Disclosure form: Pete Hegseth earned $4.6M from Fox over two years

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Former Fox star turned defense secretary nominee Pete Hegseth disclosed that the network paid him $4.6 million in two years of his time as host of “Fox & Friends Weekend.”
The disclosure, which came as part of the confirmation process for Hegseth’s pending role as head of the Pentagon, revealed that Fox paid him a total of $4,602,340 over a two-year period. The income was labeled as a salary.
It was not clear how much of that money was paid during which year, so it’s difficult to ascertain Hegseth’s annual salary at the network. There is a separate line, later in the report, that lists an undisclosed amount as a “salary/bonus” to Hegseth’s spouse, who is also a Fox employee.
In addition to the salary, additional paperwork filed on Jan. 13, 2025, ahead of his confirmation hearings, revealed Hegseth earned “rent/royalty” income of between $100,000 and $1 million from the publication of the book “Battle for the American Mind” from HarperCollins, which is a division of News Corp., which is controlled by the same family that owns Fox Corp., the parent of the right-leaning commentary network.
HarperCollins’ Broadside Books oversees the cable network’s book imprint, which has also published titles from other Fox personalities.
HarperCollins also paid Hegseth of a $348,000 advance ahead of the publication of “The War on Warriors” and $250,000 ahead of “Battle for the American Mind.”
In addition, the forms also revealed he has received tens of thousands of dollars in honorariums from various organizations where he was a featured speaker or presenter. This income included $25,000 from the National Rifle Association and another $25,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation. Labeling such income as “honorariums” is a frequently used tactic to work around ethics rules that may otherwise prevent news personalities from accepting outside payment or speaking fees from other companies or organizations.
The report also notes that Hegseth has at least three bank accounts with. He also realized between $100,000 and $1 million in income from a rental property in Baltimore, Maryland, though that property was sold in 2023, according to a footnote. It also reveals that Hegseth has two U.S. Bank accounts with at least $1,001, one with at least $15,001 and one with at least $50,001. He also holds between $15,001 and $50,000 in Bitcoin and earned between $5,001 and $15,000 in interest in capital gains from that holding.
Between both of them, the couple also appears to have millions of dollars in various stocks and investment and retirement accounts, according to the report.
Hegseth also holds a mortgage of between $1,000,001 and $5 million on a mortgage on his personal residence from Farm Credit Mid-America FLCA. There is also a much smaller mortgage on an investment property.
All told, Hegseth’s financial disclosure is largely in line with what one might expect of a prominent cable TV host. It is common for TV personalities across the board to publish books, give speeches and hold investments, all of which earn income. Wealthy individuals frequently hold chunks of stock and leverage a multitude of modalities for investing money.
Hegseth was nominated as Donald Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense in November 2024. He has experience serving in the Army National Guard, including stints in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has little experience with military management, policy or budget. He has been accused of sexual harassment but denies any wrongdoing.
Hegseth’s attorney noted that the incident in question was fully investigated by law enforcement and no charges were filed.
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tags
donald trump, Fox News, Pete Hegseth
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Broadcast Industry News, People