Gavin Newsom Net Worth (Money & Salary)

What is Gavin Newsom’s Net Worth and Salary?

An American politician and investor, Gavin Newsom has a net worth estimated at $30 million. It is important to highlight that the family wealth originates significantly from his wife, Jennifer, who is the daughter of highly successful investment manager Ken Siebel. The precise amount of Jennifer’s family fortune remains undisclosed, but she is the primary contributor to their collective wealth.

In 2019, Gavin Newsom assumed the role of the 40^th governor of California. His political journey began in 1997 when Mayor Willie Brown appointed him to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, a position he maintained until his mayoral run. Elected in 2003, he became the youngest Mayor of San Francisco in a century and was re-elected in 2007. In 2010, he secured his position as the 49th Lieutenant Governor of California, eventually being elected Governor in 2018.

Newsom has been a co-founder of at least 11 businesses. In 1991, at the age of 24, he established a company called PlumpJack Associates L.P. with some investors, which marked the beginning of PlumpJack Winery in 1992. By 2002, his business assets were valued at over $6.9 million. Upon becoming mayor in 2004, Newsom sold his interests in the San Francisco businesses. Additionally, he previously hosted “The Gavin Newsom Show” on Current TV.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Born on October 10, 1967, in San Francisco, California, Gavin Newsom is the son of William Newsom, a state appeals court judge and administrator of J. Paul Getty’s multi-billion-dollar trust. He also managed the Gordon P. Getty Family Trust, valued at approximately $2 billion during his administration. In a newspaper interview from 2003, William stated, “I make my living working for Gordon Getty.” Gavin’s mother, Tessa, was married to William from 1966 until 1972. Notably, Gavin had an indirect connection to Nancy Pelosi through his father’s sister Barbara; however, contrary to common belief, Nancy is NOT, nor has she ever been, Gavin’s aunt. More about this will be elaborated on later in the article.

Raised in his father’s Irish Catholic faith, Gavin was baptized and attended Ecole Notre Dame Des Victoires, a bilingual French-American school, until he transferred due to severe dyslexia. He later attended Redwood High School, participating in baseball and basketball. For higher education, he enrolled at Santa Clara University, graduating in 1989 with a BS in political science.

In 1991, Newsom and his investors launched PlumpJack Associates, leading to the establishment of the PlumpJack Winery. The business eventually expanded to employ over 700 individuals. Between 1993 and 2000, he and his investors opened various ventures, including restaurants, hotels, and retail clothing stores.

Entering Politics

Newsom’s initial substantial political involvement was marked by his role in Willie Brown’s 1995 campaign for San Francisco mayor. Following Brown’s election, Newsom was appointed to the Parking and Traffic Commission, later becoming its president. In 1997, he received an appointment to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, subsequently winning a full four-year term in 1998. Newsom was re-elected in 2000 and 2002 to represent the second district. During his tenure as Supervisor, he garnered recognition for advocating the reform of San Francisco’s municipal railway and supporting housing projects through public-private collaborations.

His most notable achievement as Supervisor was the Care Not Cash voter initiative, which aimed to provide supportive housing, drug treatment, care,and services addressing behavioral health for the homeless population. This successful measure significantly elevated Newsom’s public profile, providing him with the necessary resources to position himself as a potential mayoral candidate.

San Francisco Mayor

Newsom became the 42^nd mayor of San Francisco in 2003, making history as the youngest mayor in the city for the past century at the age of 36. During his 2007 reelection campaign, he faced 13 opponents, which included nudist activist George Davis and the owner of Power Exchange sex club, Michael Powers. By early August, having raised $1.6 million for his campaign, Newsom confronted no substantial challengers. His reelection victory was marked by over 72% of the votes, with commitments in his second term to tackle issues such as homelessness, health care, the environment, housing, and education. Development initiatives were also a priority, particularly for Treasure Island and Hunters Point.

Among his key accomplishments as mayor, Newsom launched several initiatives, including the San Francisco Homeless Outreach Team and Project Homeless Connect, which aimed to provide permanent housing and affordable rent options for those without shelter. In 2004, he garnered considerable national attention when he instructed the city-county clerk to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, defying state law. Though these marriages were later annulled, this bold move garnered extensive political backing for the LGBTQ community, paving the way for the eventual legalization of same-sex marriage. Furthermore, in 2007, Newsom established Healthy San Francisco, a law that ensured universal health care for city residents.

