Longtime Donald Trump ally Steve Bannon was released from prison early Tuesday, and it seems the scandal-plagued podcast host is determined to use his freedom to help the former president return to the White House.
“The four months in federal prison not only didn’t break me, it empowered me,” the 70-year-old stated as he resumed his online show. “I am more energized and more focused than I’ve ever been in my entire life.”
Here’s a look at Bannon’s recent time in prison and his current net worth.
Why Did Bannon Go to Jail?
Bannon was convicted of two counts of contempt of Congress in July 2022: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and another for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in Trump’s efforts to overturn his loss to Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential race.
“A defendant chose allegiance to Donald Trump over compliance with the law,” a Justice Department prosecutor told jurors at the trial, emphasizing that Bannon “had contempt for Congress,” which was seeking to understand “why Jan. 6 happened and how to ensure it never happens again.”
When he began serving his sentence at a low-security federal correctional institution in Connecticut in July, Bannon referred to himself as a “political prisoner.”
“I am proud of going to prison,” he stated at the time, adding that he was standing up to Attorney General Merrick Garland and a “corrupt” Justice Department.
What Is Bannon’s Net Worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bannon is worth $20 million. In 2017, Forbes reported that during Bannon’s tenure as senior counselor and chief strategist to Trump, his net worth was estimated to be between $9.5 million and $48 million.
What Is Bannon’s Job and How Did He Make Money?
Currently, Bannon hosts a podcast called “War Room,” which frequently appeared in Apple’s Top Podcasts before Bannon reported to prison.
Previously, he was the executive chairman of the far-right website Breitbart and served on the board of the now-defunct data analytics firm Cambridge Analytica. Bloomberg reported that Bannon’s stake in Cambridge Analytica, a data collection firm linked to Brexit, was sold for up to $5 million before he joined Trump’s administration in 2016 as chief executive of the former president’s campaign. Bannon was ultimately removed from his role in April 2017, and he officially left the White House in August of the same year.
While he is well-known as the head of several anti-globalization organizations that fund the European right-wing, Bannon was once an officer in the US Navy and a film producer before transitioning into publishing controversial content. In the 1990s, he became an executive producer of several Hollywood films, including Titus starring Anthony Hopkins, as well as far-right projects like The Undefeated and Occupy Unmasked.