Hunter Stockton Thompson was born on 18 July 1937, in Louisville, Kentucky USA, of part-Scottish descent. Hunter was an author and journalist, best known for being the founder of the gonzo journalism movement. He travelled in several countries and published numerous books. All of his efforts helped put his net worth to where it was prior to his passing in 2005.
How rich was Hunter S. Thompson? As of late-2016, sources estimate a net worth that was at $5 million, mostly earned through a successful career in journalism. Some of the works included “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved”, and “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas: A Savage Journey to the Heart of the American Dream”. All of these achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
Hunter S. Thompson Net Worth $5 million
Thompson attended Highland Middle School and later Atherton High School; he then transferred to Louisville Male High School and became part of the Athenaeum Literary Association. As part of the association, Thompson started writing articles, however, he was soon removed from the group after he was charged as an accessory to robbery, for which he served 31 days in prison, after which he enlisted in the US Air Force.
Hunter started training studying electronics, and planned to be an aviator, but his application was rejected. He then moved to Eglin Air Force Base and took night classes at Florida State University. He became a sports editor at “The Command Courier” by lying about his job experience. As part of his job there, he travelled around the country and covered the games of the Eglin Eagles football team. He also wrote for The Playground News, and was eventually honorably discharged in 1957 as Airman First Class.
He then went to work as a sports editor in Jersey Shore before moving to New York City. He worked for Time magazine as a copy boy, but was fired for insubordination. He then worked for The Middletown Daily Record as a reporter, but was also fired due to arguing with a restaurant owner who was an advertiser on the paper. Hunter moved to Puerto Rico and applied to The San Juan Star but was turned down. He then became a stringer for the New York Herald Tribune and returned to the United States, where he would make his first magazine feature in Rogue magazine. He would also write two novels – “Prince Jellyfish” and “The Rum Diary”. Afterwards, he worked for the National Observer, learning about cultures and communities.
Eventually, Thompson started writing about the Hells Angels’ motorcycle club, which led to the creation of “Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs”. After the success of the book, he started publishing articles for several popular magazines, including The New York Times Magazine, Pageant, and Esquire. In 1970, he tried his hand at running for sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado – but lost. He then wrote “The Kentucky Derby is Decadent and Depraved” which led to the start of gonzo journalism. He would later use the term gonzo in other writings such as “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas”, which would become one of his most popular works and a mainstream success. He then worked on “Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72”.
Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Hunter continued to write articles as well as books. In 2003, he released the collection “Kingdom of Fear: Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century”. A few of his last works showcased his return to sports from 2000 to 2005.
For his personal life, it is known that Thompson married Sandra Conklin in 1962 but they divorced in 1980; they have a son. He then married Anita Bejmuk in 2003 and the marriage lasted until his death. In 2005, Hunter was found dead with a gunshot wound to the head, and it was determined that he had committed suicide. The Rolling Stone magazine would publish his suicide note to his wife, entitled “Football Season Is Over”.
