Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has become incredibly wealthy despite earning a taxpayer-funded salary for decades, in large part because of fortuitously timed investment moves by her husband Paul, which some allege are based on non-public insider knowledge.

Now comes word that Pelosi's estimated net worth has reached an all-time high of around $271 million, according to Watcher.Guru.

Pelosi's surging wealth has prompted questions about the ethics and legality of how it was attained, given that at least $111 million of that total comes from the stock market and the allegations that her husband's conveniently timed trades are based on insider knowledge of pending government actions that will impact specific companies and market sectors that isn't otherwise privy to the general public.

Pelosi's wealth has soared

Watcher.Guru reported that financial data compiled and analyzed by Quicker Quantitative shows that former Speaker Pelosi's estimated net worth has surged this year to about $271 million, which is significantly more than she was worth when she first entered Congress a few decades ago.

To be sure, plenty of investors have enjoyed a sudden surge in wealth as the markets responded positively to President-elect Donald Trump's victory in early November and the promise of increased economic prosperity that his impending second term in office brings.

But Trump's election doesn't even begin to explain Pelosi's significant accumulation of wealth over prior years, and some are wondering how that is even possible on her taxpayer-funded salary, save for her husband's seemingly unique ability to consistently outperform the market and typically avoid losses with well-timed trades of certain stocks, often just before those stocks are impacted by legislation or other government actions.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸 US Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi's estimated net worth rises to an all-time high of $271,000,000.

How is this possible? pic.twitter.com/C4szifOsgx

— Watcher.Guru (@WatcherGuru) December 6, 2024

Allegations of insider trading

Forbes reported in July 2022 that Paul Pelosi took a rare loss when he unloaded millions of dollars worth of Nvidia shares just one day before the chipmaker's stock soared to new heights on news that Congress had passed a bill that would provide billions in taxpayer subsidies to U.S.-based manufacturers to boost domestic production of computer chips and semiconductors.

Rather ironically, though, that loss for Pelosi of around $340,000 on the dumped stock -- to say nothing of the millions more that would have been realized if he'd kept the Nvidia options -- only further fueled the speculation that the Pelosis were making trades based on insider knowledge, based on the oddly telling statement released by the former speaker's top aide.

Pelosi's deputy chief of staff, Drew Hammill, explained, "Mr. Pelosi decided to sell the shares at a loss rather than allow the misinformation in the press regarding this trade to continue."

Forbes noted that the Pelosis had faced criticism and questions for years about fortuitously timed trades that netted them millions of dollars in windfalls just prior to congressional or governmental actions that impacted those particular stocks.

"She should be prosecuted"

Interestingly enough, Forbes reported at the time that the Pelosis had done so well with their stock trades that other investors had begun to closely monitor and emulate their purchases and sales to similarly outperform the markets, to great effect.

Indeed, an X account dubbed the "Nancy Pelosi Stock Tracker" reported this week that, "According to QuiverQuant, Nancy Pelosi has made ~$10,000,000 in the stock market just this week That's 45x her yearly salary. In just one week," and added, "Now does she know something we don't? Maybe. Did we build the first way to invest alongside her just in case? Absolutely Because if you can't beat them, join them."

The former speaker might want to enjoy her massive wealth while she can, as things may abruptly change for her next year, as the New York Post reported in September, after Paul Pelosi sold upwards of $1 million worth of Visa shares right before a federal lawsuit was announced against the company, that President-elect Trump alluded to illegal insider trading and opined, "You think it was luck? I don’t. She should be prosecuted. Nancy Pelosi should be prosecuted for that."