Henry Kissinger Net Worth:
American diplomat and political scientist Henry Kissinger have a net worth of $50 million. Kissinger initially arrived in the United States as a political refugee from Bavarian Jewish persecution.
After serving in the military and becoming a naturalized citizen, he became one of the most powerful politicians and advisors of the late 20th century. During the administrations of Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford, he was one of the most prominent voices in executing U.S. foreign policy.
Although he was unquestionably an inventive and powerful character in American politics, many observers and academics view him as a very contentious person. Some believe he is a war criminal.
Kissinger significantly affected world politics after leaving the government by creating an international geopolitical consulting company. Among the most renowned clients of his firm are global businesses. While it is true that Henry Kissinger is a divisive character, one thing is certain: he produced results.
Henry Kissinger Early Life
Heinz Alfred Kissinger was born in Furth, Bavaria, on May 27, 1923. (in what was then the Weimar Republic of Germany). Heinz, raised alongside a brother by middle-class parents, grew preoccupied with soccer at a young age.
He eventually earned a berth on the young squad of SpVgg Furth, one of Germany’s greatest teams during that period. This launched Kissinger’s lifelong affection for the club.
Heinz immigrated to the United States with his family at the age of 15 to escape the burgeoning antisemitism in Germany. Not long ago, the Nazis orchestrated Kristallnacht, often known as “the night of broken glass,” a violent demonstration against Jews in Germany.
After landing in New York City, Heinz changed his name to Henry and attended high school for one year before beginning his career as a factory worker. After graduating from high school, he maintained his education by taking night classes and majoring in accounting in college.
Henry Kissinger’s Military Career
Kissinger was a good student, but his postsecondary education was cut short when he was recruited into the United States Army during World War II. Henry became a naturalized citizen of the United States at age 20 during his army training.
Due to his quick wit and proficiency in German, he was moved from the 84th Infantry Division to Military Intelligence despite being initially assigned to that division. Kissinger saw plenty of combat as a member of the intelligence community and participated in the Battle of the Bulge.
His other accomplishments include creating the administration of a whole German city as a private and discovering a cell of Gestapo agents operating covertly.
Eventually, he became a Special Agent in the Counter Intelligence Corps and departed the service with a Bronze Star after being promoted to that rank.
Henry Kissinger Academic Career:
Kissinger attended Harvard after leaving the service and got a Bachelor of Arts in political science in 1950. He remained at Harvard and received his MA and Ph.D. in 1954.
Henry continued as a faculty member at Harvard and founded the Center for International Affairs. Instead of depending on the “safety” of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD), he advocated that the United States should employ nuclear weapons aggressively to win wars.
Kissinger became active in different presidential elections after his academic career, initially as a foreign policy consultant to Nelson Rockefeller.
When Nixon defeated Rockefeller for the Republican nomination, Kissinger switched sides and joined Nixon’s team, despite previously calling Nixon “the most hazardous of all persons to have as president.”
Henry Kissinger Political Career:
Nixon’s 1969 appointment of Henry Kissinger as National Security Advisor marked the beginning of Kissinger’s political career. Both men formed a strong bond throughout the succeeding years as they altered the globe through their foreign policy.
Kissinger was even more crucial to foreign policy formation than the State Department. Nixon resigned in 1974 in response to the Watergate scandal, and his successor ensured that Kissinger retained his job as National Security Adviser.
Kissinger was essential in developing detente policies and establishing strong diplomatic ties with the Soviet Union. In addition, he helped create a truce in Vietnam, which aided the withdrawal of U.S. soldiers, although the cease-fire did not endure.
Nixon and Mao could speak with each other via a backchannel that he established in China. However, diplomatic progress was sluggish since China was keen on eradicating Taiwan, which was viewed as illegitimate.
Nixon ultimately caved and supported Taiwan’s exclusion from the United Nations. Additionally, the United States and China formed an anti-Soviet partnership.
