Welcome Back Congress: Wealth Watch Congressional Megabuck Members:Top Five In Roll Call Fifty Are Worth $50 Million or More 1. Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass)* $760 million Senator's 1994 disclosure form shows assets of $50,000 to $100,000, with liabilities of $65,000 to $180,000, making him one of least wealthy Members; new bride's holdings, however, estimated at $760 million by Forbes magazine; wealth derives from inheritance from late husband John Heinz, who topped our original Roll Call 50 listing in 1990 and was the great-grandson of ketchup and food product magnate; according to Forbes, Mrs. Heinz sold some 13.5 million shares of stock in 1995 to diversify holdings. Sen. Kerry's middle name, Forbes, somewhat prophetic. 2. Rep. Amory Houghton (R-NY) * $350 million You'll find Houghton in the family section ofthe Forbes 400, but we list him separately because he controls family trusts. Forbes puts family fortune at around $530 million up from last year's assessment of $470 million; Amo's namesake founded Corning Glass Works in 1851, manufacturing glass casings for Thomas Edison's light bulbs; House financial disclosure form sets wealth at only around $10 million. 3. Sen. Herbert Kohl (D-Wis) * $250 million Made his money in family grocery business; owns Milwaukee Bucks basketball team as well as real estate interests, such as shopping centers and office buildings in Milwaukee; to win election in 1988, spent nearly $7 for every vote he received; in 1994, election cost him just over $7 per vote (perhaps inflation is to blame); 1994 financial disclosure report sets his net worth at more than $10 million (one of the highest in Congress); transactions included selling off part of his Scudder International Bond Fund and interest in a Milwaukee shopping center. 4. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WVa) * $200 million Great-grandfather, John D. Rockefeller, world's first billionaire; J.D. IV, known as "Jay," served as West Virginia governor; spent $12 million of own money on 1984 Senate race; spent $2 million in 1990 against minor challenger; DNC finance chairman, raised millions for party by joking about his wealth at fundraisers; Forbes estimates family fortune worth more than $6 billion; '94 financial disclosure shows individual net worth of $7 million. 5. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif) * $50 million Diversified holdings with husband Richard Blum; most are in his name, but she is beneficiary of $1 million-plus Bertram Feinstein Trust, which includes 50 percent interest in Carlton Hotel Properties of San Francisco; other holdings include: real estate (S.F.,Hawaii), paintings, stock (BankAmerica, Wolfgang Puck Food Company, AGP Industrial); 1994 financial disclosure report shows net worth to be at least $8 million, changed significantly from earlier forms which showed at least $38 million; reason: most of Blum's holdings now listed on form, but not assigned a specific value. 6. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) * $40 million Founder of ADP data processing firm, with 16,000 employees; spent $5 million of own money to get elected in 1982; ponied up just $750,000 of his own money in 1994; financial disclosure for 1994 sets wealth at nearly $4 million; holdings include stock in ADP and two blind trusts in excess of $1 million; each earned income greater than $1 million in 1994. 7. Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass) * $35 million Kennedy's father, Joseph Patrick Kennedy, was Boston bank president by age 25; founded political and financial dynasty, made millions in liquor business; family inheritance no longer makes Forbes list, which starts at $340 million; in 1990, Forbes estimate of Kennedy fortune was $850 million; holdings, such as Chicago Merchandise Martand Apparel Center, other real estate, oil and gas interests, have been losing value; divided among at least 50 surviving heirs; Sen. Ted reports holdings of just over $3 million on latest financial disclosure report, but various blind trusts generate annual income of at least $400,000. 8. Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-NJ) * $30 million Highest-ranking freshman on our list; financial disclosure form filed during 1994 campaign shows wealth of at least $25 million; 1994 form more difficult to measure,with most holdings in trusts; family first arrived in New Jersey in 1720s; four Frelinghuysens served in US Senate in the 1800s; Rodney's father, Peter, served in US House for two decades in this century; widely diversified stock and bond holdings, including Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, Eli Lilly; land in New Jersey and Massachusetts; inheritance trusts. 