By Rounak Bagchi

Copyright timesnownews

At just 31, Charlie Kirk has amassed an estimated net worth of $12 million. The chief executive and co-founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk has transformed a small campus-based project into one of the most prominent organizations in conservative politics. And, along the way, he has also secured a lifestyle that includes a Spanish-style mansion, luxury travel and multiple seven-figure properties, according to a report by news agency Associated Press. On Wednesday, Kirk was shot dead while hosting a debate in Utah. In video posts circulating on social media, Kirk can be seen getting struck while speaking and sitting beneath a tent in the Utah Valley University courtyard. Kirk was there as part of The American Comeback Tour, which is hosted by the TPUSA chapter at Utah Valley. Public records and an AP review of Turning Point’s finances show how the organization, which has raised roughly a quarter-billion dollars since its inception, has also enriched its leaders. Kirk’s salary rose from $27,000 in 2016 to more than $407,000 by 2021. His personal holdings now include three high-end homes: a $4.75 million estate near Phoenix with sweeping desert views, a nearby apartment, and a beachside condominium on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Follow Live Updates: US President Donald Trump Announces Charlie Kirk’s Death However, Turning Point’s financial success has not always translated into political wins. In Arizona, where the group is headquartered, its slate of hard-right candidates struggled in statewide races, including Kari Lake’s failed 2022 bid for governor. Founded in 2012 in suburban Chicago by Kirk, then 18, and Tea Party activist William Montgomery, Turning Point struggled early to gain traction. It gained momentum after 2016, when Kirk became a close ally of US President Donald Trump and Turning Point embraced his presidential campaign. Contributions doubled, then tripled, eventually reaching $79.2 million in 2022, according to public tax filings. As the organization’s finances expanded, so did the trappings of its leadership. Turning Point sponsored a wedding reception for Kirk and his wife, Erika Frantzve, at a luxury hotel in Scottsdale in 2021, billing it as both a celebration and a fundraiser. Turning Point’s financial structure has also drawn scrutiny. An AP investigation found that at least $15.2 million had been directed to companies linked to leaders and associates. Some high-ranking employees collected salaries in the high six figures while also benefiting from payments to affiliated businesses. Kirk, for his part, has supplemented his income with earnings from his podcast, radio show and speaking fees, though the group acknowledged those ventures were launched with help from the platform Turning Point provided. The group’s use of consultants has also raised questions. In one case, Turning Point paid $2.4 million to Rally Forge, a firm that employed teenagers to spread false information about the coronavirus and election fraud during the 2020 presidential campaign, according to The Washington Post. Through it all, Kirk has built himself into a brand as much as an organizer: a familiar face on cable television, a fixture in conservative media, and now a wealthy figure whose lifestyle mirrors the big-money donors who helped underwrite his rise. A spokesman for Turning Point, Andrew Kolvet, has defended the organization’s spending and salaries, insisting that its leaders are “good stewards of donor money.” He said that Kirk and others are “underpaid for their talents,” and argued that the group’s critics have failed to offer compelling alternatives for improving Republican turnout operations. Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from US News and around the World.