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The personal wealth of members of Congress has long been a matter of public curiosity — and recently, Rep. Ilhan Omar’s finances landed in the spotlight.
Several outlets, starting with the Washington Free Beacon and later picked up by Fox News and others, reported that Omar’s net worth had surged to as much as $30 million [1].
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The claim raised eyebrows, not least because earlier this year, Omar herself called allegations of her being a millionaire “ridiculous” and “categorically false” [2].
From negative to multi-millions?
When Omar was first elected to Congress in 2019, her financial disclosure showed a negative net worth [3]. But her May 2025 filing — for the 2024 reporting year — painted a dramatically different picture [4].
The document listed two major assets tied to her husband, Tim Mynett:
- ESTCRU LLC, a winery business, valued between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000.
- Rose Lake Capital LLC, a venture capital firm, valued between $5,000,001 and $25,000,000.
Taken together, those figures suggest a combined value of $6 million to $30 million.
What raised even more questions was how quickly those assets appeared to balloon. In Omar’s previous year’s filing, ESTCRU was valued at just $15,001 to $50,000, while Rose Lake Capital was listed at a mere $1 to $1,000 [5].
Omar hits back
Omar wasted no time responding to the coverage.
“Learn to read before you post misleading s–t,” she said in a TikTok video addressing the reports [6].
In a caption, she clarified: “The value range listed for the assets reflects the full cost assessment of the businesses, in which my husband is one of several partners and does not reflect his individual share.”
She also took a jab at the claims with a bit of humor: “Keep wishing millions into existence so I could pay off these student loans.”
It is true that the assets are tied to Mynett, whom Omar married in 2020 and not solely to her. That distinction helps explain why Omar rejected the characterization of her net worth ballooning to as much as $30 million.
Her filings also reveal a far more relatable financial reality: in 2024, Omar reported $15,001 to $50,000 in student loan debt.
Read more: Want an extra $1,300,000 when you retire? Dave Ramsey says this 7-step plan ‘works every single time’ to kill debt, get rich in America — and that ‘anyone’ can do it
Building wealth beyond Washington
The debate over Omar’s net worth highlights a broader truth: whether you’re in politics or not, building wealth often comes down to the growth of assets and smart financial decisions.
Most Americans don’t have a stake in a venture capital firm or winery. But there are accessible ways to build net worth today. Here’s a look at three of them.
‘The best thing to do,’ according to Warren Buffett
Long-term exposure to the growth of American businesses has created enormous fortunes. As investing legend Warren Buffett wrote in 2016, “American business — and consequently a basket of stocks — is virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead” [7].
And you don’t need to be a stock-picking genius to benefit.
“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously stated [8]. This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active management.
The beauty of this approach is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. Even small amounts can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.
Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: link your cards and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.
With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your investment journey.
Become a real estate mogul
Like stocks, real estate has long served as a cornerstone of wealth building in America.
Owning property can generate passive income through rent and offer appreciation potential — especially in high-demand markets. It’s also a classic hedge against inflation: when the cost of materials, labor and land goes up, property values often rise as well. Meanwhile, rental income typically climbs too, creating a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.
In fact, Buffett has often pointed to real estate as a prime example of a productive, income-generating asset.
In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check” [9].
Of course, you don’t need billions — or even to buy an entire property — to benefit from real estate investing. Platforms like mogul offer an easier way to get exposure to this income-generating asset class.
mogul offers investors fractional ownership in blue-chip rental properties, which gives investors monthly rental income, real-time appreciation and tax benefits — without the need for a $250,000 down payment or 3 A.M. tenant calls.
Founded by former Goldman Sachs real estate investors, the team hand-picks the top 1% of single-family rental homes nationwide, guided by proprietary underwriting and market analytics typically used by large institutions.
Each property undergoes a vetting process, requiring a minimum 12% return even in downside scenarios. Across the board, the platform features an average annual IRR of 18.8%. Their cash-on-cash yields, meanwhile, average between 10-12% annually.
Every investment is secured by real assets, not dependent on the platform’s viability. Each property is held in a standalone Propco LLC, so investors own the property — not the platform. Blockchain-based fractionalization adds a layer of safety, ensuring a permanent, verifiable record of each stake.
Getting started is a quick and easy process. All you need to do is sign up for an account and then browse available properties. Once you verify your information with their team, you can invest in the properties of your choice in as little as 30 seconds.
Another option is First National Realty Partners (FNRP), which allows accredited investors to diversify their portfolio through grocery-anchored commercial properties without taking on the responsibilities of being a landlord.
With a minimum investment of $50,000, investors can own a share of properties leased by national brands like Whole Foods, Kroger and Walmart, which provide essential goods to their communities. Thanks to Triple Net (NNN) leases, accredited investors are able to invest in these properties without worrying about tenant costs cutting into their potential returns.
Simply answer a few questions — including how much you would like to invest — to start browsing their full list of available properties.
A finer alternative
It’s easy to see why great works of art tend to appreciate over time. Supply is limited and many famous pieces have already been snatched up by museums and collectors. Art also has a low correlation with stocks and bonds, which helps with diversification [10].
In 2022, a collection of art owned by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen sold for $1.5 billion at Christie’s New York, making it the most valuable collection in auction history.
Investing in art was traditionally a privilege reserved for the ultra-wealthy.
Now, that’s changed with Masterworks — a platform for investing in shares of blue-chip artwork by renowned artists, including Pablo Picasso, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Banksy. It’s easy to use and with 23 successful exits to date, every one of them has been profitable thus far.
Simply browse their impressive portfolio of paintings and choose how many shares you’d like to buy. Masterworks will handle all the details, making high-end art investments both accessible and effortless.
Masterworks has distributed roughly $61 million back to investors. New offerings have sold out in minutes, but you can skip their waitlist here.
What to read next
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Article sources
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[1]. Fox News. “Omar’s net worth jumps to as much as $30M in new disclosure after claiming ‘I am not a millionaire’”
[2]. Business Insider. “Ilhan Omar says she’s barely worth ‘thousands let alone millions’ — and doesn’t own a house or stocks”
[3]. Clerk – United States House of Representatives. “Financial Disclosure – Filing ID #10036809”
[4]. Clerk – United States House of Representatives. “Financial Disclosure – Filing ID #10068415”
[5]. Clerk – United States House of Representatives. “Financial Disclosure – Filing ID #10060937”
[6]. @ilhanmn. “TikTok post on ”
[7]. Berkshire Hathaway. “Berkshire’s Performance vs. the S&P 500”
[8]. CNBC. “Warren Buffett owns 2 ETFs—this one is better for everyday investors, experts say”
[9]. CNBC. “Warren Buffett gives his most expansive explanation for why he doesn’t believe in bitcoin”
[10]. Deloitte. “Art as an investment – Why should art be considered as an asset class?”
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.