With a huge net worth of $150 million, politician Dick Cheney is among the richest American politicians. He is a Republican who served in the administrations of George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. He was the Secretary of Defense under George H.W. Bush’s administration, and served as the U.S. 46th vice president under George W. Bush.
In this article, we uncover how politics and private sector ventures contributed to the formidable net worth of former Vice President Richard Bruce Cheney.
Dick Cheney quick facts
| Full name | Richard Bruce Cheney |
| Date of birth | January 30, 1941 |
| Estimated net worth | Approximately $150 million (2024) |
| Education | Yale University (dropped out); University of Wyoming (earned political science degree) |
| Career highlights | Vice President to George W. Bush; Secretary of Defense |
| Significant investments | Real estate, stocks |
| Philanthropy | N/A |
Dick Cheney bio
Early years and education
Dick Cheney was born on January 30, 1941, to Marjorie Lorraine and Richard Herbert Cheney. He was born in Lincoln, Nebraska, and raised there in part. Cheney grew up mostly in Casper, Wyoming, with two younger siblings.
Cheney attended the College View Elementary School in Lincoln, and the Natrona County High School in Casper, where he was the senior class president and the football team captain.
Dick Cheney enrolled at the University of Yale but did not graduate. His grades were too low, forcing him to drop out. He later enrolled at Caspar College and studied political science at the University of Wyoming. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts.
Dick Cheney joined the University of Wisconsin–Madison to study for his doctorate but did not graduate. He dropped out to work for Governor Warren Knowles.
Family life
Dick Cheney is married with two daughters, Mary and Liz Cheney. In 1964, he married Lynne Cheney, a U.S. Representative from Wyoming. She won the congressional seat in 2017, and was an aide during Bush and Cheney’s re-election campaign.
Mary Cheney has two children with her wife, Heather Poe. After his vice presidency, Dick Cheney publically campaigned for same-sex marriage, ultimately pushing the state of Maryland to legalize same-sex marriage.
On February 11, 2006, Dick Cheney went squirrel-hunting with his friend, Harry Whittington. Cheney shot his friend by accident, causing him to suffer a heart attack three days later. Whittington survived, and Dick Cheney was cleared of criminal offenses.
Dick Cheney’s career
Private sector
Politician Dick Cheney served as the Council on Foreign Relations director between 1993 and 1995. When his term ended, he joined Halliburton, an oil field service company, as the CEO and chairman of the Board.
Dick Cheney left Halliburton in 2002 to work with George W. Bush as vice president. The company paid Cheney a substantial retirement package of $20 million. In 2002, Halliburton was served a class-action lawsuit by its shareholders. The case accused Halliburton of securities fraud. It settled the case with $100 million in 2016.
In 2010, the Nigerian Government accused Hurliburton and Cheney of corruption. Halliburton agreed to pay a settlement fee of $250 million. As a result, the Nigerian Government dropped the charges.
Political
Dick Cheney’s political career began in 1966. He left the University of Wisconsin to work for Governor Warren Knowles. In 1968, Cheney received a Congressional fellowship from the American Political Science Association. He then moved to D.C. to intern for Rep. William Steiger.
Cheney was an assistant to Donald Rumsfeld in the Office of Economic Opportunity. He then moved to the Cost-of-Living Council as an assistant director. When President Nixon resigned from office, Gerald Ford assumed office automatically.
Dick Cheney continued to work for the White House as an executive assistant to the president and chief of staff. Dick Cheney served as the campaign manager for Gerald Ford’s 1974 presidential campaign.
In 1978, Cheney won the election to represent Wyoming in the U.S. House of Representatives. His daughter, Liz Cheney, is the current Wyoming representative. Cheney served six terms as Wyoming representative. He was the chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee between 1981 and 1987 and became the House Minority Whip in 1988.
In 1989, President George H.W. Bush appointed Cheney to the Department of Defense. Before leaving the Department, Cheney directed two successful military campaign operations. Such operations include the U.S. invasion of Panama and Operation Desert Storm. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Vice President Dick Cheney
Dick Cheney left the White House after George H.W. Bush’s tenure and returned to work with President George W. Bush. He was Bush’s vice president between 2001 and 2009. Cheney influenced several policies in the White House, particularly foreign policy.
During his vice presidency, he was a temporary president twice while George Bush underwent minor surgeries on June 29, 2002, and July 21, 2007.
Vice President Cheney was instrumental in George W. Bush’s administration’s approach to issues such as the Iraq war ad Al Qaeda. He constantly claimed that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction. He also insisted that Iraq had ties with Al-Qaeda. He was the target of the suicide bombing outside the Bagram Airfield in 2007. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack that killed 23 people.
Though Dick Cheney was the most powerful vice president America ever had, he left office with the lowest approval rate ever.
Post-Vice Presidency
Dick Cheney left public service with President George W. Bush’s administration. He published two books with his daughter Liz Cheney: In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir, and Exceptional: Why the World Needs a Powerful America.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney suffered a heart attack six times. Cheney underwent surgery to receive a heart transplant in 2012.
Dick Cheney net worth data
| Net worth | $150 million |
| Assets | Real estate, vehicles – over $13 million Stocks – over $15 million Cash and bonds – over $10 million |
| Loans and liabilities | $12 million |
| Investments | $20 million |
| Personal monthly income | $1 million |
| Monthly income from businesses | $2 million |
Assets and investments
Former Vice President Dick Cheney’s massive net worth comprises assets in real estate, vehicles, and the financial market. He has 12 pieces of real estate, five cars, and one luxury yacht. He also has over $13 million in cash reserves and a vast stock market investment portfolio.
Cheney’s stock investments include Qualcomm, Amazon, and Intel, among other corporations.
Real estate
Dick Cheney owns several pieces of real estate. In January, the former vice president purchased a small lot in McClean, Virginia, for $1.35 million. In 2008, he brought down the original house and began constructing a new home.
In 2005, Cheney acquired a waterfront estate in Saint Michaels, Maryland, which he sold at a loss in 2019. He paid $2.67 million for the estate and sold it for $2.1 million. The former vice president also resides part-time in his Wilson, Wyoming, home.
Vehicles
Dick Cheney owns a fleet of five luxury vehicles and one luxury yacht. One of his luxury cars is a $370,000 Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
Dick Cheney net worth: Conclusion
Richard Bruce Cheney is by far the most powerful vice president in American history. He was the vice president of President George W. Bush. Before that, he served in other administrations, including George H.W. Bush’s.
Cheney left public office in 2009 but has remained in the public eye. He often speaks on political matters. Cheney attracted harsh criticism in 2004 when he supported same-sex marriages.
Cheney has led a successful political career and business investments. The politician has built a massive wealth of $150 million from these ventures.
