Today on Forbes, here's how much John Thune, the new Senate-majority leader, is worth.

It has been 17 years since Republicans in the Senate were led by someone other than Kentucky

Senator Mitch McConnell. But in November, they chose a new leader, South Dakota Senator John

Thune, McConnell's deputy since 2019.

Among his priorities is regulatory reform.

At a press conference following his election, Thune said, quote,

We will work to make America prosperous again by streamlining the bureaucratic machine

and overturning costly Biden-Harris regulations.

Thune is relatively prosperous himself.

More remarkable is the fact that virtually every dollar he's ever made has been thanks to the government, despite the fact that he's a small government conservative.

Since he graduated from business school in 1984, the now 63-year-old appears to have worked

solely in government, government-adjacent nonprofits, or lobbying.

His largest assets today, as Forbes estimates it, are his federal pension and federal retirement

account. Beyond that, a Sioux Falls, South Dakota home worth around half a million dollars,

and some diversified investments worth between $330,000 and $1 million, round out his financial

picture. Add it all up, and Forbes estimates that he is worth $3 million today, almost all of it

courtesy of taxpayers.

Thun was born in Pierre, South Dakota's capital, in 1961.

His father was a Navy pilot in World War II and later a teacher at Thune's high school.

His mother was a librarian.

Thun left for California to get his bachelor's at Biola University, then returned and secured an MBA from the University of South Dakota in 1984. Beginning in 1989, Thune headed the South

Dakota State Republican Party for two years, then took over as head of the state's railroad

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