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Who is the richest US Supreme Court justice? Net worths, ranked – from Sonia Sotomayor to Brett Kavanaugh and the court’s first Black female judge, Ketanji Brown Jackson

US Supreme Court justices (front row, from left): Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, (back row, from left) Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS
US Supreme Court justices (front row, from left): Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan, (back row, from left) Amy Coney Barrett, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Appointed by the likes of Donald Trump, Joe Biden and George W. Bush, they make decisions affecting millions of people – and are paid handsomely to do so

Its Supreme Court justices are perhaps the closest thing the United States has to royalty. They serve until they die (or resign), are entitled to a salary for life and make decisions affecting millions of people.

The country’s highest court consists of a chief justice, John Roberts and eight associate justices, each nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. With a combined fortune of about US$64 million, it’s no surprise the Supreme Court justices have faced accusations of financial misconduct, undisclosed gifts and conflicts of interest, often damaging the court’s reputation and integrity, per Newsweek.

Here’s how the Supreme Court justices’ net worths stack up, according to Forbes, at the time of writing.

9. Brett Kavanaugh, 59

Appointed by: Donald Trump
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Estimated net worth: US$2 million

President-elect Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018. Photo: AFP
President-elect Donald Trump nominated Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018. Photo: AFP
Brett Kavanaugh joined the Supreme Court in 2018 – but his time there has not been without drama. Allegations of sexual misconduct from several women threatened his confirmation to the court, according to The Washington Post and in 2022 he was the target of an assassination plot at his home, reported CNN.

8. Ketanji Brown Jackson, 54

Appointed by: Joe Biden

Estimated net worth: US$2 million

President Joe Biden (left) appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022. Photo: TNS
President Joe Biden (left) appointed Ketanji Brown Jackson in 2022. Photo: TNS

American lawyer Ketanji Brown Jackson is not only the newbie in the team – she’s also the first Black woman to serve in the Supreme Court, having been appointed in 2022, per the Supreme Court Historical Society. Following the September release of her memoir, Lovely One, her net worth is likely to increase.

7. Clarence Thomas, 76

Appointed by: George H.W. Bush