Who is Kash Patel? Height, age, family, and career of the FBI director

In 2025, Kash Patel became the first FBI director of Indian descent. Before this, he served as the acting director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In a June interview with Joe Rogan, Patel vowed to stand for the truth regardless of the consequences:

I will always put out the truth to the American people, no matter who it is against, because my commitment is to them and not political or ethnic groups.

Key takeaways

• Kash interaction with defence lawyers while working as a caddie in his high school days inspired his legal career.
• He served in different positions at the Department of Justice (DOJ) from 2012 to 2017.
• Patel received $25,000 to feature on Tucker Carlson Network's All the President's Men: The Conspiracy Against Trump.
• He does not have kids and has not been publicly married.

Kash Patel's profile summary

Kash Patel's father was a victim of Idi Amin's dictatorial regime

Patel's dad, Pramod Patel, was a Ugandan of Indian descent. In 1972, he relocated his family back to India following a ruling by then-president Idi Amin.

After their asylum applications were approved, they moved to Canada before settling in the US permanently. Pramod worked as the CFO of a company that dealt with aircraft materials. Kash played ice hockey in his youth.

Patel initially wanted to pursue a career in the medical field

Kash attended Garden City High School. In 2002, he earned a criminal justice and history degree from the University of Richmond. Three years later, Patel graduated from the Pace University School of Law. He has a certificate in international law from the University College London.  

He made his career debut working as a public defender in Miami-Dade County

Patel represented drug traffickers and violent criminals before bagging a junior staff member role at the DOJ in 2012. He later joined the South Asian Bar Association of North America as a board member.

During his 5-year tenure at the DOJ, Kash served in several other positions, including a prosecutor in the National Security Division, the Joint Special Operations Command legal liaison and a member of the Counterterrorism Division.

Kash became the principal deputy director of national intelligence in 2020

In 2017, Patel made news after he accused FBI officials of abusing their authority while investigating the link between Russian officials and Donald Trump's associates.

He joined the Alliances directorate and the National Security Council's International Organisations two years later. In 2020, the lawyer was named an aide to then-acting director of national intelligence Richard Grenell.

He reportedly blocked Joe Biden's presidential transition

When Donald Trump named Christopher Miller the acting secretary of defence, Kash was appointed chief of staff. When Biden became president, several transition officials viewed Patel as a threat, considering his loyalty to Trump, per The New York Times.

The Department of Defense retaliated, confirming that he had handed over some of his transition duties to another official. In April 2022, Kash admitted advising Trump to fire senior officials at the DOJ during his first presidential tenure.

Insights into Kash Patel's post-government career (2021-2024)

When Donald Trump left office in January 2021, Patel managed the Trishul consulting company. He began selling merchandise branded K$H via his non-profit to help raise legal fees for the Unites States Capitol attack participants.

Kash became the director of the Trump Media & Technology Group in April 2022. He was a consultant for Elite Depot for nine months in 2024.

Appointment as the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

In November 2024, Trump announced his nomination of Patel as the FBI director. Later, the now-president took to social media to praise him, per BBC.

Kash is an outstanding investigator and lawyer. An advocate of truth, he has spent his career fighting injustices, exposing corruption and protecting the people.

On 21 February 2025, Patel was sworn into the position after a 51-49 vote by the Senate the day prior.

FAQs

In 2024, Kash served as a part-time guest host for Steve Bannon's podcast War Room. Below are some frequently asked questions about him:

Who is Kash Patel dating?

According to The Economic Times, Kashyap has reportedly been in a relationship with country music singer Alexis Wilkins since 2022. She was present during his swearing-in ceremony as FBI director in 2025.

Has Kash Patel written any books?

Patel is the author of three children's books: The Plot Against the King (2022), The Plot Against the King: 2000 Mules (2022) and The Plot Against the King 3: The Return of the King (2024).

How rich is Kash Patel?

Patel has an estimated net worth of $30 million, per Hindustan Times. He has amassed this wealth from his successful career in the political and legal industry.

Kash Patel has been widely described as President Donald Trump's loyalist. Currently the director of the FBI, he has served in several other positions, including the senior director of counterterrorism in the National Security Council.

READ ALSO: Katie Britt's net worth: How rich is the Senator from Alabama?

Briefly.co.za wrote facts about Katie Britt's financial portfolio. The American attorney and politician is the junior US senator from Alabama and the youngest Republican woman to be elected to the Senate.

Estimating a lawmaker’s fortune is often challenging because disclosure forms do not mandate exact values. While there are no precise figures for Katie Britt’s wealth, various sources, including the Washington Times, estimate it to be between $500,000 and $5 million.

Source: Briefly News