Millionaire justices
Recently-released financial disclosures show that seven of the nine Supreme Court justices are millionaires. That might be expected, but the ways some of them acquired their wealth isn't. Steve Henn reports.
U.S. Supreme Court (Alex Wong (c) Getty Images)
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TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: The average American household has a net worth just shy of $100,000, but the average Supreme Court justice does a little better than that. We just got some financial disclosure records from the court. Steve Henn tells us more.
STEVE HENN: According to court legend, Justice David Souter eats lunch every day at his desk, and every day it's the same: an apple and plain yogurt.
In the summer while other Justices jet off on all-expense-paid trips to Europe, Africa or Asia, Souter drives himself back to Weare, New Hampshire and spends time with his mother.
Yet Souter may be the wealthiest member on the court. He reported that a single investment in the Chittenden Corporation, a Vermont bank, was worth between $5 and $25 million.
The other multimillionaires on the court include Justice Ginsburg whose net worth is well north of $3 million and Justice Breyer, whose wife's family owns Pearson Publishing and the Financial Times of London.
But not all the Justices are rolling in clover.
Justices Thomas and Kennedy reported less than a million dollars in total assets. Of course, that excludes their homes.
In Washington, I'm Steve Henn for Marketplace.
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: The average American household has a net worth just shy of $100,000, but the average Supreme Court justice does a little better than that. We just got some financial disclosure records from the court. Steve Henn tells us more.
STEVE HENN: According to court legend, Justice David Souter eats lunch every day at his desk, and every day it's the same: an apple and plain yogurt.
In the summer while other Justices jet off on all-expense-paid trips to Europe, Africa or Asia, Souter drives himself back to Weare, New Hampshire and spends time with his mother.
Yet Souter may be the wealthiest member on the court. He reported that a single investment in the Chittenden Corporation, a Vermont bank, was worth between $5 and $25 million.
The other multimillionaires on the court include Justice Ginsburg whose net worth is well north of $3 million and Justice Breyer, whose wife's family owns Pearson Publishing and the Financial Times of London.
But not all the Justices are rolling in clover.
Justices Thomas and Kennedy reported less than a million dollars in total assets. Of course, that excludes their homes.
In Washington, I'm Steve Henn for Marketplace.
