidifying his role as a Baptist minister.

Career

In 1969, Jesse Jackson appointed Sharpton as the youth director for the NYC branch of Operation Breadbasket, which focuses on enhancing job opportunities for African Americans. In 1971, he launched the National Youth Movement to gather resources and funds for disadvantaged youth. By the 1980s, he had earned national recognition as an activist advocating for individuals who experienced racial discrimination. One of his earliest high-profile legal cases involved Tawana Brawley, a teenager who alleged she had been kidnapped and raped by a group of white men; these allegations were ultimately proven false. Sharpton has also voiced support for numerous individuals, including Bernhard Goetz, Yusef Hawkins, Amadou Diallo, Trayvon Martin, and Eric Garner. In 1991, he founded the National Action Network, aimed at enhancing voter education, supporting small businesses in communities, and generally helping those in poverty.

In June 2009, Reverend Al Sharpton led a memorial service for Michael Jackson at Harlem’s Apollo Theater. As a lifelong friend of the Jackson family, Sharpton praised Michael Jackson as a “trailblazer” and a “historic figure” who held a special affection for the Apollo Theater. Al continues to address contemporary issues of injustice and share his perspectives through his radio and television programs. In January 2006, he began hosting his national daily talk radio program, “Keepin’ It Real with Al Sharpton,” on Radio One. Additionally, he has been hosting the MSNBC program “PoliticsNation” since 2011 and frequently contributes to the NBC morning news and talk show “Morning Joe.”

He has authored several books, including “Al on America,” “The Rejected Stone: Al Sharpton and the Path to American Leadership,” and “Go and Tell Pharaoh,” co-written with Nick Chiles.

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Political Campaigns

On several occasions, Sharpton has attempted to secure elected office unsuccessfully, notably aiming for a United States Senate position from New York in 1988, 1992, and 1994. His run for Mayor of New York City occurred in 1997. Sharpton made an attempt to campaign for President in 2004, but the effort was plagued by various financial challenges. Although he had access to federal funding for his campaign, he surpassed the federal limits on personal spending. Consequently, in 2005, Sharpton consented to reimburse $100,000 of the federal funds he had utilized. Additionally, in 2009, the Federal Election Commission levied a fine of $285,000 against his 2004 presidential campaign team for violations of campaign finance regulations.

Personal Life and Views

Kathy Jordan, a backup singer, became Sharpton’s future wife after they met on tour with James Brown in 1971. They tied the knot in 1980 but separated in 2004. In January 1991, while preparing for a protest in Brooklyn, New York, Sharpton was stabbed in the chest by Michael Riccardi. Riccardi was subsequently captured by Sharpton’s associates and was convicted of first-degree assault in 1992, receiving a 15-year sentence. He was released on parole in 2001 after serving 10 years in prison. Following the incident, Sharpton filed a lawsuit against New York City, claiming that the numerous police officers present for the planned protest had failed to ensure his safety. This case settled in December 2003 for $200,000.

In 2001, Sharpton was incarcerated for 90 days in the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn due to trespassing while protesting against U.S. military training exercises in Puerto Rico.

Previously, Sharpton has made statements that stirred controversy regarding the LGBTQ community, which included the use of the term “homo” during a speech at Kean College in 1994. However, over time, he has evolved to become an advocate for combating homophobia within the African-American community.