In 2024, Rep. Nancy Pelosi quietly posted a 54% return on her stock portfolio — outperforming the most sophisticated hedge funds on the planet. There was no press tour for this massive achievement, and no hedge fund title; just a government salary and a set of disclosures that, to the trained eye, look a lot like market timing.
Pelosi’s reported salary is around $223,000. But her net worth stands at over $264 million, making her the richest woman in Congress. And she’s not the only one turning their political seat into a portfolio advantage.
While hedge funds spend billions hiring analysts and building next-gen AI models, members of Congress are making market-moving decisions — and trading on the same stocks affected by those policy changes.
Take Rep. Ro Khanna, for example. He’s a Silicon Valley congressman who has been outspoken about banning stock trading in Congress. However, Khanna and his family trusts have made over 300 trades this year.
His explanation? Outside advisors handled the transactions. But the timing — not to mention the volume — raised eyebrows.
Then there’s Rep. Cleo Fields, who’s now one of the most active and valuable traders in the House. Fields recently made a $3 million+ purchase of NVIDIA (NVDA) stock just days before a Trump-approved lift on the ban of AI chip exports to China sent shares surging.
According to public filings, Fields has executed over $4 million in trades over the past few months, with heavy bets on Microsoft (MSFT) and NVIDIA.
In fact, former top dog Rep. Michael McCaul — one of the wealthiest and most active traders in Congress — has been quietly overtaken by Fields in terms of value of trades.
And politicians aren’t just buying. In the days leading up to the controversial “One Big, Beautiful Bill” — a sweeping Trump-endorsed tax package that included major Medicaid cuts — multiple lawmakers dumped shares of Centene Corp (CNC), a company that handles Medicaid reimbursements.
Among them was Rep. Robert Bresnahan, who sold CNC shares just days before voting to advance the bill that would gut Medicaid budgets and force work requirements.