8. (tie) Sen. Robert Bennett (R-Utah) * $30 million Resume includes Nixon Administration, Robert R. Mullen Company (a PR firm employing Watergate burglar Howard Hunt), J.C. Penney, Microsonics Corp., and Summa Corporation, the massive Howard Hughes conglomerate; Bennett became CEO of Franklin International Institute, a day-planner manufacturing and motivational materials firm in mid-1980s; took it from four employees to 800, revenues skyrocketed from almost nothing to more than $80 million a year; company went public in 1992 and Bennett reportedly netted $25 million after selling his stock; 1994 disclosure form shows more than $25 million, including detailed Smith Barney report showing diversified portfolio worth more than $21 million. 8. (tie) Rep. Norman Sisisky (D-Va) * $30 million Former Pepsi distributor in southeastern Virginia region; still has large stock (even holds at least $1 million worth of stock in rival Coca-Cola) and real estate holdings, and limited partnerships with varied stock holdings, valued on disclosure form at more than $11 million; net worth probably substantially higher; an active stock trader, he got into GE, Intel, and Microsoft in 1994, but sold Disney, Procter & Gamble, Pacific Telesis. 11. Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn) * $20 million Transplant surgeon is second wealthiest freshman in 104th Congress; disclosure form lists nearly $10 million in assets, but Tennessee sources say holdings in Hospital Corp. of America, which was founded by his brother, are worth more; spent nearly $4 million on Senate campaign; other holdings include stock in Shoney's Inc., IRAs, realestate and hotel holdings in California, Massachusetts, Tennessee, Washington, and Texas; also controls several inheritance trusts. 11. (tie) Sen. Chuck Robb (D-Va) * $20 million Former lawyer, governor, Vietnam vet, and White House Marine guard has millions in banking and land holdings; married to Lynda Bird Johnson, heiress of LBJ-Lady Bird broadcast fortune; most recent disclosure form reports more than $11 million; reaped more than $1 million in capital gains and interest from the LBJ Holding Company. 11. (tie) Sen. Claiborne Pell (D-RI) * $20 million Newport blue blood; real estate, timber, and other investment holdings make up widely diversified portfolio started with inherited wealth; has more than $1 million in GE stock; financial disclosure reports set worth at $15 million. 14. Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif) * $15 million Wife of Sidney Harman, founder of Fortune 500 electronics company, Harman International Industries, which manufactures high-end stereo equipment; her common stock in the company worth well over $1 million; has other holdings in various stocks, Treasury bills, real estate partnerships, and four separate trusts; disclosure form shows net worth ofat least $7 million. 14. (tie) Rep. Dick Chrysler (R-Mich) * $15 million An automotive executive, but not for the company that bears his name; got his start on a Chevrolet assembly line, then became floor sweeper at Hurst Performance, earning $1.50 an hour; within ten years, his bio states, he became vice president of the company and eventually bought it; in 1970s, he founded Cars & Concepts, an automobile conversion company; sold it in 1987 and founded another conversion company, RCI, which manufactures police cruisers and electric-car batteries; disclosure form lists real estate and bond holdings worth at least $5 million. 16. Sen. John Glenn (D-Ohio) * $13 million Former astronaut owns interest in two Holiday Inns; other stock and real estate holdings; most of his money in two blind trusts, hard to determine actual amount; reports holdings of at least $2.7 million on disclosure form. 16. (tie) Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif) * $13 million Daughter of former Rep. and Baltimore Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro, Pelosi has real estate and business investments; investor husband has wide real estate, bond holdings, including San Francisco condos and Napa Valley vineyard; in late 1994, husband sold Bethany Beach, Del., condo worth between $100,000 and $250,000; she reports joint holdings of at least $9 million on disclosure form. 18. Rep. Porter Goss (R-Fla) * $9 million Former CIA agent, newspaper publisher; with spouse, controls large portfolio of stocks, bonds, real estate; disclosure forms show his wealth to be at least $8.3 million. 19. Sen. Lauch Faircloth (R-NC) * $8 million Faircloth reports stock in Jefferson Pilot life insurance, Lundy Packing Company (a meat processing companyof which he is a director), Glaxo, plus interest in real estate partnership and 100 percent ownership of Faircloth Construction Co., valued at more than $1 million; other holdings include farming, automobile dealership, and timber. 19. (tie) Rep. Jimmy Quillen (R-Tenn) * $8 million Extensive stocks and bonds (Kodak, various utilities); oil royalties; also has real estate interests; contributed in '94 to Holston Valley Healthcare Foundation 11,000 shares of Thomas Nelson Inc., common stock, worth $250,000 to $500,000. 