US Senate confirms Kash Patel for a 10-year term to lead the FBI
Kash Patel is now officially running the FBI. The Senate confirmed him in a tight 51-49 vote, handing Donald Trump a major win in his long-running feud with the agency. Every Democrat voted against him, along with two Republicans: Susan Collins and Lisa Murkowski, who raised concerns about his deep Trump ties. But that didn’t stop Patel, one of Trump’s most loyal defenders, from landing the job.
What makes Patel stand out is that his financial disclosures show he’s deeply into Bitcoin. He holds up to $115,000 in a Bitcoin ETF and $250,000 in Core Scientific, a major Bitcoin mining company.
While his Bitcoin holdings didn’t make waves during his confirmation hearing, some experts believe his crypto knowledge could help the FBI crackdown on cybercrime, especially cases involving North Korean hackers targeting crypto platforms.
Who is Kash Patel?
If you’ve followed Trump-era politics, you’ve heard of Patel. He’s a lawyer and former national security official who became a key player in Trump’s battle with the intelligence community.
He previously served as chief of staff to the acting Secretary of Defense and helped push back against the Russia investigation. Now, he’s heading the very agency that clashed with Trump for years.
Patel’s Financial Portfolio: Bitcoin, Stocks, and Media Money
Patel’s financial records paint a picture of someone who knows how to diversify. Here’s a look at where his money is:
- Up to $5 million in EliteDepot, a fashion and skincare company.
- Up to $250,000 in NVIDIA, a leading chipmaker.
- Up to $250,000 in VK Integrated Systems, a tactical gear company tied to defense contracts.
- Up to $250,000 in Core Scientific, a Bitcoin mining firm.
- Up to $115,000 in a Bitcoin ETF.
Patel isn’t just an investor, he’s been making serious money from media and publishing too. He pulled in $165,000 from Performance One Media, $99,000 from Epoch Times, and $57,000 from various speaking gigs. His books, including Government Gangsters and The Plot Against the King series, raked in between $145,000 and $1.2 million.
Taking on the FBI role meant Patel had to step down from a few positions. He left Trump Media and Technology Group, the Kash Patel Foundation, and Epoch Times. However, he’s keeping some of his consulting businesses, Trishul LLC and Dal Forno LLC, inactive rather than shutting them down entirely.
With Patel in charge, expect some big changes at the FBI. His critics worry he’ll politicize the agency, while his supporters see him as a much-needed reformer.