Amid economic chaos stemming from lockdowns, Fauci's net worth jumped $5 million during pandemic

Anthony Fauci, the longtime director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, saw his net worth soar during the pandemic even as the U.S. was rocked by repeated economic disruptions stemming from the lockdown policies for which he vigorously advocated. 

The infectious disease expert, who has long been known for commanding the highest salary among all Washington bureaucrats, realized an additional $5 million in personal wealth from 2019 through 2021, according to a report by the watchdog Open the Books.

Within those years, the Fauci household net worth "increased from $7.6 million (January 1, 2019) to over $12.6 million (December 31, 2021)," Open the Books said. 

That money flowed, in part, from "nearly $1 million in prizes from non-profit organizations across the world," as well as "$910,174 in gains within the Fauci stock, bond, and money market portfolio" in 2021 alone. 

He also continued to pull down a hefty six-figure salary during that time, being paid over $450,000 in 2021. 

The infectious disease expert was among the most vocal supporters of hardline lockdown and distancing policies at the outset of the pandemic, urging Americans to stay at home indefinitely and keep apart from each other throughout most of 2020 and 2021. 

Those measures have been cited as among the primary reasons behind the U.S.'s ongoing economic woes, with analysts claiming that inflation, supply-chain crises and other economic headaches have stemmed in no small part from the shutdowns that wreaked havoc on nearly all of the economy starting in 2020.

Fauci has served as director of the NIAID for nearly forty years, since 1984. He is slated to retire by January of 2025.