Jane Harman Net Worth

What is Jane Harman's Net Worth?

Jane Harman is an American attorney, author, think tank leader, and former nine-term member of the U.S. House of Representatives who has a net worth of $500 million. Jane earned her fortune thanks to her marriage to engineering tycoon Sidney Harman. They were married from 1980 until his death in 2011. Sidney earned a fortune as the co-founder of Harman Kardon, a company that manufactures home and car audio equipment. Today, Harman manages the audio brands JBL, AKG Acoustics, and Infinity. Sidney died in 2011 at the age of 92. In 2017, Harman Kardon was acquired by Samsung Electronics for $8 billion.

In August 2010, Sidney Harman reached a deal to acquire Newsweek magazine from The Washington Post Company for $1, along with the assumption of roughly $47 million in liabilities. Later that year, he orchestrated a merger between Newsweek and the digital news site The Daily Beast, creating a joint venture known as The Newsweek Daily Beast Company. The ownership was initially split 50/50 between Harman and tech conglomerate IAC/InterActiveCorp, chaired by Barry Diller.

After Sidney's death in 2011, the Harman family retained their stake, but by mid-2012, they opted not to make further capital contributions, effectively ceding control of the company to IAC. In 2013, IAC dissolved the joint venture and sold Newsweek to IBT Media (now known as Newsweek Publishing), retaining sole ownership of The Daily Beast. As a result, the two media brands are no longer connected, and Jane Harman has no current ownership stake in either. Today, she manages a philanthropic portfolio that reflects both their interests in education, public service, and the arts.

A centrist Democrat with a reputation for pragmatism and bipartisanship, Harman became one of the leading congressional voices on national security in the post-9/11 era. After leaving Congress, she spent a decade as president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, further cementing her reputation as a thought leader on global affairs and public policy. In both her public service and private ventures, Harman has been a key figure at the intersection of politics, security, and elite institutions.

Early Life and Education

Jane Lakes Harman was born in New York City in 1945 and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Adolf N. Lakes, was a physician, and her mother, Lucille, was a schoolteacher. Harman attended public schools in Los Angeles before enrolling at Smith College, where she graduated in 1966 with a degree in government. She then went on to earn her J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1969.

After law school, she clerked for a federal judge and worked as an associate at a major law firm. Her early career also included positions in the Department of Justice and as special counsel to the Department of Defense during the Carter administration.

Congressional Career

Harman was first elected to Congress in 1992, representing California's 36th district in the Los Angeles area. She served from 1993 to 1999, then left briefly after an unsuccessful run for governor of California in 1998. She returned to the House in 2001 and served until 2011, choosing not to seek reelection that year.

During her time in Congress, Harman became one of the most prominent Democrats on national security matters. She served on the House Intelligence Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, chairing the Intelligence Subcommittee on Terrorism and Homeland Security. Harman was a vocal advocate for intelligence reform following the 9/11 attacks and supported a muscular U.S. foreign policy. Her moderate, hawkish positions on surveillance and counterterrorism sometimes drew criticism from the progressive wing of the Democratic Party.

She also worked on education, environmental protection, and aerospace issues important to her Southern California district, which included parts of Los Angeles and the aerospace industry-heavy South Bay.

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Woodrow Wilson Center

In 2011, Harman resigned from Congress to become president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, D.C., one of the nation's top public policy think tanks. She led the Center for a decade, significantly expanding its budget, profile, and programming. Harman helped elevate the Wilson Center's role in foreign policy and national dialogue while encouraging bipartisan and cross-disciplinary collaboration on global issues.

After stepping down from her leadership role in 2021, she remained involved with the Center as President Emerita and Distinguished Fellow.

Business Interests and Wealth

Jane Harman's personal fortune stems in part from her late husband, Sidney Harman, who founded Harman International, a major manufacturer of audio equipment. In 2010, at the age of 91, Sidney purchased Newsweek from The Washington Post Company for $1 and assumed its liabilities. He later merged Newsweek with the digital outlet The Daily Beast in a deal brokered with Barry Diller's IAC.

Following his death in 2011, Jane Harman inherited a portion of his estate and has continued to oversee philanthropic and business interests. Her net worth during her time in Congress was estimated at over $400 million, making her one of the richest members of Congress at that time.

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Writing and Policy Work

Harman has written extensively on national security and foreign affairs, including op-eds, academic articles, and a 2021 memoir titled "Insanity Defense: Why Our Failure to Confront Hard National Security Problems Makes Us Less Safe." The book explores her decades of experience in Washington and argues for bipartisan solutions to global threats ranging from terrorism to cyber warfare.

She is a frequent commentator on cable news and a regular presence at high-level foreign policy conferences such as the Munich Security Conference and Aspen Ideas Festival. Harman has served on the boards of Harvard University's Belfer Center, the Aspen Strategy Group, and the Defense Policy Board, among others.

Personal Life

Jane Harman married Sidney Harman in 1980, and they remained married until his death in 2011. The couple had four children between them from previous marriages and were known for their philanthropic work in the arts, education, and public policy.

She continues to split her time between Washington, D.C., and Southern California, and remains active in civic and national security circles. Harman has received numerous awards and honorary degrees recognizing her leadership in government and policy, including the CIA Director's Award and the Defense Department's Distinguished Public Service Medal.

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