California Lieutenant Governor

Following a failed campaign for governor in 2009, Newsom successfully ran for lieutenant governor of California in 2010 and took office under Governor Jerry Brown. He won reelection in 2014, defeating Republican Ron Nehring. During his tenure as lieutenant governor, Newsom backed unsuccessful efforts aimed at repealing the death penalty. However, he succeeded in legalizing cannabis in 2016 and establishing educational initiatives across the state.

Governor of California

Elected governor of California in 2018, Newsom achieved a decisive victory against Republican John H. Cox. Shortly after his inauguration in 2019, he abolished the death penalty in the state. Additionally, he engaged in his initial acts of clemency by pardoning seven individuals who were previously incarcerated and at risk of deportation. Subsequently, Newsom received praise for his progressive stances on issues such as transgender rights, gun control, health care, and hydraulic fracturing.

In the early days of his administration, numerous recall attempts were initiated against Newsom. Although these movements did not succeed initially, they gained traction in 2020 as many Californians expressed dissatisfaction with the governor’s management of the COVID pandemic response. By February 2021, it was confirmed that enough signatures had been collected to initiate a recall election.

Is Gavin Newsom Nancy Pelosi’s Nephew?

The brief answer is no; Gavin Newsom is not related to Nancy Pelosi by blood. Despite this, there was indeed a significant familial connection between the two several decades ago.

Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi has been married to Paul Pelosi since 1963. Paul has a brother named Ron, who was married to Barbara Newsom from 1956 to 1977. Barbara’s brother, William Newsom, is Gavin’s father, and Gavin was born in 1967. Thus, during the first decade of his life, Nancy Pelosi was Gavin’s aunt’s sister-in-law, meaning that as a child, Gavin was connected to Nancy’s brother-in-law through marriage.

To put this in your own words, do you happen to have an aunt? You know, like a sister to your father or mother? Now consider that your aunt has a husband. Imagine that this uncle-in-law has a sibling, who is married to another woman. Nancy represented that relationship to Gavin. However, now picture that your actual blood-related aunt hasn’t been married for several decades.

Let’s suppose you have an aunt named Katie. Imagine that at one point, Aunt Katie was married to a man named Joe Example. When they were together, Katie and Joe Example were your aunt and uncle. Now envision that Joe has a brother called Bill. Assume that Bill Example was married to a lady named Sarah. No reasonable person would ever regard Bill Example as an uncle. Furthermore, there would be no scenario in which anyone would consider Bill’s wife, Sarah Example, as an aunt. And remember, to keep things consistent, picture that Katie and Joe Example divorced 50 years ago.

Personal Life

In 2001, Newsom married Kimberly Guilfoyle, a former prosecutor from San Francisco and conservative legal commentator, but they divorced in 2006. That same year, he began a relationship with film director Jennifer Siebel, and the couple wed in 2008. They have four children together. Jennifer’s father, Ken Siebel, is a highly successful investment manager and real estate investor, while her father’s second cousin, Thomas Siebel, is the multi-billionaire founder of the software company Siebel Systems.

After being elected as governor, Newsom relocated with his family from a house in Marin County to the California Governor’s Mansion located in Downtown Sacramento. He later settled in the Fair Oaks area.

It came to light in 2007 that Newsom had engaged in an affair with Ruby Rippey-Tourk, the spouse of Alex Tourk, who was his campaign manager at that time. As a result, Tourk filed for divorce and departed from Newsom’s administration.

Real Estate

In 2011, Gavin and Jennifer purchased a house in Kentfield, California, for $2.225 million. They put this property on the market in February 2019 for $5.995 million and ended up selling it in August 2021 for $5.895 million.

Shortly after Gavin was elected Governor in late 2018, the couple acquired a home in the Sacramento suburb of Fair Oaks for $3.7 million.

In November 2024, Gavin and Jessica bought a $9.1 million residence in Kentfield, California, previously owned by Daniel Pritzker, an heir to Hyatt Hotels.