21. Rep. Sid Yates (D-Ill) * $7 million Lawyer, has served in Congress more than 40 years; real estate holdings, Treasury notes, and PublicHousing Authority Bonds (which he trades with some frequency) make up a good portion of wealth; also in partnership that owns two Kentucky shopping centers; 1994 report lists at least $4 million in assets. 21. (tie) Rep. Nita Lowey (D-NY) * $7 million Former New York state official married to lawyer; biggest asset comes from Lowey, Dannenberg, Bemporad & Selinger, P.C., her husband's law firm; also has sizable holdings in T-bills and varied stocks; disclosure form sets wealth at $7 million. 23. Sen. Bob Graham (D-Fla) * $6 million Father worked way up from poverty to become wealthy dairy farmer and real estate investor; after graduating Harvard Law School, young Bob joined dad in real estate, helped develop entire town of Miami Lakes, Fla; stepbrother was late publisher of Washington Post, Phil Graham; sold real estate in 1994 while buying stock in Merck, Microsoft, Home Depot; stocks, municipal bonds, and farm add up to more than $3 million on most recent disclosure form. 23. (tie) Rep. Charles Taylor (R-NC) * $6 million Congress's only tree farmer, Taylor owns thousands of acres in North Carolina, plus other real estate interests and bank stock; 1994 disclosure form shows at least $5 million in holdings. 25. Rep. John Mica (R-Fla) * $5.6 million Sophomore Rep., brother of former Rep. Dan, sold more than $500,000 in holdings in cellular phone company he helped run to another firm, Centennial Cellular, then exercised option to buy Centennial stock; also holds Florida, Washington, DC, and North Carolina real estate. 26. Rep. Jim Sensenbrenner (R-Wis) * $5.4 million A lawyer by profession, Sensenbrenner goes above and beyond the call of duty by offering complete listings of his net worth. Backbone of his $3.9 million stock portfolio is more than $2 million in bathroom products giant Kimberly-Clark Corp. (that stock was recently trading at $80 a share, significantly higher than the $52 price Sensenbrenner reported in March 1994); other major bluechips include pharmaceutical leader Merck & Co. and Exxon. 27. (tie) Rep. John Spratt (D-SC) * $5 million Lawyer, banker, real estate investor; owns 800-acre farm in Fort Mill, S.C., and other land in N.C.; stock in Exxon, Citicorp. 27. (tie) Sen. John Warner (R-Va) * $5 million Won $7 million divorce settlement from first wife, a Mellon; later married and divorced actress Elizabeth Taylor; sold main holding, Virginia hunt country farm, in 1994, for more than $1 million; also has other real estate, including more Virginia farmland, plus trust income, stockand bond holdings, works of art; reports a Nations Bank checking account with balance greater than $1 million; latest disclosure form sets wealth at more than $4 million. 27. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz) * $5 million The former Navy POW, together with his wife, holds stock in a beer distributorship and a land partnership in Mesa, Ariz., both in the highest category; disclosure form shows more than $4 million in joint holdings, up from $2.3 million in 1993 - moving him up three spaces on our list. 30. Rep. Owen Pickett (D-Va) * $4 million A lawyer and accountant, Pickett's largest disclosed (and only million-dollar) holding is more than 1,000 acres of farmland in Caroline County, Va. Real estate partnerships dot many other spots on his portfolio as well. 30. (tie) Rep. Jim Leach (R-Iowa) * $4 million Leach shows million-dollar trusts in the names of his deceased parents, as well as other seven-figure assets,including Adel Wholesalers and Foxley Cattle Company; a former gas company president, Leach's portfolio also includes real estate, minerals, and stocks; disclosure form shows more than $3 million in holdings; drops from $6 million in last year's list because, as Leach notes in his disclosure, certain trust holdings that he had previously reported were distributed to a nephew and a niece. 30. (tie) Rep. Pete Geren (D-Texas) * $4 million His largest disclosed assets are more than a half million dollars in Texas Municipal Bond Fund. Other assets include varied interests in major stocks, oil and gas partnerships, and Fort Worth real estate. 30. (tie) Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) * $4 million Lucrative law practice in Austin was built on big product liability cases; holds diversified stock, mutual fund, real estate, and bond holdings. Stocks include Boeing, Enserch Corp., and Intel Corp. Main real estate holdings arerental properties in Austin; sold two properties worth atleast $1.5 million in Austin and purchased Capitol Hill home, so he's here for the duration. 