Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Look at the Career and Fortune of the Late Supreme Court Justice
Written by
Stephanie Asymkos
Commitment to Our Readers
GOBankingRates' editorial team is committed to bringing you unbiased reviews and information. We use data-driven methodologies to evaluate financial products and services - our reviews and ratings are not influenced by advertisers. You can read more about our editorial guidelines and our products and services review methodology.
20 Years
Helping You Live Richer
Reviewed
by Experts
Trusted by
Millions of Readers
After 27 years of serving on the Supreme Court, many identified the justice by her initials: RBG. Following several high-profile medical issues, Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed of metastatic pancreatic cancer on Sept. 18. At the time of her death, Ginsburg was 87 years old.
Ginsburg was heralded for being the second woman to serve on the Court and an advocate of women’s rights and LGBTQ rights. She garnered a following among younger generations of supporters — many of whom regarded the liberal-leaning justice as an influencer and feminist icon. Here’s a look at Ginsburg’s career and fortune.
Birthdate: March 15, 1933Net worth: $3.95 million to $9.22 millionSources of income: Supreme Court justice and investmentsCareer highlights: Second woman to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court — appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1993
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Net Worth
Disclosure forms list assets, but they don’t state exact dollar amounts for each account, so it’s hard to determine the exact amount of Ginsburg’s net worth. Her 2019 financial disclosure report does provide ranges for her assets, so it is possible to find a range of potential values for her net worth.
Based on the values of the assets listed in her most recent disclosures, Ginsburg had an estimated net worth in the range of $3.95 million to $9.22 million.
Ginsburg’s assets included several retirement accounts and numerous investment funds. Her largest asset was her Columbia University retirement plan, with a value between $500,001 and $1 million, according to her 2019 financial disclosure report.
The report also reveals that Ginsburg had no reportable liabilities.
How Ruth Bader Ginsburg Earned Her Fortune
Ginsburg’s net worth likely came largely from her salary and from investing money wisely. As an associate justice, Ginsburg’s 2019 annual salary was $258,900. As of 2020, associate justices have an annual salary of $265,600.
Ginsburg’s book “My Own Words,” a collection of her speeches and writings, was released in 2016. She earned over $204,000 in royalties from the book in 2016, according to her financial disclosure report for that year.
Although two films about her career and accomplishments — “On the Basis of Sex” and “RBG” — debuted in 2018, there’s no indication in her 2018 financial disclosures that she received any royalties for them.
In 2019, Ginsburg was awarded a $1 million prize from the Berggruen Institute for advancing equality between the sexes. However, Ginsburg did not accept the money herself; instead, she donated the money to charity.
Ginsburg was also the justice who was most frequently reimbursed for travel to speeches and conferences, though the amount of these reimbursements is unknown.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Background
The Brooklyn, New York, native was a graduate of Cornell University. She attended law school at Harvard before transferring and graduating from Columbia Law School.
Before being called to the bench by former President Bill Clinton in 1993, Ginsburg’s professional resume reflected a career dedicated to the law. She held a clerkship with Judge Edmund L. Palmieri of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, taught law at both Rutgers and Columbia, and served as the American Civil Liberties Union’s general counsel.
Ginsburg balanced professional success with her 56-year marriage to Martin Ginsburg until his death in 2010. Together they had two children, Jane and James.
Gabrielle Olya and Sean Dennison contributed to the reporting for this article.
This article has been updated with additional reporting since its original publication.
