President-elect Donald Trump has nominated fierce loyalist Kash Patel to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump posted Saturday night on Truth Social. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
It remains unclear whether Patel could be confirmed, even by a Republican-led Senate. In any case, find out more about him below, including his academic background.
Who Is Kash Patel?
Patel, born in 1980 to Indian immigrant parents and raised in Garden City, New York, gained prominence in 2018 when he served as an aide to Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee. There, he earned Trump’s favor during the Russia investigation, with Trump later praising him for playing a pivotal role in uncovering what he called the “Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax.” Patel’s work as an advocate for truth and accountability led to his appointment in 2019 to the National Security Council. He later became chief of staff to the acting defense secretary in the final year of Trump’s first term.
Where Did Patel Go to School?
Patel graduated from the University of Richmond in 2002, before earning a certificate in international law from University College London Faculty of Laws, as noted on his Facebook page. He then went on to complete his law degree at Pace University in 2005.
Is Patel a Lawyer?
Patel is a lawyer who was initially admitted to the Florida Bar in 2005, but he is no longer eligible to practice law in the state. In 2014, according to The New York Times, Patel entered and later dropped out of an Above the Law charity bachelor auction benefiting the Switchboard of Miami after a blogger noted that his law license appeared to be outdated in the state.
However, Patel is still registered to practice law in New York, where he was admitted to the New York Bar in 2012.
What Is Patel’s Net Worth?
It’s unclear what Patel’s exact net worth is.
How Does Patel Make His Money?
After graduating from law school in 2005, Patel spent eight years working as a public defender in Florida—first with the Miami-Dade County Public Defender’s Office, and later as a federal public defender. In 2014, he joined the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division as a trial attorney, also serving as a legal liaison to the Joint Special Operations Command. Three years later, in 2017, Patel was appointed senior counsel for counterterrorism at the House Intelligence Committee.
Since 2022, Patel has served on the board of Trump Media and Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, and holds a consulting contract reportedly worth at least $120,000 annually.
In addition to his 2023 memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel has published two pro-Trump children’s books.