30. (tie) Rep. E. Clay Shaw (R-Fla) * $4 million Timberland and real estate form the base of his portfolio; also stock in Nordstrom, Blockbuster; in 1994,bought and sold Treasury bills with some frequency; also holds bonds; disclosure form shows holdings worth at least $3 million. 35. Rep. John Linder (R-Ga) * $3.5 million Dentist and former lending company owner in 1994 sold holdings in Linder Financial Corporation for at least $1 million; also has IRA and real estate properties. 36. Sen. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) * $3 million Former House Member and lieutenant governor's wealth derives from inheritance trusts and real estate; holdings in two family businesses are spread among himself, his wife, and his eight children. Also holds joint blind trust formed in 1993 with assets exceeding $1 million. 36. (tie) Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif) * $3 million Founded two California banks by age 31; California real estate (including warehouse in San Franciscoworth at least $1 million), oil holdings; owns one of most valuable houses on Capitol Hill; disclosure form puts wealth at less than $2 million. 36. (tie) Rep. Terry Everett (R-Ala) * $3 million Newspaper publisher and real estate developer Everett spent nearly $1 million of his own money to winHouse seat in 1992; most of his holdings now in Merrill Lynch account, Treasury bills, and a note from his campaign committee worth $500,000 to $1 million. 36. (tie) Sen. Frank Murkowski (R-Alaska) * $3 million This former banker publicly values his real estate, oil, and gas holdings at a minimum of $2.9 million, including stock in Delta Airlines, Citicorp, Chevron, and Merck; sold some mining holdings at a loss in 1994. 36. (tie) Rep. Joe Kennedy (D-Mass) * $3 million RFK's son discloses less than $100,000 in inheritance and stocks, included in four separate Kennedy family trusts. 36. (tie) Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) * $3 million Along with spouse, Maloney has real estate holdings in New York City, Jamaica, Connecticut, and Tidewater Virginia; also stocks, bonds, mutual funds; disclosure form shows net worth of approximately $2.5 million. 36. (tie) Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev) * $3 million A lawyer who also chaired Nevada's Gaming Commission, Reid has most of his wealth in real estate; saleof some of his wife's land in 1994 yielded between $100,000 and $250,000; disclosure form shows approximate net worth of more than $2.6 million. 36. (tie) Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala) * $3 million Millionaire felt more comfortable with Republican party; switched to GOP the day after 1994 election. Alabama Senator's share of the Tuscaloosa Title Co. is worth morethan $1 million (he's also the chairman of the board); also has other valuable real estate holdings in Alabama and Washington. 36. (tie) Rep. Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) * $3 million Like cousin Joe, holdings mainly in Kennedy family trusts, one of which paid him income of between $100,000 and $1 million in 1994. Sold small interest in Arctic Royalty Limited Partnership, an oil and gas concern, as well as a rental home in Providence, R.I. Spent $135,000 of his own money on 1994 election campaign. 45. Rep. Harry Johnston (D-Fla) * $2.9 million Lawyer from wealthy West Palm Beach family holds stocks, bonds, and real estate. 46. Rep. Cliff Stearns (R-Fla) * $2.7 million Stearns sold interest in motel in Silver Springs, Fla., and other rental real estate in 1993, netting more than $1 million; in 1994, real estate still forms base of his disclosed wealth, listed on form at more than $1.3 million. 46. (tie) Sen. Bob Dole (R-Kan) * $2.7 million With wife, Elizabeth, owns stock in major companies such as AT&T, Bausch and Lomb, Southwest Airlines,Walt Disney, and Hershey. Mrs. Dole also owns between $50,000 and $100,000 share of a Kansas golf course, 120 acres of land worth between $250,000 and $500,000, and part ownership of an office building, valued at between $500,000 and $1,000,000. 48. Rep. Martin Hoke (R-Ohio) * $2.5 million Diversified stock and bond holdings, including IBM, Westinghouse, Ford Motor Co., Walt Disney, and Red Carpet Cellular (the company he founded, then sold to Cellular One); also various state and county bonds, etc.,valued on form to be at least $2.2 million. 48. (tie) Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-Md)* $2.5 million Engineer and former university professor has real estate in Maryland and West Virginia, including two parcels in Frederick County worth at least $1 million apiece; also has bond and precious metals accounts. 50. Sen. Judd Gregg (R-NH)* $2.4 million Diversified stock portfolio rather than large holdings; Fleet stock and savings account at Fleet Bank are valued at more than $1 million, with dividends and interest between $50,000 and $100,000. Roll Call Online was designed and created by Online Magic. Copyright 1996 Roll Call Inc. All rights reserved.