James Comey Net Worth

What is James Comey's Net Worth and Salary?

James Comey is an American lawyer, prosecutor, and former government official who has a net worth of $16 million. When he was going through the Senate confirmation process to become the head of the FBI in 2013, James Comey revealed his net worth at that time was $11 million. After leaving the FBI, Comey has made a fortune giving private speeches, but the majority of Comey's net worth comes from his time serving as general counsel and SVP of Ray Dalio's investment firm Bridgewater Associates, which has been described as the world's largest hedge fund. Comey worked at Bridgewater from 2010 to 2013. In his final year of work at Bridewater alone, his salary was $6 million. He also earned a $3 million profit participation payout the year after he left.

Comey began his career as a federal prosecutor in New York, working on organized crime and securities fraud cases. He rose to prominence in 2003 when he became U.S. Deputy Attorney General under President George W. Bush. In that role, he gained attention for refusing to reauthorize a controversial domestic surveillance program while Attorney General John Ashcroft was hospitalized, a moment that established his image as someone willing to challenge political pressure. After leaving government, Comey entered the private sector, holding executive roles at Lockheed Martin and the hedge fund Bridgewater Associates, while also teaching law.

In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed Comey as FBI Director. His tenure was marked by high-profile investigations, most notably the probe into Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server as Secretary of State. His decision in 2016 to publicly announce the reopening of the investigation just days before the presidential election was widely criticized and is considered by many to have influenced the outcome.

Under President Donald Trump, Comey oversaw the FBI's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election. In May 2017, Trump abruptly dismissed him, sparking political turmoil and eventually leading to the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller.

Following his dismissal, Comey wrote a bestselling memoir, "A Higher Loyalty," and has remained a public figure, speaking and teaching about ethics, law, and leadership. His career is remembered as one shaped by both integrity and controversy, with an enduring impact on American politics and law enforcement.

Salary and Speech Earnings

When he was director of the FBI, James Comey's salary was $185,000. When he worked at Bridgewater from 2010 to 2013, he earned several million dollars in compensation annually, peaking at $6 million in his final year.

As a private speaker, Comey has been known to earn as much as $200,000 PER SPEECH. That means he can currently earn $15,000 more than his entire annual FBI paycheck from one speaking engagement.

Book Deal

In 2017, James signed a book deal that paid him a $2 million advance. The resulting book, "A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership," was released in 2018.

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Early Life and Education

James Comey was born on December 14, 1960, in Yonkers, New York, to Joan and J. Brien. In the early 70s, the family moved to Allendale, New Jersey, where Comey's father did corporate real estate and his mother worked as a computer consultant. As a teenager, Comey went to Northern Highlands Regional High School. He went on to attend the College of William & Mary, from which he graduated in 1982. Comey subsequently enrolled at the University of Chicago Law School, earning his JD in 1985.

Career Beginnings

Following his graduation from law school, Comey worked in Manhattan as a law clerk for U.S. District Judge John M. Walker Jr. After that, he became an associate at the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. From 1987 to 1993, Comey worked for the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. While there, he also served as deputy chief of the Criminal Division.

Clinton Administration

Comey joined the Clinton administration in 1996 as managing assistant US attorney in charge of the Richmond Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He also served as deputy special counsel to the Senate Whitewater Committee and was the lead prosecutor in the case focused on the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.

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Bush Administration

In early 2002, Comey became the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. During his nearly two-year tenure, he led the indictment of Adelphia Communications founder John Rigas; the prosecution of Martha Stewart; and the indictments of Samuel Waksal and Frank Quattrone, among others. In late 2003, Comey became deputy attorney general. He drew some controversy during his years in this position, particularly for his evasiveness in regard to Bush's domestic surveillance program and for his endorsement of a memorandum approving the use of torture by the CIA. However, Comey objected to a second memorandum and later voiced his opposition to torture techniques.

