Laphonza Butler, a notable figure in American politics and advocacy, has gained recognition for her steadfast dedication to progressive causes, making a significant impact on the political landscape.
As of 2023, her estimated net worth, highlighted below, reflects her influential career and contributions. Let’s explore her biography, career highlights, and accomplishments to grab the foundations of her net worth.
Laphonza Butler Net Worth
Laphonza Butler is a political strategist, politician, and California’s United States Senator. She is also the president of EMILY’s List, America’s greatest political resource for women. Laphonza Butler’s net worth is estimated to be $16 million as of 2023 by ABTC.
Laphonza Butler was born in Magnolia, Mississippi, in May 1979. In 2001, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Government from Jackson State University. In 2010, she became the President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW) in Los Angeles.
In June 2012, she was elected President of California’s largest labor group, SEIU, California Area 1. She went on to execute the tasks of a president at the largest after working there for six years. She advocated for fair pay and increased the minimum wage to $15 per hour.
Wife, Daughter, Gender
Butler, Laphonza, is a lesbian. Nylah is the name of her daughter with her companion, Neneki Lee. Lee is the national director of the public services division at SEIU. In 2021, when Butler became president of EMILY’s List, they relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland. Butler possessed homes in View Park and Los Angeles, California, while residing in Maryland.
Butler is well-known for her philanthropic contributions to social causes, and she serves on the board of Vision to Learn, an organization founded by Austin Beutner that provides reading spectacles to children in underserved communities.
Who is Neneki Lee?
Neneki Lee is the National Division Director for Public Services of SEIU, one of the country’s largest and most powerful labor unions.
She is in charge of the union’s efforts to better the lives and working circumstances of millions of public sector employees, including teachers, nurses, firefighters, and social workers. She has been with SEIU since 1997 and has progressed through the ranks because to her hard work and leadership abilities.
Neneki Lee was born in 1974 in Los Angeles, California. She is of mixed race and holds American citizenship. From 1991 until 1994, she attended Spelman College, a historically Black women’s college in Atlanta, Georgia. She subsequently proceeded to Scripps College in Claremont, California, a liberal arts college for women, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in political science and government in 1999.
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How did Laphonza Butler and Neneki Lee meet?
Laphonza Butler and Neneki Lee met while working at SEIU. They both participated in organizing and advocating for workers’ rights and social justice. They formed a friendship that quickly blossomed into a sexual one. They married in a private ceremony attended by close friends and family in 2012.
Both Laphonza and Neneki Lee are lesbian women who are comfortable with their sexual orientation and identities. They also campaign for LGBTQ+ equality and rights. They have donated to groups and causes that encourage LGBTQ+ inclusion and representation, such as the Human Rights Campaign, the Victory Fund, and the National Center for Lesbian Rights.
How do Laphonza Butler and Neneki Lee balance their personal and professional lives?
Laphonza Butler and Neneki Lee have demanding professions that require frequent travel and long hours of work. They also have a daughter who requires their attention and care. They achieve a balance between their personal and professional lives by prioritizing family time and effectively communicating with one another.
When Butler became president of EMILY’s List in 2021, the couple relocated to Silver Spring, Maryland, where they currently reside. Additionally, they own property in View Park and Los Angeles, California, where they previously resided. They attempt to spend as much time as possible with their 2015-born daughter, Nylah. They also appreciate traveling to various locations around the world together.
Laphonza and Neneki Lee support one another’s ambitions and vocations. They respect each other’s perspectives and opinions. In addition, they share values and objectives that guide their actions and decisions. They are a power couple whose accomplishments and contributions to society inspire many individuals.
Height, Weight
Laphonza Butler is a tall, physically healthy woman who stands approximately 6 feet tall and weighs 170 pounds. She has a dark complexion and a short black hairstyle. She once entirely shaved her head for a charity event. She enjoys wearing casual, comfortable attire, such as denim, T-shirts, and sneakers. Additionally, she wears suits and dresses to formal events.
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Age, Childhood, and Education
The youngest of three children, Laphonza Butler was born in 1978 or 1979 (age: 44–45 as of 2023) in Magnolia, Mississippi. When she was 16 years old, her father died of heart disease, leaving her mother to work numerous jobs to support the family.
Butler attended Magnolia’s South Pike High School, where she participated in student government and debate. In 1997, she graduated as the class valedictorian. Laphonza subsequently matriculated at Jackson State University, a historically Black university in Mississippi, where she majored in political science.
She participated in a number of campus organizations, including the student newspaper, the NAACP chapter, and the Delta Sigma Theta sorority. She also interned at the Mississippi State Capitol and attended a Harvard University summer program. In 2001, she graduated with distinctions.
Wiki, Age, Biodata
| Name | Laphonza Butler |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1978 or 1979 |
| Birthplace | Magnolia, Mississippi |
| Education | Jackson State University |
| Profession | Politician, political strategist, labor leader |
| Current position | President of EMILY’s List, U.S. senator-designate from California |
| Previous positions | Regent of the University of California, president of SEIU Local 2015 and SEIU State Council, partner at SCRB Strategies, director at Airbnb |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Partner | Neneki Lee |
| Children | Nylah Butler |
| Net worth | Estimated at $16 million |
Career and Achievements
Laphonza Butler began her career as a labor union organizer on behalf of Baltimore and Milwaukee nurses, Philadelphia janitors, and New Haven hospital workers.
She joined SEIU, one of the nation’s largest and most prominent labor organizations, in 2009 after moving to California. She became SEIU Local 2015 president, representing over 400,000 California long-term care workers. She was California SEIU State Council president from 2013 until 2018.
Butler, a union leader, advocated for greater salaries, better working conditions, and more political participation for low-wage employees, especially women and minorities. She led campaigns to raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, cover millions of Californians with health insurance, and raise taxes on the rich to pay for public services.
She backed progressive Democratic candidates like Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Kamala Harris in 2020. In 2018, Governor Jerry Brown selected Laphonza Butler to a 12-year term as a regent of the University of California, a leading public university system. Butler promoted diversity, affordability, and accessibility in higher education as a regent. However, she resigned as regent in 2021.
In addition to university education, Laphonza Butler investigated private and charity options. She joined California political consulting firm SCRB Strategies as a partner in 2018. She was a key senior adviser and spokesman for Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign at SCRB. She also advised Uber on organized labor issues at SCRB.
Airbnb, a major online housing and tourist company, hired her as its director of public policy and marketing in 2020. She managed Airbnb’s North American policy and social impact programs.
Butler became the third president of EMILY’s List in 2021. Since 1985, the organization has helped elect over 150 pro-choice Democratic women to Congress. First Black woman and mother to run the organization. EMILY’s List reached more diverse and younger candidates and voters under her leadership. She raised millions for the organization and its candidates. For Exclusive Insights into Celebrity Wealth and Property, Follow us on Twitter!