Charles Elwood “Chuck” Yeager was born on 13 February 1923, in Myra, West Virginia USA, of part-German descent, and is a retired United States Air Force General, and test pilot. He is the first pilot ever confirmed to have exceeded the speed of sound in flight. All of his efforts have helped put his net worth to where it is today.
How rich is Chuck Yeager? As of early-2017, sources estimate a net worth that is at $1.5 million, mostly earned through his career in the military. He began serving with the United States Army Air Force during World War II, and eventually became a pilot and rose through the ranks. All of these achievements ensured the position of his wealth.
Chuck Yeager Net Worth $1.5 million
Yaeger attended high school in Hamlin, West Virginia. His first experience with the military was joining the Citizens Military Training Camp for two summers during 1939 and 1940. He enlisted as a private in the US Army Air Force (USAAF) in 1941, becoming an aircraft mechanic. He was not eligible for flight training originally, but changes in the system helped him get accepted. In 1943, he was promoted to lieutenant and became part of the 357th Fighter Group. He initially trained as a fighter pilot, flying Bell P-39 Airacobras, and then P-51 Mustangs and would get a victory and eight missions before getting shot down in France. He escaped to Spain and was awarded a Bronze Star for helping another fellow airman escape. Chuck was reinstated to flying combat and reported directly to General Dwight D. Eisenhower. – he became the first pilot to down five enemy aircraft in a single mission during 1944. He finished the war with 11.5 official victories, including one against a jet fighter. He was promoted to captain before the end of his tour.
After World War II, Chuck remained in the Air Force and became a test pilot at what would become Edwards Air Force Base. He graduated from Air Materiel Command Flight Performance School, and would then set his sights on trying to break the sound barrier. He broke the record in 1947 achieving a speed of Mach 1.07, thanks to which achievement he was awarded the MacKay and Collier Trophies the following year. He was also awarded the Harmon International Trophy – the plane he flew is now part of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Air and Space Museum.
Yaeger’s achievements did not end there as he continued to break many records, even earning a Distinguished Service Medal in 1954. He held several wing and squadron commands during his military career. In 1962, he would be promoted to colonel and would become the first commandant of the USAF Aerospace Research Pilot School. In 1969, he was promoted to brigadier general and even advised the Pakistan Air Force two years later.
In 1975, Yeager retired from the Air Force though continued to be involved in test pilot efforts. After his retirement, he continued to set general aircraft performance records in the 1980s and the 1990s. He became part of the documentary “The Legend of Pancho Barnes and the Happy Bottom Riding Club”. He fully retired from military test flying though in the 65th anniversary of breaking the sound barrier in 2012, when he rode in a McDonnel Douglas F-15 Eagle.
For his personal life, it is known that Chuck married Glennis Dickhouse in 1965 and they had four children. Glennis passed away in 1990.