Private Sector Work

After leaving the Department of Justice in the summer of 2005, Comey became the senior vice president and general counsel at Lockheed Martin. He served in those positions until mid-2010, when he left to become general counsel at the investment management firm Bridgewater Associates. Comey left Bridgewater in early 2013 and was subsequently appointed as a senior research scholar and Hertog fellow at Columbia University Law School. He was also appointed to the board of directors of HSBC Holdings.

FBI Director and Investigations

In 2013, Comey took over from Robert Mueller as the new director of the FBI, confirmed by the Senate for a full ten-year term. His term was clouded by controversy relatively early on, when in the summer of 2015, he launched an investigation into former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while in office. A year later, Comey announced that the FBI would not be recommending criminal charges to the Department of Justice related to Clinton's emails. However, less than two weeks before the 2016 presidential election in which Clinton was running, Comey decided to reopen the investigation due to new information. This decision was roundly decried by those on both sides of the political aisle, with many averring it cost Clinton the presidency. In 2017, a number of investigations were launched into Comey and the FBI's actions related to Clinton.

Comey and the FBI's other major investigation was of Russian interference in the 2016 election, and of the Trump administration's complicity in it. Due to this investigation, Comey was fired by Trump in May of 2017, eliciting claims that the president had obstructed justice.

Post-FBI Academic Work

In addition to writing, Comey has returned to academia. He taught a course on ethical leadership at the College of William & Mary, his undergraduate alma mater, where he shared lessons from his years in government and the private sector. He has also guest lectured at universities across the country and continued to speak on leadership at law schools, business forums, and civic organizations.

2025 Indictment

In September 2025, James Comey was indicted by a federal grand jury in Virginia on two counts: making a false statement and obstruction of a congressional proceeding. The charges stemmed from testimony he gave during a 2020 Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, when he denied authorizing his deputy, Andrew McCabe, to leak information to the press about FBI investigations involving Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. A Justice Department inspector general's report later said McCabe had claimed Comey authorized the leak, though investigators ultimately concluded the weight of evidence supported Comey's version of events.

The indictment came just days after President Donald Trump publicly urged Attorney General Pam Bondi to prosecute Comey and other political critics, sparking widespread accusations of political interference in the Department of Justice. Comey denied the charges in a video statement, declaring himself innocent and saying he would fight the case in court: "My family and I have known for years that there are costs to standing up to Donald Trump, but we couldn't imagine ourselves living any other way." If convicted, Comey faces up to five years in prison. His arraignment is scheduled for October 2025.

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Books and Public Commentary

After his 2017 firing, Comey established himself as an author and public speaker. His 2018 memoir A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership became a bestseller and was adapted into the Showtime miniseries "The Comey Rule." He followed it with Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust in 2021, further reflecting on his career and the challenges of maintaining institutional integrity in American law enforcement.

Comey has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump, frequently warning that political interference in law enforcement undermines democracy. He has written op-eds for major publications and appeared on television to discuss ethics, leadership, and the rule of law. His speaking engagements, which can command up to $200,000 per appearance, have become a major source of income.

Personal Life

Comey has often spoken about the importance of family in helping him endure the public scrutiny of his career. He and his wife, Patrice Failor, whom he married in 1987, have raised five children and also fostered children over the years. One of their daughters died in infancy, a loss Comey has described as deeply formative. Patrice, a longtime advocate for children and foster care programs, has at times publicly defended her husband during political controversies.

Raised in a Catholic household before becoming a Methodist, Comey has said his faith informs his belief in moral leadership and service. At 6-foot-8, his height is another oft-noted trait that has made him a physically striking presence throughout his career.

Real Estate

In 2010, the year he began working for investment firm Bridgewater, James and his wife paid $3.05 million for a 7-bedroom, 7,000 square foot mansion in Westport, Connecticut, the same town where Bridgewater is based. In June 2015, they listed this home for sale for just under $4 million. It sold in January 2017 for $2.475 million.

In April 2017, the Comeys paid $2.8 million for an 11,000-square-foot mansion in McLean, Virginia.

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