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There’s small question that Chris Abele is the wealthiest man to serve as Milwaukee County Executive.

Consider several of their predecessors at the office: Bill O’Donnell took the coach to the office. Tom Ament lived for some time in a little apartment on Milwaukee’s west side. Scott Walker provided straight back part of their salary for years and lived a middle course life in Wauwatosa.

Abele, who won the task in 2010, stumbled on Milwaukee from Boston inside 1990s and caused a stir with well-publicized philanthropic efforts, particularly presents towards Boys and Girls groups of Greater Milwaukee ($5 million) additionally the Marcus Center, as detailed in a February 2005 Milwaukee mag profile.

That, combined with his company endeavors and real estate holdings - side-by-side condos in a downtown high-rise, a residence on Lake Drive - keep no question that Abele is an affluent man.

But exactly how affluent is he?

From the night of the Feb. 16, 2016 primary, where Abele went a narrow second to Democratic state Sen. Chris Larson in nonpartisan battle, one of Abele’s governmental enemies supplied her simply take.

"Despite becoming outspent over ten-to-one by a billionaire County Executive, Chris Larson pulled into a lead, " said Marina Dimitrijevic, director associated with the Wisconsin Working Families celebration, in a declaration. Dimitrijevic is also a Milwaukee County manager, and previous Chairwoman associated with County Board.

Abele has-been described as a millionaire an abundance of times.

But is Abele a billionaire?

The Operating Families Party has used that term over repeatedly during the promotion, an endeavor that is designed to throw Abele as off touch because of the needs of typical households. Larson has actually forced the same motif.

As soon as we asked Dimitrijevic for evidence on her behalf claim that Abele is worth significantly more than 1000 millions, she reacted with a message that cited, on top of other things, a 2006 article in Boston Magazine.

"Chris Abele belongs to a billionaire family, " Dimitrijevic composed. "in reality, their daddy ended up being among one of the wealthiest men and women in Boston and today Vermont."

Abele’s parent, John, was a co-founder of Boston Scientific, a health equipment business. He became really wealthy when that company went general public in 1992, and liked another windfall if the company’s drug-coated stent item ended up being a massive success in 2004.

A 2014 Forbes tale cited by Dimitrijevic estimated his fortune at $1.5 billion in March 2008, based on his Boston Scientific stock. The earlier Boston Magazine story put his wide range at $3.3 billion.

Fair enough. But that’s their parent and he’s perhaps not running for county executive.

What about Chris Abele?

Dimitrijevic noted that Abele’s economic interest declaration "show pages and pages of stock and company ownership." Their listing includes CSA Partners, a good investment company, she noted. (We’ll get to that in a few minutes.)

"be it millions or billions, the truth is Chris Abele belongs to an elite family members that has accessibility large numbers of wealth, " Dimitrijevic stated.

Hmmm. Sounds like this claim simply got marked down to pennies from the buck.

Abele’s wealth

Just what exactly do we understand about Abele’s wealth?

We requested their spokeswoman, Melissa Baldauff, whether the woman supervisor ended up being a billionaire. She performedn’t offer a reply. But, honestly, it's pretty easy to see that Abele is not a billionaire:

Argosy Foundation: Abele may be the mind regarding the Argosy Foundation, found on Wells Street in a building overlooking Cathedral Square. He informed a Milwaukee audience in 2004 the basis, formed by his daddy had been really worth about $1 billion, and may grow beyond that, the Milwaukee mag profile said.

Although team’s newest IRS filing, from 2014, says Argosy has actually unrestricted possessions of $9.8 million - not billion. In any case, it's a foundation and not Abele’s personal wealth.

Their homes: Abele owns two condos on 29th floor associated with Moderne tower in downtown Milwaukee. He purchased while the adjoining unit for $700, 000 into the fall of 2015. He additionally is the owner of a Lake Drive mansion evaluated at $2.34 million.

That implies big money, but by itself is certainly not proof billions.

Capital raising Fund: In 2013 Abele dedicated at the least $10 million of their own money to CSA Partners LLC, a venture capital investment that invests in youthful businesses. During the time, he told the Journal Sentinel the fund could grow "plenty north" of $15 million if it finds the proper opportunities.

Once more, millions, not billions.

Notably, there’s the list that Abele is not on: The annual directory of billionaires published by Forbes mag.

Ten Wisconsin residents were on Forbes’ 2015 list, including do-it-yourself shop magnate John Menard; Herbert Kohler, the previous CEO of the plumbing system fixture and hospitality business; and four members of Racine’s Johnson family members. But no Chris Abele.

Undoubtedly, Abele’s dad was not in the billionaire number either., Forbes place John Abele’s lot of money at $600 million.

We put the question to Abele in a quick interview. He said it was well-known all over town which he ended up being well-off, simply as a result of their philanthropy.

He stated an estimate of his net worth hasn't been published. He noted your Forbes lists tend to be educated guesses. "They have to calculate a great deal, " he stated, incorporating that "there is a lot they simply don’t know."

Abele after that answered issue right: "I'm not a billionaire."

Our score

Dimitrijevic stated Abele ended up being a billionaire. There’s numerous research that Abele is a wealthy man, with a even-wealthier parent. Meanwhile, the family’s Argosy Foundation doesn’t may actually have anywhere close to $1 billion in assets, and, no matter, this is certainlyn’t Abele’s individual holdings.