By Surprising no one, it appears that the world’s greatest stock trader, Nancy Pelosi, may have used her power as Speaker of the House to her own benefit.
The Auberge du Soleil, a prestigious Napa Valley resort renowned for its sweeping vineyard views and luxurious accommodations, did not initially return huge profits to its investors, including Paul Pelosi, but an analysis by Real Clear Investigations shows that changed suddenly and dramatically when the COVID-19 pandemic hit and government cheese was on the table.
RCI writes that The Auberge du Soleil investment, held for decades by Paul Pelosi, has rarely turned a significant profit, according to Nancy’s financial disclosure forms. In some years, he has recorded a loss or a profit of between $50,000 to $100,000. But the year of the bailout money stands apart. In 2021, Pelosi’s ethics forms show that her family’s income from the resort surged to a range of $1 million to $5 million.
The French Riviera-themed resort may not be most people’s idea of a struggling business in need of a government bailout, yet the Auberge du Soleil – which shuttered briefly at the outset of the pandemic before swiftly rebounding – received about $9 million from a series of special taxpayer-funded emergency relief programs.
The previously unreported windfall is among several COVID bailouts that flowed to Pelosi-backed restaurants, hotels, and properties, including several Courtyard Marriott hotels.
A RealClearInvestigations analysis found that Pelosi’s profits spiked from a variety of holdings that won significant government rescue funds – which amounted to $28 million, a total more than previously known. For their family’s stake in the Auberge du Soleil, the Pelosis received more income in 2021, when bailout funds channeled to the resort, than any other time over the last 10 years.
As Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi played a leading role in advancing COVID-19 relief legislation, which ultimately totaled $5.5 trillion in federal spending and helped lead to inflation that has crushed the American middle class.
Pandemic-era relief programs, particularly the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF), have faced significant criticism. Reports point to widespread fraud, misallocation of funds, and overly broad eligibility criteria, which allowed well-connected businesses to secure substantial aid.
Pelosi’s case reveals something we all know: when Democrats spend money “to help the middle class” that money often ends up in their own pockets. Luxury businesses and well-connected entities often appeared to benefit more significantly than smaller, independently owned establishments struggling to stay afloat.
The former Speaker of the House has long been criticized for her “golden touch” when it comes to investing. Despite bipartisan calls for a ban on the practice, Pelosi has long opposed prohibiting members of Congress from trading stocks and made millions using her inside knowledge to cash in. Â
The Daily Mail reported that “the longtime Democrat Congresswoman, 83, got a 65 percent return on her investments in 2023, well over double the S&P 500’s overall 24 percent gain. Â
That’s an even bigger return than in December, when DailyMail.com used a tool dedicated to tracking her investments, revealing her portfolio returned a remarkable 50 percent in the previous 12 months.”
Pelosi, whose husband, Paul Pelosi, is a venture capitalist, has maintained that he makes stock trades independently, without her involvement. In December 2021, she defended lawmakers’ right to trade stocks, stating that the United States has a “free market” and that members of Congress “should be able to participate in it,” explained The New York Post.
For example, financial disclosure forms revealed that Paul Pelosi, whose net worth is estimated to exceed $275 million, sold 2,000 shares of Visa stock valued between $500,000 and $1 million on July 1. Just two months later, in September, the Justice Department announced an antitrust lawsuit against Visa.
Pelosi’s corruption has been so out in the open that tracking services have been created to allow investors to follow and mimic her stock trades.
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