Kissinger and Nixon shared the same viewpoint toward Vietnam. Nixon was elected based on ending the war in Vietnam, whereas Henry argued that successes in Vietnam were mostly useless and had no permanent political consequence.
Several tactics were proposed to achieve “peace with honor” in Vietnam, but they all appeared ineffectual.
Kissinger even advocated using brutal force (such as nuclear bombing) to coerce the North Vietnamese into accepting a truce. While this idea was rejected, the government illegally attacked Cambodia without authorization from Congress.
Nixon’s frustration grew, and he began to advocate increasingly severe actions, which ultimately led to the invasion of Cambodia. Kissinger successfully brokered a cease-fire after years of meeting in secret with the North Vietnamese ambassador Lê c Th.
However, the United States’ South Vietnamese allies refused to accept the deal because they viewed it a betrayal. Nixon eventually intimidated South Vietnamese President Nguyn Văn This into accepting the agreement, and the United States withdrew.
In a short time, Saigon fell, and Vietnam was under total Communist authority.
The Vietnam War dominated Kissinger’s political actions, but he also developed a foreign policy for several other nations. He supported Pakistan controversially in their war against Bangladesh.
In addition, he engineered a military coup against a democratically elected leader in Chile and installed a pro-American president in his place. These are only a few instances of his political office actions.
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Henry Kissinger Post-Political Income and Lifestyle:
Kissinger continued to serve as a consultant after leaving US politics. In 2009, he was paid $5 million to help the multinational mining giant Rio Tinto remove itself from espionage and bribery charges. He has a history of dealing with influential organizations.
According to a 1979 New York Times report, Kissinger made between $400,000 and $600,000 a year from speaking fees, book royalties, and business consultancy fees. This is equivalent to earning between $1.4 and $2.1 million per year.
In the late 1970s and 1980s, he often demanded between $15,000 and $20,000 for a single speaking engagement. That is equivalent to $50,000 now.
In the same year, he allegedly earned over $5 million in advance payments and royalties for his three-volume biography, beginning with “The White House Years.” That is equivalent to $18 million in current currency.
Around this time, NBC paid Henry $1 million to be a foreign affairs adviser, which led to his appearances on The Today Show.
His expenses in this era were extremely substantial. Henry spent an estimated $150,000 per year on security and helpers during his prime. Approximately $500,000 in current money.
Henry Kissinger Private Life:
Henry has had two marriages. His marriage to Anne Fleischer lasted from 1949 to 1964. They were parents to David and Elizabeth. After a lengthy career at NBC, David joined Conan O’Brien’s production firm Conaco in 2005 as its president.
Henry married socialite Nancy Maginnes in 1974. Al Maginnes, the father of Nancy, was a professional football player in the 1920s before becoming a partner at Drye, New Maginnes & Warren for more than three decades.
Henry Kissinger Real Estate:
The Kissingers have real estate in both New York City and Connecticut. Real estate agents still refer to the former owner of a Palm Springs, California mansion as “The Henry Kissinger Estate.”
They possess a 300-acre home in the town of Kent, Connecticut. The Kissingers, who purchased their land in the early 1980s for an unknown sum, infuriated villagers when they pulled down hundreds of blueberry bushes that residents had harvested from for decades. Henry’s security staff ordered the removal of the shrubs to discourage visitors from entering the property.
They have long held an amazing apartment in the elite River House building in New York City. The co-op is extremely selective about who may and cannot purchase apartments in the building. Diane Keaton, Richard Nixon, Joan Crawford, and Gloria Vanderbilt are notable examples of not accepted purchases.
The co-op bylaws ban using the building’s name in real estate listings’ marketing materials. The structure has an exclusive club, appropriately titled “The River Club,” whose membership is limited to 400 men and women and costs $10,000 per year.
The club contains:
- A swimming pool.
- Two championship tennis courts.
- A dining room.
- A ballroom.
- 26 suites for out-of-town members.
Based on comparable previous sales in the building, the Kissinger apartment would likely sell for $15 to $20 million.