President Donald Trump‘s pick to run the FBI, Kash Patel, was confirmed in February 2025.
It was later revealed that Patel had also served as acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), an agency under the Department of Justice. The dual role was highly unusual, and news of his removal from the ATF post on April 9—without any public explanation—caught many by surprise.
However, White House spokesman Harrison Fields clarified in a statement: “Director Kash Patel was briefly designated ATF Director while awaiting Senate confirmations — a standard, short-term move.” Patel was replaced by U.S. Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, who will now serve in both roles simultaneously.
Learn more about Patel below.
Who Is Kash Patel?
Patel, the son of Indian immigrants, is a former public defender who rose through senior national security roles during Trump’s first term. In 2018, he served as an aide to Rep. Devin Nunes, the top Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, where he gained Trump’s favor during the Russia investigation. Trump praised Patel for this in his social media post, stating he “played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution.” In 2019, Patel joined the National Security Council before becoming chief of staff to the acting defense secretary in the final year of Trump’s first term.
Since then, Patel has been a vocal Trump supporter, promoting the false claim that the 2020 election was “stolen” and pushing the baseless “deep state” conspiracy theory. He has alleged that federal officials sought to undermine the president and called for replacing “anti-democratic” civil servants in law enforcement and intelligence with “patriots” loyal to the American people. In his 2023 memoir, Government Gangsters, Patel described the political climate as a “battle between the people and a corrupt ruling class,” branding the “Deep State” as an unelected cabal bent on controlling the presidency and dictating what Americans can know. In addition to his memoir, Patel has published two pro-Trump children’s books.
In November 2024, Trump nominated Patel, a loyalist, to serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in a series of controversial Cabinet nominations that have mostly been approved.
“I am proud to announce that Kashyap ‘Kash’ Patel will serve as the next Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” Trump posted on Truth Social when announcing his nominee. “Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and ‘America First’ fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People.”
What Is Kash Patel’s Net Worth?
Patel’s net worth is now an estimated $5 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth, a significant increase from the previously reported $800,000.
A recent financial disclosure also revealed that he earned at least $2.6 million over the past year alone. The primary source of his earnings—over $2.1 million—was national security, defense, and intelligence consulting through his firm, Trishul LLC. Trishul LLC’s clients include Trump Media & Technology Group, the Embassy of Qatar, and Czech financial services company CSGM. Since 2022, Patel has served on the board of Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social, and also holds a consulting contract reportedly worth at least $120,000 annually.
Patel also earned between $145,000 and $1.2 million from his book deals.
Is Kash Patel Married?
Patel is not married but is currently dating country singer and Republican press secretary Alexis Wilkins.
In 2014, according to The New York Times, Patel participated in an Above the Law charity bachelor auction benefiting the Switchboard of Miami but later dropped out after a blogger pointed out that his law license appeared to be outdated in the state.
Does Kash Patel Have Kids?
Patel does not have any children.
Who Was the Previous Director of the FBI?
Christopher Wray was the FBI Director before Patel, having been appointed by Trump in 2017. However, Wray quickly lost favor with the president and his allies before Trump left office in 2021.
While the FBI director position typically carries a 10-year term, Wray’s removal had been widely anticipated due to Trump’s ongoing public criticism of him and the FBI, especially following the search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property for classified documents and two investigations that led to his indictment.
On February 20, Patel was narrowly confirmed with a 51-49 vote. Wray had won confirmation in 2017 with 92 votes.
