The story of George Santos‘s finances is a wild ride from fabricated millions to a court-ordered near-zero net worth. After being expelled from Congress and convicted on federal fraud charges, the former New York representative saw his claimed fortune evaporate completely. By 2025, the man who once boasted a lavish lifestyle was reporting to prison with almost nothing to his name, facing hundreds of thousands of dollars in penalties that have defined his new financial reality.
Santos’s current financial standing is a dramatic reversal from the image he projected just a few years ago. His wealth was built on a foundation of lies and illegal activities, which ultimately led to his conviction for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The legal consequences have not only landed him in prison but have also wiped out his assets, leaving his net worth in shambles and his financial future deeply uncertain as he grapples with massive court-ordered debts.
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From Fabricated Fortune to Financial Ruin
During his 2022 campaign for Congress, George Santos filed financial disclosures that painted a picture of immense personal wealth. He reported a net worth estimated to be between $2.5 million and $11 million, claiming assets that included a personal checking account holding between $100,001 and $250,000, a savings account with a staggering $1 million to $5 million, and a dividend income of $1–$5 million from his company, the Devolder Organization.
These claims helped cement his image as a successful businessman, but they were almost entirely false. Federal investigations later revealed that these disclosures were part of a “mountain of lies.” In reality, by the time of his sentencing in April 2025, court filings showed he had no assets valued over $5,000.
The collapse of his financial facade was driven by his criminal actions. Santos pleaded guilty to a series of frauds, including stealing money from campaign donors by using their credit cards without authorization and funneling their funds into his personal accounts for purchases at designer stores like Hermès and Louis Vuitton. He also fraudulently obtained over $24,000 in unemployment insurance benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic while he was employed and running for office.
As a consequence, the court sentenced him to 87 months in prison and ordered him to pay $373,749.97 in restitution to his victims and another $205,002.97 in forfeiture, totaling nearly $580,000 in financial penalties. With no significant assets, his net worth in 2025 is effectively zero or even negative once these debts are considered.
Salary Speculations and Future Financial Prospects
George Santos’s salary story has two distinct chapters: his short-lived congressional income and his unexpected post-expulsion earnings. As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Santos earned an annual salary of $174,000. He had publicly pledged to donate his entire congressional salary, though he later refused to provide any evidence or details about these supposed charitable contributions, telling a reporter, “I owe you no explanation to what I do with my salary.”
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After his expulsion from Congress in December 2023, Santos lost that government salary but quickly found a new and surprisingly lucrative revenue stream. He joined the celebrity video platform Cameo, where he charged $500 per personalized video. He boasted that on this platform, he would “have made more money in seven days than I would’ve made in an entire year in Congress.” The CEO of Cameo confirmed that Santos had one of the “best launches we’ve ever had” on the site.
However, this income was short-lived, as he reported to prison on July 25, 2025, to begin serving his sentence. His financial future is now heavily burdened, as the government can seize his property and garnish up to 10% of his future income after his release to help pay off his nearly $580,000 in court-ordered debts.
