Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks, has made many news headlines in the past few years, thanks to the release of classified government documents that have shed light on various government controversies. But what is Julian Assange’s net worth? How much did he make from his life’s work? And how much do you think he’ll make in the future? All this and more can be answered below.
Julian Assange Net Worth
We can start our discussion about Julian Assange’s net worth by considering just how much money WikiLeaks made between 2010-2012 when they released thousands of confidential government documents. Estimates put WikiLeaks’ income at over $1 million per year, thanks to both PayPal donations and Bitcoin sales alone!
You may have also heard about Assange’s wealth – including his $13 million property in London. According to some sources, it’s all tied up in international trust and made inaccessible to Assange until certain conditions are met. However, his current situation at an embassy makes those sources questionable at best. It seems clear that even if he could access those funds or sell off his properties tomorrow, there’s no way he could come close to touching any of its worth, given how closely most governments are watching him!
WikiLeaks
WikiLeaks founder, Australian journalist, and computer programmer Julian Assange was named Person of the Year by Germany’s human rights organization, Amnesty International. This came after WikiLeaks published some 5 million confidential United States diplomatic cables in 2010. The same year, investigative journalists awarded him their media award for his work with WikiLeaks.
How Did He Get Rich?
While it’s difficult to say precisely how much WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is worth—that information isn’t readily available on any of his financial profiles—it’s safe to say he’s worth more than most people could ever dream of. For starters, reports show that after WikiLeaks published its first document in 2006, U.S. banks cut off its funding sources.
In response, some supporters started donating money directly to WikiLeaks, and others even created a for-profit fund-raising service called WikiLeaks Start Fund. If that group or an entity like it still exists today, then it probably helps manage all Assange’s business investments.
Why Is He So Famous?
What’s made Assange so famous is that he broke an agreement. He released 250,000 documents regarding Middle Eastern diplomacy, making him what some call a freedom fighter and others call a traitor. U.S. government claims it gave top-secret information to a terrorist group called Al Qaeda and has been charged with espionage.
On June 19, 2017, Britain detained him on charges of breaching bail conditions set in 2012 when he sought asylum from Sweden after facing allegations of sexual assault by two women (he says it was consensual). His legal team was negotiating for his release until President Trump tweeted about how Obama had given Chelsea Manning clemency; in response, prosecutors canceled talks with Assange’s lawyers.
What Are His Assets?
Assange’s Wikileaks hacking group has access to some of the most highly sensitive information. They have made public government secrets and private corporate communications and destroyed reputations by releasing embarrassing personal emails and other documents. While we cannot know what has been accessed or held back for future publication, we can make an educated guess about some of Assange’s assets. It may not be so far-fetched to assume his offshore accounts are stuffed with cash from grateful supporters.