Graham's Net Worth Compared to Colleagues.
Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham served in Congress for more than three decades, but public disclosure estimates show he died with a modest net worth compared to many of his longtime Washington colleagues.
The senator died with a net worth of about $1.4 million, with a lower-end estimate of just over $600,000 and an upper estimate of a little more than $2.2 million, according to financial disclosures he filed.
Graham ranked at 294th in wealth among the 535 voting members of Congress, according to data from a prominent financial analysis firm.
Graham's net worth at the end of his life was relatively normal, especially considering his age. Individuals between the ages of 65 and 74 have an average net worth of $1.79 million and a median net worth of $409,900.
The senator largely avoided criticism for trading individual stocks, as almost all his assets were mutual funds or government bonds.
Graham earned an annual salary of $174,000 as a senator.
Despite his humble wealth by D.C. standards, Graham came a long way from where he started.
The senator spent his early life living with his sister and parents in a small room attached to their family restaurant in Central, South Carolina, which he helped run.
The Graham family later moved into a mobile home, which has been described as South Carolina's equivalent of a log cabin.
Graham's law school roommate recalled the senator's difficult upbringing, saying he grew up in a mobile home and had to care for his 13-year-old sister at the age of 22.
Graham was the first in his family to attend university and served in the Air Force before entering politics.
The senator died Saturday night following a "brief and sudden illness" after a trip to Ukraine, according to his office.
The D.C. medical examiner's office has stated that his preliminary cause of death was a ruptured aorta caused by chronic heart disease.
Graham joked about his impending death, saying "I can't die now. I still need to do the Russia sanctions, get Iran sorted out and do Israeli-Saudi normalization."
