by Kolapo Olapoju

Now we know its not only in Nigeria where we have billionaires in positions of power!

America’s President Obama has some extremely rich people in his cabinet, but unlike Nigeria, most of them didn’t have to loot public funds to acquire their wealth.

The top 5 richest members of Obama’s cabinet are people who have made huge money from several businesses and ventures before coming into government.

Here are the rich-officials in pictures;

1) Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker

Net worth: $2.4 billion

Before she took over the Commerce Department, Pritzker headed PSP Capital Partners, LLC, a real estate and private business investing firm. Forbes lists her net worth at $2.4 billion. She is the 226th richest person in the country and the first billionaire to hold a cabinet position. Pritzker also sat on the board of the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, which was co-founded by her father, Donald.

2) Secretary of State John Kerry

Net worth: $198 million

Kerry got most of his fortune when he married his wife, Teresa, the widow of Sen. John Heinz, of Heinz Ketchup. In 2012, Forbes listed Kerry’s net worth at $198 million, making him the second-richest member of Congress at that time.

3) Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson

Net worth: $11.2 million to $51.5 million

Johnson has jumped between public and private law since graduating law school 20 years ago. His most recent tour with the government started in 2009 when he became the Defense Department’s lawyer. He replaced Janet Napolitano as secretary of Homeland Security last December.
While Johnson was still the attorney for the Defense Department five years ago, Washingtonian listed his assets somewhere between $11.2 million and $51.5 million

4) Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell

Net worth: $6.6 million to $25 million

Jewell, who oversees federal parkland and natural resources, was the first corporate CEO in Obama’s cabinet. The Center for Responsive Politics puts her average net worth in 2012 at $16 million. Jewell’s assets, according to the organization, included holdings in Macy’s, Walmart and Exxon Mobil.

5) Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz

Net worth: $5.4 million to $18.1 million

In his 2012 financial disclosure, Moniz had a net worth somewhere between $5.4 million to $18.1 million, according to Bloomberg. Before replacing Nobel Prize winner Steven Chu in 2013, Moniz was director of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Energy initiative.

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