Nikki Haley Will Do Well Financially In New Role

Donald Trump moved forward with another appointment Monday selecting his first woman, South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, to serve as UN ambassador. If somewhat unconventional given her limited foreign policy or diplomacy, this posting will come as a welcome change from alleged white nationalist Steve Bannon who was named Trump's top strategist. That said, Haley's experience will certainly be weighed in her Senate confirmation hearings. Given the general view of her as a moderate Republican, she shouldn't have too much trouble. One question that may be asked of her, though, is about money. What is Haley's net worth? Update: In an official email from Trump's transition team Wednesday, the campaign announced that Trump plans to nominate Haley for the role. Haley formally accepted the offer Wednesday morning.

SuccessStory.com claims she is worth $1.6 million, but it's not clear where the site gets their information. What is clearer is her income in the past several years, which she has declared given her public service as governor (don't forget, it's something Trump hasn't done as a part of his run for president). Columbia's The State newspaper reported that Haley and her husband's income has gone down in the past couple years and in 2016 they declared their 2015 income at $170,661. This is significantly lower than $284,556, their 2012 income reported in 2013, when she released her memoir. Her husband also left the National Guard.

Of the $170,661, about $94,000 came from her position as governor in South Carolina. That means that she will likely make more money in her new position. The average UN employee makes a big chunk of change, and the average American ambassador makes between about $120,00 and $180,000. That's much more — potentially more than twice — what Haley makes now. New York living costs could of course put a dent in that if housing weren't included as a perk of the job.

The UN ambassador has a big perk: A penthouse in Midtown Manhattan on the 42nd floor of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The current ambassador Samantha Powers lives there with her husband and two children. Haley would have the option of bringing her family along too. She's also married with two kids, who all currently live in South Carolina's governor's mansion. This posh spot in New York would nonetheless still be an upgrade.

Ultimately, the salary and expenses should work out in Haley's favor. And with her simple, public income taxes and relatively low net worth, there doesn't seem to be any conflict of interest that would affect her confirmation in the Senate. Trump might have had issues, but running for president doesn't require such things to be released.