Edward Snowden Net Worth, Age, Height, Wealth (Updated 2022)

Edward Snowden is a whistleblower, computer intelligence analyst and intelligence contractor. He came to the lime light in 2013 after leaking classified information from the National Security Agency. During the time when he leaked the information he was working as a security consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton. The company he was working for was a subcontractor for the national security agency. He has earned money from computer programming although now that he is in exile he earns from media appearance. His net worth in 2023 is around $500,000 and he earns most of this from media appearances.

How Did Edward Snowden Become Rich?

Edward Snowden has never became a millionaire although he has managed to accumulate some wealth over the years. His career started in 2004 when he joined the military. However, his military career was short-lived because he was later dismissed due to an injury.

After leaving the military Edward Snowden attended a job fair while working as a security guard and got a job with the CIA.  He was not working directly for the CIA though. Snowden got a job as a private contractor for Booz Allen Hamilton Holding Corporation.

After being in the job for a few years Edward Snowden started noticing corrupt activities by the NSA, but his final straw was a document that stated that Bush administration approved a mass surveillance program which was expanded later by the Obama administration.

In 2013 Edward Snowden decided to release the confidential documents to journalist to expose all the secret NSA activities. During the time he released the information he was working as a Central Intelligence Agency subcontractor for the NSA. When he was working as an intelligence subcontractor he was earning $200,000 per year. He said that that this is the highest that he had ever earned in his life.

Snowden now lives in Russia after his passport was revoked by the United States. Read further to know what he does for a living after leaving the United States of America and how wealthy is Edward Snowden.

What Is Edward Snowden Net Worth?

Edward has a net worth of $500,000. Before he leaked the CIA secrets and moved to Russia he was making around $200,000 per year. This is good money and it is likely that he save enough money for himself during this time before he moved to Russia.

Snowden did not complete high school and did not even attend any college. However, he considers himself a computer wizard and that is how he was good at his job when working as a central intelligence agent. He says that he has always been led by morals while working on security agency. Since 2009 he started investigating dealings of the CIA and was secretly downloading documents ready to leak them at some point.

His career has not always been smooth. During his time at the CIA he was facing law suits and noncompliance of duties because he was sharing information while still working for the CIA. He took a pay cut from the company but finally resigned from the company in March 2013.

Edward started selling a memoir on Amazon.com in 2019 that is called Permanent Record. The book was released on Amazon and eventually became the bestseller. Currently it has the rating of 4.7.

It is believed that the main source of income for Snowden is the money that he makes from making speeches. On average, he makes $18,000 for a speech and can make up to $30,000 at some events. Over time he has managed to make close to $1.8 million since he leaked the information.

How Edward Snowden Spends His Money?

It is difficult to know how Snowden spends his money since he keeps his life private. His location is still unknown due to privacy though it is known that he lives in Russia. The location and details of his life might be private but he is not afraid to speak about privacy issues whenever the need arises.

It is not know exactly where he lives but he says that he lives in Moscow. He says Moscow is a beautiful city and has been leaning how to speak Russian while living there.

Interesting Facts

• He got permanent residency in Russia. In 2020, Snowden finally got permanent residency in Russia. This is a long awaited victory according to his lawyer. The permanent residency was only possible after some changes were made in the legislation.
• Snowden is a hero or a traitor.  There is a big debate on whether Snowden is a hero or a traitor depending on who you ask. According to the United States government he is a traitor and his passport was revoked after he leaked out the secrets. On the other hand, there are a lot of people who believe leaking the documents was necessary and for them Edward Snowden is a real hero.
• Edward is married to Lindsay – his longtime girlfriend. His wife is an American blogger and acrobat. Lindsay only came to the attention of the public when Snowden leaked government documents in 2013. Lindsay went to join Edward in Russian in 2014. The two got remarried in 2017 and together they have a son who was born in December of 2020.
• There are claims that Edward Snowden got an IT job in Russia. Some even claim that he got a job in the Russian government to act as their spy. However, he has not confirmed or denied these rumors and has continued to live a private life.
• He did not leak all the documents in 2013. It is believed that he still holds 200,000 documents from various governments that he holds in position. It is not known whether he will release them or even when he will release the remaining documents.
• In 2016 the movie ‘Snowden‘ was released. It was based on a book ‘The Snowden Files‘ written in 2014 by Luke Harding.
• He appeared on the Joe Rogan Experience on 23rd of October 2019. His second appearance was on 15th of September 2020.
• Edward Snowden hoped to get pardoned by the Trump administration, but that didn’t happen.
• If he returns to the United states he will be jailed and prosecuted.