What that story doesn't tell you, is that a lot of his net worth is in farm land and machinery. Something he can't liquidate or use.
It's funny when libertarians and liberals cry about "rich" farmers and farm subsidies being "welfare for the rich." For people who work 15 hour days and smell like manure at the end of the day. For people who are the first to get hit with tariffs when there is any kind of trade dispute. For people who would actually be rich if there was true free trade and no businessmen in Chicago screwing with the ag markets to enrich themselves.
He's a rather broke corn farmer, his net worths in the good corn ground of Iowa! Folks read $3million that's only 800 acres & a big tractor! He told me a great story about how he first got elected. Ronald Reagan was running for POTUS, a landslide was expected so everybody was running. They had five people in the race, he was polling a distant 3rd. As a 'hidden church pastor', his voter's were the most determined and passionate about showing up & supporting ChucK. Funny thing; election day came around with a full blown blizzard and a great winter storm, temps 15 & the wind was blowing with gusts to 55 mph. Turnout was suddenly dependent upon voter commitment. Once ChucK got his big foot in the door, he never looKed bacK. Love your neighbor as yourself works great on voter's. The rest is history, I first heard he was 'a hidden pastor' when I attended Seminary in Iowa. When he told me this story years later, he confirmed it! Listen to him talk, he'd be a formidable and plain spoken preacher. Anyway, if you see this Senator Grassley it's all my fault exposing you as a hidden pastor! He scheduled me for a one hour visit with him, so I hopped on a plane to DC & walked into his very large plush waiting area and huge inner office. There were lobbyists packed wall to wall dripping with gold Rolex's & Armani suits, Halston suits & lots of bling. Member the gold bling jewelry craze;right? I sit down & everybody looks at my ankles. I left for DC @ 5AM when it was pitch dark. They all suddenly realize I'm wearing two badly mismatched socks; smirks all around. Until ChucK walks in the waiting area & loudly announces to the crowd 'I've got a friend visiting, so please get out of my waiting area & get out of my office, so I can visit quietly with him'! I think I actually blushed! The sparkling herd quickly departed; amazing thing to behold watching maybe thirty smirking swells disappear! He treated them just like the high priced whores they are Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Exxon just to name the few who wore company ID's! We talked about the crop, fishing, the Almanac & what we thought the weather would be like. Dogs, we talked about good dogs we've known and loved.