Louis Farrakhan Net Worth

Louis Farrakhan is the longtime leader of the Nation of Islam (NOI), a Black nationalist group. He organized the famous Million Man March in 1995 but has also drawn widespread criticism for using antisemitic and racist rhetoric. 

He has condemned whites and Jews in inflammatory speeches over his career. Civil rights organizations have denounced his divisive views. Yet he still holds sway over his followers as the head of the Nation of Islam since 1977. 

Today, we look at this prominent figure’s career and net worth.

Louis Farrakhan’s net worth and career in NOI

Farrakhan has accumulated a net worth of $5 million as of 2023. He built his wealth through his leadership role in the NOI and a brief music career earlier in life. 

In the 1950s, he performed and recorded calypso music; however, after converting to the NOI, he focused on his ministry work full-time. He rose quickly as a leader within the NOI. 

After just 9 months of joining the organization in 1955, he became an assistant minister to Malcolm X in Boston. Later, he served as the national spokesman and representative of the NOI under Elijah Muhammad. 

Louis Farrakhan speaking at St. Sabina Church on May 9, 2019 (Source: WTTW News)

Farrakhan was also appointed as the minister of the renowned Harlem Mosque. In 1975, he followed Warith Deen Mohammed after he took over the Nation of Islam from his father, Elijah Muhammad.

He served as a Sunni Imam under Mohammed’s leadership for several years. However, in 1978, Farrakhan broke away, opposing efforts to work with whites. He re-established the Nation of Islam under Elijah Muhammad’s original teachings in 1981. 

He has served as the NOI’s prominent leader for over 40 years. His inflammatory rhetoric and organizing of events like the 1995 Million Man March have maintained his notoriety. 

But Farrakhan has also drawn widespread criticism for extremism, racism, and antisemitism over his long career.

Louis Farrakhan had a music career before joining NOI

Before becoming a leader in the Nation of Islam, Farrakhan had a fledgling career as a calypso singer in the 1950s, performing under the stage name “The Charmer.” 

During this time, he earned up to $500 a week touring and performing calypso songs across the northeastern and midwestern United States. 

He recorded over a dozen comedic calypso tracks during this early music phase, including provocative tunes like ‘Ugly Woman,’ ‘Stone Cold Man,’ and ‘Female Boxer.’ 

His lighthearted songs drew inspiration from Caribbean calypso standards. They tackled topics ranging from relationships to gender issues, sometimes with controversial lyrics.

Louis Farrakhan poses with a violin at a press conference in 2002 (Source: The Forward)

However, after converting to the Nation of Islam in 1955, Elijah Muhammad asked Farrakhan to leave his music career behind to focus on preaching for the organization. As a result, his time as The Charmer was short-lived. 

It wasn’t until almost 40 years later, in 1993, that Farrakhan decided to return to music by taking up classical violin. Esteemed African-American musician Sylvia Olden Lee encouraged him to start playing the violin again. 

He memorably performed Felix Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto in E Minor with a symphony orchestra to mark this musical comeback.

Louis Farrakhan led the Million Man March

In October 1995, Farrakhan organized and led one of the largest political gatherings in US history — the Million Man March in Washington, D.C. 

He convened a broad coalition of civil rights and religious groups to support the march, which drew hundreds of thousands of black men across America. The march aimed to promote self-reliance and family values among African American men. 

He and prominent speakers like Martin Luther King III and Jesse Jackson called for black men to dedicate themselves to personal responsibility by providing for their families, committing to their communities, and avoiding violence.

Louis Farrakhan addressing the Million Man March in 1995 (Source: The Washington Post)

The event also aimed to combat negative stereotypes of black men prevalent at the time in the wake of events like the OJ Simpson trial. Additionally, it was a response to perceived racism as the Republican Congress threatened cuts to social programs. 

Controversially, the march focused narrowly on black men and was met with some criticism from feminists. However, the impressive turnout at the rally solidified Farrakhan’s standing as an influential leader. 

He threatened to sue the National Park Service for underestimating the crowd size of 440,000 when organizers claimed it surpassed one million. In the aftermath, over 1.5 million black men registered to vote, suggesting the march mobilized political engagement. 

A decade later, in 2005, Farrakhan organized a follow-up march known as the Millions More Movement to continue the activism sparked by the historic 1995 event. Farrakhan left an enduring civil rights legacy by spearheading the Million Man March.

Louis Farrakhan sued the Anti-Defamation League in 2023

In October 2022, Farrakhan filed a $4.8 billion lawsuit in federal court against the Anti-Defamation League (ADL). 

He accused the prominent Jewish civil rights group of propagating a false narrative that he is antisemitic to undermine his constitutional rights and defame him and the Nation of Islam. 

The 90-year-old leader of the NOI has frequently drawn outrage over his long history of antisemitic, racist, and homophobic rhetoric. He once referred to Adolf Hitler as a “great man.” He often promoted conspiracy theories about sinister Jewish control and influence. 

However, Farrakhan claims accusations of his antisemitism stem from lies by groups like the ADL to silence, defame, and stifle him. In their legal response, the ADL argues Farrakhan’s lawsuit lacks substance or facts to back his allegations. 

They state that Jewish groups have a right to call out bigotry to counter rising antisemitism. The ADL also points out that denying or alleging falsehood around a statement does not satisfy the legal requirements for proving defamation. 

This multi-billion dollar lawsuit represents Farrakhan’s latest attempt to rewrite his controversial reputation and fight back against those labeling him as antisemitic. 

However, given his long record of inflammatory statements targeting Jews and defense of Hitler, legal experts view his chances of prevailing over the Anti-Defamation League as very unlikely. 

The case shows Farrakhan striving to silence and impede Jewish groups even as anti-Jewish hatred and attacks intensify globally.