Todd Palin Net Worth, Job, Iron Dog Wins and Divorce

Todd Palin net worth became a popular search in 2008, when his wife Sarah Palin ran for vice president. He has never released a figure, and no reliable outlet has confirmed one.

People also ask what he does for a living. The answer is less glamorous than politics: oil field work, salmon fishing and snowmachine racing.

Here is what is on record about his jobs, money and family, and what is not.

Todd Palin net worth: what the record shows

There is no verified figure for his personal wealth [1]. Joint family finances were disclosed during Sarah Palin’s time in office, but his own net worth today is not public.

What we can list is how he earned. He worked for BP in the North Slope oil fields for 18 years, fished commercially for salmon in Bristol Bay, and receives dividends from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation [1].

Todd Palin job: BP, fishing and a union card

He was a United Steelworkers union member. In 2007 he took leave from his production supervisor job to avoid a conflict of interest, because BP was in gas pipeline talks with his wife’s administration.

Seven months later he went back to BP because the family needed the income, this time in a non-management job as a production operator. He resigned on September 18, 2009, saying he wanted more time with his family.

He also holds a private pilot certificate and owns a Piper PA-18 Super Cub plane.

Four Iron Dog titles

He is a four time champion of the Tesoro Iron Dog, the world’s longest snowmachine race. He first won in 1995 with Dwayne Drake, then shared titles with Dusty Van Meter in 2000 and 2002 and won with Scott Davis in 2007.

In 2008 he finished the race fourth despite a broken arm after a crash [2]. That toughness is a big part of his Alaska image.

The “first dude” years

From 2006 to 2009 he was Alaska’s first gentleman, nicknamed the first dude. He pushed young Alaskans to consider oil and gas jobs and advised on workforce issues for the gas pipeline [3].

In 2010 the state released about 1,200 of his emails with officials. They showed he weighed in on appointments, budgets and pipeline bids as an unpaid adviser.

He was registered with the Alaskan Independence Party for most of 1995 to 2002, and in 2008 he was registered as undeclared, not Republican.

Todd Palin divorce and family

He eloped with his high school girlfriend Sarah Heath in August 1988. They have five children and, by later reports, nine grandchildren [1].

He filed for divorce on August 29, 2019, citing incompatibility of temperament, and the divorce was finalized on March 23, 2020. We do not name the younger children here.

More stories about public family splits: Mia Goth and Shia LaBeouf and Steve Kazee.

Politics, TV and life outside the spotlight

Palin has never been a Republican on the voter rolls. He first registered to vote in 1989 and was a member of the Alaskan Independence Party from October 1995 to July 2002, apart from a few months in 2000. Since then he has been registered as undeclared.

After the campaign years he kept a lower profile. In late 2009 he was a volunteer coach for youth hockey and basketball, and in 2012 he joined the NBC celebrity competition Stars Earn Stripes.

He holds a private pilot certificate and owns his own small plane, which is common in rural Alaska. A thoroughbred named First Dude, after his nickname, finished second in the 2010 Preakness Stakes and won the 2011 Hollywood Gold Cup.

Checked facts

Sources

1. Todd Palin (Wikipedia)
2. Despite broken arm, First Dude crosses Iron Dog finish in fourth (Juneau Empire, 2008)
3. Todd Palin: First dude and right-hand man (New York Times, 2008)