Rudy Giuliani followed his time in public service with a lucrative career in the private sector that turned him into a multimillionaire. But the former New York mayor now faces legal damages of $148 million in a defamation case filed by two Georgia election workers.
A jury of eight Washington, D.C., residents ruled Giuliani must pay $148 million to the election workers, Ruby Freeman and her daughter, Wandrea “Shaye” Moss. Their attorneys had asked the jurors to award $24 million each in damages. Giuliani was earlier found liable for several defamation claims against them.
The jury on Friday said the former mayor must pay $16.2 million to Freeman and $17 million to Freeman, as well as $20 million to each for emotional distress and an additional $75 million in punitive damages.
In arguments before the jury went entered deliberations on Thursday, Giuliani’s attorney had said that paying the requested $48 million “will be the end” of him financially.
The case pits two election workers against a man who was once dubbed “America’s mayor” for his role leading New York after 9/11. In the years following the terrorist attack, he scored lucrative speaking gigs and a $3 million book contract, while also leading a high-priced lobbying firm.
But his attorney recently signaled that Giuliani’s pockets aren’t deep enough to pay out what Moss and Freeman are seeking as compensation. The financial damages the pair are seeking would be the “civil equivalent of the death penalty,” Giuliani’s attorney Joe Sibley told the jury earlier this week.
Sibley and Moss and Freeman’s attorneys didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.
Here’s a look at what is known about Giuliani’s net worth.
How much is Rudy Giuliani worth?
Giuliani’s current net worth could be worth less than $50 million, based on his attorney’s comment that the damages sought by Moss and Freeman would “be the end” of him.
About 15 years ago, Giuliani’s net worth was more than $50 million, with $15 million of that total from his business activities, including his work with lobbying firm Giuliani Partners, according to CNN. At the time, he earned about $17 million a year, the news outlet reported.
How much has Giuliani’s net worth changed over the years?
Giuliani faces considerable expenses, hurt by a third divorce and pricey lawsuits, and signs suggest they have taken a financial toll. To generate cash, he’s sold 9/11 shirts for $911 and pitched sandals sold by Donald Trump ally Mike Lindell. He also started selling video messages on Cameo for $325 a pop, although his page on the site says Giuliani is no longer available.
Giuliani owes about $3 million in legal fees, according to The New York Times. He earns about $400,00 a year from a radio show and also receives some income from a podcast, but it’s not enough to cover his debts, the newspaper reported. Earlier this year, Giuliani’s long-term attorney sued him, alleging that the former mayor owes him almost $1.4 million in legal fees.
Meanwhile, Giuliani in July listed his Manhattan apartment for $6.5 million, and it was still available in mid-December, according to Sotheby’s. The 3-bedroom, 3-bathroom co-op includes a library with a wood-burning fireplace and a butler’s pantry.
How much in damages could Giuliani pay?
It’s unclear how much Giuliani can afford to pay. Giuliani’s attorney earlier had argued that the jury should award smaller damages than what Moss and Freeman were seeking. Sibley, his attorney, told jurors they should compensate the women, but urged them to “remember this is a great man.”
—With reporting by the Associated Press.
