Most of Dick Cheney's Money Was Made During His Time as CEO of Halliburton

Former Vice President Dick Cheney did not come from money, but he certainly had a comfortable childhood. He spent his younger years in Lincoln, Nebr., before moving to Casper, Wy. ahead of high school. Cheney's father worked in the government as a soil conservation agent for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. His mother stayed home with her three children, but in the 1930s, she was a star softball player.

While attending Natrona County High School, Cheney met his future wife. The two eventually got married when the former vice president was 23 years old. Before that, he briefly attended Yale University but dropped out. Cheney revealed in his 2011 memoir that he didn't feel like he fit in. He later attended the University of Wyoming where he was bit by the politics bug. His net worth wasn't built in the political arena, but rather in the private sector. Let's take a look.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Cheney was reportedly worth $150 million at the time of his death in November 2025. This is a lot of money for a career politician. After getting both a Bachelor's and a Master's in political science from the University of Wyoming, Cheney successfully avoided Vietnam. He received five draft deferments because of his marital status and then due to the fact that he became a father and had a dependent.

His political career began in 1969 when Cheney interned for Congressman William A. Steiger during the Richard Nixon Administration. He was 28 years old. He held several White House positions for the next seven years, including White House Staff Assistant in 1971, Assistant Director of the Cost of Living Council from 1971 to 1973, and Deputy Assistant to the President from 1974 to 1975.

Cheney was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1989. His relationship with the Bush family began with former President George H.W. Bush nominating him for Secretary of Defense. He held that position from 1989 until 1993. In a conversation with Bill Kristol in October 2014, Cheney said his time at the Pentagon was the most rewarding aspect of his time as a public servant.

From 1995 to 2000, Cheney was the chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Halliburton, a Fortune 500 company. He retired to become former President George W. Bush's running mate. According to The New York Times, he received a retirement package worth an estimated $20 million.

After his vice presidency ended in 2009, Cheney published a memoir in 2011 titled In My Time: A Personal and Political Memoir. He wrote another book four years later about the history of U.S. foreign policy as well as military successes and failures. He largely stayed out of the public eye after 2015, apart from his condemnation of President Donald Trump during his first term and while campaigning in 2024.