Colin Powell was an American politician and a former four-star general in the United
States Army who died on October 2021 with a net worth of $60 million. Colin Powell was
the first African-American to serve as Secretary of State of the United States, serving from
2001 to 2005. From the late 1980s until the early 1990s, he was the National Security Advisor
and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Powell’s tenure as Secretary of State under President
George W. Bush was tainted by his bogus rationale for the Iraq War in 2003.
Colin made a fortune after departing from the military in the early 1990s, primarily via speaking
gigs. In 2000, he made $7 million from 109 speaking events, earning an average of $64,000
each speech but occasionally exceeding $100,000. For his 1995 book “My American Journey,”
he was paid $6 million upfront.
Colin’s financial filings indicated he was worth roughly $28 million in 2001, just before he was
confirmed as Secretary of State. After inflation, that translates to about $42 million in today’s
money.
Colin Powell Net Worth:
Net Worth: $60 million
Date of Birth: 5th April, 1937 (84 years)
Died On: 18th October, 2021
Profession: Politician, Diplomat, and Statesman
Nationality: United States of America
Height: 6 feet 1 inch
Partner: Alma Johnson
Salary: $2 million
Colin Powell Early Years and Military Service:
Colin Powell was born in the Harlem district of Manhattan, New York, in 1937. Maud and
Luther, Jamaican immigrants, were of mixed African and Scottish ancestry. Powell grew up in
the South Bronx, where he attended Morris High School and worked at a baby furniture retail
shop. He went on to City College of New York, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in
Geology in 1958. Powell entered the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps while still in college,
and after graduation, he was commissioned as an Army second lieutenant and posted to the
48th Infantry as a platoon commander in West Germany.
Powell served as an aide to the South Vietnamese Army in Vietnam from 1962 to 1963. In
1968, he was promoted to major and deployed to the 23rd Infantry Division’s assistant chief of
staff of operations. Powell was awarded the Soldier’s Medal for gallantry during this second
deployment after evading a chopper accident and rescuing three people from the debris. He
returned to the United States and studied at George Washington University, where he obtained
an MBA in 1971.
Colin Powell Beginnings in Politics:
Powell was a White House Fellow from 1972 to 1973 under Richard Nixon’s presidency. He
went to the National War College in Washington, D.C. from 1975 to 1976. Powell held the role
as a senior military assistant to Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger after serving at Fort
Carson, Colorado, in the early 1980s. Subsequently, under Frank Carlucci, he served as the US
Deputy National Security Advisor in 1987. Powell was named Ronald Reagan’s National
Security Advisor following the Iran-Contra scandal and served until 1989. Under George H.
W. Bush, he was promoted to four-star general and temporarily served as Commander in Chief,
Forces Command at Fort McPherson, Georgia.
Powell served as the 12th Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff from 1989 until 1993, making
him the youngest soldier and also the first African-American to hold the role. Powell presided
over 28 crises during his time in office, including the conquest of Panama as well as Operation
Desert Storm in the Persian Gulf War. Powell remained Chairman throughout the Clinton
presidency, however, he gradually felt out of place, arguing with UN Representative Madeleine
Albright and Secretary of Defense Leslie Aspin. He eventually resigned in early 1993.
Colin Powell Entrepreneurial Endeavors:
Powell formed America’s Promise Alliance in 1997, the country’s largest cross-sector coalition
of non-profits, companies, and government institutions dedicated to improving the lives of
young individuals. He founded the Colin L. Powell Center for Leadership and Service at City
College of New York that year. The Center’s mission was to develop leaders from
underrepresented groups, promote civic involvement at the College, and utilize university
funds to attain community and public needs.
His Role as the Secretary of State:
Powell was overwhelmingly approved as the 65th Secretary of State by the United States
Senate in 2001, making him the first African-American to hold the office. He helped develop
the case for the occupation of Iraq after the 9/11 attacks, and he supported the Bush
government’s resolve to overthrow tyrant Saddam Hussein. He urged for military action in a
United Nations Security Council plenary session in 2003, falsely stating that Hussein had and
was working to develop biological military weapons.
