‘Learn to read before you post’: Ilhan Omar denies ‘ridiculous’ claims net worth spiked from $0 to $30M since taking office. What do the numbers say?

The claim raised eyebrows, not least because earlier this year, Omar herself called allegations of her being a millionaire “ridiculous” and “categorically false” (2).

From net negative to multi-millions?

When Omar was first elected to Congress in 2019, her financial disclosure showed a negative net worth (3). But her May 2025 filing — for the 2024 reporting year — painted a dramatically different picture (4).

The document listed two major assets tied to her husband, Tim Mynett:

• ESTCRU LLC, a winery business, valued between $1,000,001 and $5,000,000.
• Rose Lake Capital LLC, a venture capital firm, valued between $5,000,001 and $25,000,000.

Taken together, those figures suggest a combined value of $6 million to $30 million.

What raised even more questions was how quickly those assets appeared to balloon. In Omar’s previous year’s filing, ESTCRU was valued at just $15,001 to $50,000, while Rose Lake Capital was listed at a mere $1 to $1,000 (5).

Omar is no stranger to allegations from across the aisle, many of them coming from the Oval Office (6).

President Donald Trump has attacked her personally, claiming in a Nov. 28 post on Truth Social that Omar, who moved from Somalia to the U.S. as a child, is an illegal immigrant (7). The administration has also taken aim at Minnesota’s Somali community, including supporting unverified accusations of fraud among Somali daycares in the state (8). In early January, this rhetoric culminated in the DHS's presence in Minneapolis, in part to “dismantle the massive fraud empires built in Minnesota,” according to a White House press release (9).

Omar hits back

Omar wasted no time responding to the coverage of her financial situation.

“Learn to read before you post misleading s--t,” she said in a TikTok video addressing the reports (10).

In a caption, she clarified: “The value range listed for the assets reflects the full cost assessment of the businesses, in which my husband is one of several partners and does not reflect his individual share.”

She also took a jab at the claims with a bit of humor: “Keep wishing millions into existence so I could pay off these student loans.”

It is true that the assets are tied to Mynett, whom Omar married in 2020 and not solely to her. Coupled with any liabilities, that distinction could help explain why Omar rejected the characterization of her net worth ballooning to as much as $30 million.

Her filings also reveal a far more relatable financial reality: In 2024, Omar reported $15,001 to $50,000 in student loan debt.

Building wealth beyond Washington

The debate over Omar’s net worth highlights a broader truth: Whether you’re in politics or not, building wealth often comes down to the growth of assets and smart financial decisions.

Most Americans don’t have a stake in a venture capital firm or winery. But there are accessible ways to build net worth today. Here’s a look at three of them.

‘The best thing to do,’ according to Warren Buffett

Long-term exposure to the growth of American businesses has created enormous fortunes. As investing legend Warren Buffett wrote in 2016, “American business — and consequently a basket of stocks — is virtually certain to be worth far more in the years ahead (11).”

And you don’t need to be a stock-picking genius to benefit.

“In my view, for most people, the best thing to do is own the S&P 500 index fund,” Buffett has famously stated (12). This approach gives investors exposure to 500 of America’s largest companies across a wide range of industries, providing instant diversification without the need for constant monitoring or active management.

The beauty of this tactic is its accessibility — anyone, regardless of wealth, can take advantage of it. And even small contributions can grow over time with tools like Acorns, a popular app that automatically invests your spare change.

Signing up for Acorns takes just minutes: Link your cards, and Acorns will round up each purchase to the nearest dollar, investing the difference — your spare change — into a diversified portfolio.

With Acorns, you can invest in an S&P 500 ETF with as little as $5 — and, if you sign up today with a recurring investment, Acorns will add a $20 bonus to help you begin your journey.

Become a real estate mogul

Like stocks, real estate has long served as a cornerstone of wealth building in America.

Owning property can generate passive income through rent and offer appreciation potential — especially in high-demand markets. It’s also a classic hedge against inflation: When the cost of materials, labor and land goes up, property values often rise as well. Meanwhile, rental income typically climbs too, creating a revenue stream that adjusts with inflation.

In fact, Buffett has often pointed to real estate as a prime example of a productive, income-generating asset.

In 2022, Buffett stated that if you offered him “1% of all the apartment houses in the country” for $25 billion, he would “write you a check (13).”

Of course, you don’t need billions — or even to buy an entire property — to benefit from real estate investing.

If diversifying into multifamily or industrial rentals appeals to you, you could consider investing with Lightstone DIRECT, a new investing platform from the Lightstone Group, one of the largest private real estate companies in the country with over 25,000 multifamily units in its portfolio.

Since they eliminate intermediaries — brokers and crowdfunding middlemen — accredited investors with a minimum investment of $100,000 can gain direct access to institutional-quality multifamily opportunities. This streamlined model can help reduce fees while enhancing transparency and control.

And with Lightstone DIRECT, you invest in single-asset multifamily deals alongside Lightstone — a true partner — as Lightstone puts at least 20% of its own capital into every offering. All of Lightstone’s investment opportunities undergo a rigorous, multi-stage review before being approved by Lightstone’s Principals, including Founder David Lichtenstein.

How it works is simple: Just sign up with your email, and you can schedule a call with a capital formation expert to assess your investment opportunities. From here, all you have to do is verify your details to begin investing.

Founded in 1986, Lightstone has a proven track record of delivering strong risk-adjusted returns across market cycles with a 27.6% historical net IRR and 2.54x historical net equity multiple on realized investments since 2004. All told, Lightstone has $12 billion in assets under management — including in industrial and commercial real estate.

As such, even if multifamily rentals don’t appeal to you, Lightstone could still serve you well as an investment vehicle for other real estate verticals.

Get started today with Lightstone DIRECT and invest alongside experienced professionals with skin in the game.