What is Mark Kelly's net worth?
Mark Kelly is an American politician, former naval aviator, and former NASA astronaut who has a net worth of $20 million. Much more detail on Mark Kelly's net worth in the next section below.
Mark Kelly came from humble beginnings, the son of two police officers. He spent 25 years as a Naval fighter pilot and space shuttle astronaut. He flew in combat missions in the Gulf War and, in 1996 was selected to be a NASA Space Shuttle pilot. His first mission was as a pilot of STS-108 in 2001. He also piloted STS-21 in 2006. Kelly commanded STS-124 in 2008 and STS-134 in 2011. His final mission was also the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavor, STS-134. He has an identical twin Scott Kelly, who is also an astronaut. The pair became the only siblings to both travel in space. In 2015 he spent a year on the International Space Station and was part of a study with his brother to find out how physical differences caused by living in space compared to those from living on Earth. In August 2020, Mark Kelly was elected to the United States Senate as a Democrat serving Arizona. In July 2024, Mark's name was floated as a potential Vice Presidential running mate for Kamala Harris.
Mark has been married to former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords since 2007. He has two daughters from a previous marriage. With Gabby Giffords, who was seriously harmed in an assassination attempt in 2011, he co-founded the gun-control nonprofit and super PAC Americans for Responsible Solutions, which was later renamed "Giffords."
Financial Disclosure & Speaking Fees
According to Gabby's 2011 financial disclosure, at that point, she and Mark had a combined net worth of $2 million. In the years since, their fortunes have increased dramatically thanks largely to Mark becoming a highly sought-after and highly-paid public speaker. They have also earned significant income from book deals, business consulting, and corporate board memberships.
In the two years before his 2020 Senate campaign alone, Mark earned $1.7 million from 62 speaking fees. That works out to an average of $27,419 per speech. Some notable examples include $25,500 to give a speech to the American Society of Dermatological Surgery, $58,250 to give a speech to the yogurt company Chobani, $29,750 for the Sexual Medicine Society of North America, and $55,250 for a consulting company called Pink Tank. Mark ultimately returned that last fee after it was revealed that the event was sponsored by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi. Mark and his twin brother Scott were both speakers at the event, which was held in June 2018 in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi has been accused of being an authoritarian government with numerous alleged human rights violations.
According to his 2019 financial disclosure, by this point, Mark and his Gabby Giffords had a combined net worth of between $10 and $30 million. In addition to his speaking fees, in 2019, Mark also earned $1.5 million from consulting and board membership fees. Mark stopped performing paid speeches and stepped down from his various board positions in 2020 upon being elected to the Senate.
According to his 2022 financial disclosure, Mark and Gabby had a combined net worth of between $8.1 and $34.5 million at that point. He requested an extension for his 2023 financial disclosure. According to their latest disclosure, Mark and Gabby's most valuable assets include:
- The Kelly Qualified Blind Trust, dated June 25, 2021, trust blind worth between $5,000,001 and $25 million
- Mark Kelly Traditional Individual Retirement Account Qualified Blind Trust No. 1 dated June 25, 2021, trust blind, valued between $1,000,001 and $5 million
- Northern Trust bank deposit, valued between $500,001 and $1 million
- Jackson National Life Insurance Company life insurance worth between $500,001 and $1 million
- Gabrielle Giffords Traditional Individual Retirement Account Qualified Blind Trust No. 1 dated June 25, 2021, trust blind valued between $500,001 and $1 million.
Real Estate
In July 2012, Mark and Gabby paid $1.495 million for a home in Tuscon, Arizona. Today, this home is worth around $3 million.
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Early Life and Education
Mark Kelly was born on February 21, 1964, in Orange, New Jersey, to retired police officers Patricia and Richard. He has a twin brother named Scott. As a teenager, Kelly went to Mountain High School, graduating in 1982. He then attended the United States Merchant Marine Academy, from which he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in marine engineering and nautical science in 1986. In 1994, Kelly obtained his Master of Science degree in aeronautical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School.
Naval Career
Kelly became a naval aviator in late 1987. After training, he was assigned to Attack Squadron 115 at NAS Whidbey Island in Washington state. Kelly was deployed twice to the Persian Gulf aboard the USS Midway and flew 39 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm. He later attended the United States Naval Test Pilot School. Kelly received numerous honors during his naval career, including two Defense Superior Service Medals and four Air Medals.
NASA Career
In 1996, Kelly and his twin brother were chosen by NASA as Space Shuttle pilots. His first trip into space was on the mission STS-108 in late 2001. Kelly went on to pilot STS-121 in 2006 and to command STS-124 in 2008. His last trip into space was in 2011 as commander of STS-134, the final mission of Space Shuttle Endeavor. Kelly retired from NASA after that, having traveled over 20 million miles in space during his career.
Post-NASA Projects
Following his retirement from NASA, Kelly co-authored the book "Gabby: A Story of Courage, Love, and Resilience" with his wife, who had just been the victim of an assassination attempt. He subsequently penned a children's book entitled "Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story," which was published in 2012. He later wrote a sequel, "Mousetronaut Goes to Mars." Also in 2012, Kelly co-founded the near-space exploration and technology company World View Enterprises, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.
In 2013, Kelly and his wife established the gun-control nonprofit and super PAC Americans for Responsible Solutions; it later became Giffords after merging with the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Meanwhile, he and his wife co-authored the 2014 book "Enough: Our Fight to Keep America Safe from Gun Violence." Kelly's other books include the fiction titles "Astrotwins: Project Blastoff" and its sequel "Astrotwins: Project Rescue," which he co-wrote with Martha Freeman.
US Senator
In early 2019, Kelly announced his candidacy for the 2020 US Senate special election in Arizona. In the election, he defeated incumbent Republican Martha McSally, making him the first Democrat to win the seat since 1962. Kelly went on to win reelection in 2022 by defeating Republican Blake Masters. Upon the departure of Kyrsten Sinema from the US Senate in 2025, Kelly will become the senior senator from Arizona.
Political Positions
Kelly is pro-choice and pro-gun control. He also supports abolishing the filibuster in order to pass voting rights legislation, and is in favor of an increase in the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour. Although he believes a public health insurance option should be included in the Affordable Care Act, he opposes single-payer healthcare.
Personal Life
Kelly married his first wife, Amelia Babis, in early 1989. They had two daughters named Claudia and Claire, and divorced in 2004. Kelly went on to wed US Representative from Arizona Gabby Giffords in 2007. In early 2011, Giffords was shot and nearly killed in an assassination attempt that left six people dead. The incident prompted Kelly and Giffords to become prominent advocates for gun-control legislation.
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