Following Hussein’s ouster, Powell attempted to form an international organization to
reconstruct Iraq. Bush announced his resignation shortly after his reelection in November 2004
and was succeeded by Condoleezza Rice.
Life After Diplomatic Career:
Powell resumed his private life after his retirement. In 2005, he became a strategic partner with
the Silicon Valley venture capital company Kleiner Perkins. He began appearing as part of the
“Get Motivated” series of inspirational programs the next year, frequently criticizing the Bush
government. Later, he became a member of the Revolution Health board of directors and a
spokesperson for the National Mentoring Month initiative, which seeks to recruit mentors for
at-risk adolescents.
Opinions on Barack Obama’s presidency:
Powell voiced reservations over President Obama’s plans to expand the federal government as
well as the federal budget deficit in a CNN conversation with John King in July 2009. He
chastised the Obama administration in September 2010 for not concentrating “like a razor
blade” on economic growth and employment development.
Powell called Obama a “transformational figure” once again. Colin Powell remarked on Barack
Obama in a video that was broadcasted on CNN.com in November 2011: “Many of his choices
have shown to be sensible. The financial sector has been restored to its previous state of
stability.”
He endorsed President Barack Obama for re-election on a CBS This Morning show on October
25, 2012, 12 days before the federal election. In terms of international and domestic policy, he
thought the government had succeeded and improved a lot. Powell also mentioned Mitt
Romney’s shifting opinions and apparent lack of seriousness on foreign policy, as well as his
doubts about the legitimacy of Romney’s economic policies, as further reasons for his support.
Powell attacked Republican Party members who propagate “ideas that vilify the president”
during a discussion with ABC’s Diane Sawyer and George Stephanopoulos amid ABC’s
reporting of President Obama’s second inaugural ceremony. He urged GOP leaders to openly
condemn such rhetoric.
Opinions on Trump’s presidency:
Powell advised the GOP in an interview in October 2019 that it needs to “get a grip” and put
the country ahead of its organization, taking a stand against President Trump instead of fretting
over electoral repercussions. “When people see things that aren’t just, they ought to speak up,”
Powell said. “Our international policy is in disarray right now, in my honest opinion, and I see
things that are hard to explain,” Powell said in June 2020 that he will vote for former Vice
President Joe Biden in the 2020 U.S. presidential election. Powell spoke out in favor of Biden’s
campaign at the Democratic National Convention in 2020 August.
Following Trump supporters’ invasion of the Capitol building in January 2021, Powell stated
CNN, “I can no longer consider myself to be a loyal Republican.”
Honors and Personal Life:
Powell married audiologist Alma Johnson in 1962. They share three children: Linda and
Annemarie, as well as Michael, who was head of the Federal Communications Commission
between 2001 to 2005.
Powell has won many bravery awards from the United States and other countries. The
Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Congressional Gold Medal, the Presidential Citizens
Medal, and the Secretary of Energy Distinguished Service Medal are among his civilian honors.
Powell also holds prestigious awards from several universities around the country.
Death:
Powell succumbed to COVID-19 effects on October 18, 2021, at the age of 84, whilst also
being treated for multiple myeloma at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He had
been inoculated, but his immune responses had been damaged by myeloma, and he also had
Parkinson’s disease in its early stages. Powell was hailed as an American hero by President Joe
Biden as well as four of the five surviving past presidents.
President Biden and ex-presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush went to the funeral
service at the Washington National Cathedral, as did First Lady Jill Biden and erstwhile first
ladies Michelle Obama, Laura Bush, and Hillary Clinton among other esteemed dignitaries.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is Colin Powell’s nationality?
American
What is Colin Powell’s height?
1.87 meters
Is Colin Powell still alive?
Colin Powell passed away in 2021.
Conclusion:
Colin Powell has worked extremely hard his whole life to attain his goals. On the 18th of
October, he passed away, leaving the earth for a better place. He worked tirelessly for the
development of society throughout his life, receiving several accolades and awards. He was a
great statesman who understood how to remain attached to his roots while still contributing to
the growth of his nation.
