Patrisse Cullors Net Worth: How Rich is the Activist Actually?

Patrisse Cullors is an influential American activist and co-founder of the Black Lives Matter movement. She is recognized for her impactful career in activism and writing. Cullors has authored a best-selling memoir. As of 2025, Patrisse Cullors net worth is estimated at around $3 million.

Early Life

Patrisse Cullors was born in June 1984 in Los Angeles, California. She was raised by her mom, Cherice Foley, and stepfather, Alton Cullors. Her biological father, Gabriel Brignac, was a repeat offender who was incarcerated for drug-related offenses many times and passed away in a home shelter in 2009. Patrisse didn’t meet her real father until she was 9. She grew up with three siblings, a sister, Jasmine, and two brothers, Monte and Paul.

Patrisse’s brother was arrested for stealing his mom’s car in 1999. She remembered how jail guards had viciously abused her brother, strangled him, and made him drink toilet water. This incident is one of the reasons she became involved in activism. Her stepdad left his family leaving her mom to raise her children on her own. Cullors was arrested for smoking marijuana when she was 12. Back then, she was studying at an affluent school, Millikan Middle School.

Cullors mentioned that she was introduced to weed by the white girls in school. She later went to Van Nuys Middle School, which was primarily attended by children from non-white and working-class households.  She consistently had poor grades in school. As a teenager, she joined the Bus Riders Union (BRU) and initiated activism at an early age. Cullors graduated from UCLA with a degree in philosophy and theology.

Career

Patrisse Cullors became associated with the Bus Riders Union (BRU) when she was 17. There, she received training in grassroots organizing. Through her involvement in the organization, she understood systematic oppression and learned about equitable public transportation in Los Angeles. Patrisse described BRU as her first political home. She became aware of the social issues affecting her community and learned critical organizing skills at BRU.

In 2014, she founded Dignity and Power Now, a coalition that advocates for the rights of incarcerated individuals, and addresses police violence. She started the initiative due to personal reasons she had witnessed in the past. Her family members suffered due to the impact of systematic violence. Cullors’ activism gained momentum after the tragic demise of Trayvon Martin in 2012. Then, she co-created the hashtag, #BlackLivesMatter alongside Opal Tometi and Alicia Garza. This hashtag grabbed the attention of the general public and ultimately evolved into a global moment addressing police brutality and anti-Black racism.

Cullors co-founded the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and served as executive director of the organization until May 2021. In 2020, the foundation raised approximately $90 million to fund initiatives aimed particularly at supporting Black communities. In recent years, Patrisse has expanded her influence using various platforms. Her memoir titled When They Call You a Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter memoir was released in 2018. It became a New York Times best-selling book in 2018.

Patrisse was featured in the TV documentary, Stay Work: The Black Lives Matter Movement in 2016. The documentary explores the impact and origin of the Black Lives Matter movement. In addition to her involvement in the TV documentary, she produced the YouTube original series, Resist. The series presents the ongoing issues for justice and equality resonating with the core values of the BLM movement.

Patrisse Cullors’ Spouse- Janaya Khan

Patrisse Cullors describes her identity as a queer individual. She has always been open about her relationships and often identifies herself as polyamorous. Patrisse is married to fellow activist, Janaya Khan, who is the co-founder of Black Lives Matter Toronto. The two tied the knot in 2016. Together they have a son, who was born in 2020. Patrisse has publicly expressed her desire to raise her son in a nurturing environment.

Throughout her life, she has faced major challenges related to her identity. At the age of 16, she came out as queer, which led her to become estranged from her family. She was forced to navigate life indecently. This experience shaped her understanding of injustice and oppression. Patrisse has been involved in various personal activities that reflect her artistic inclinations.

In 2021, Patrisse faced backlash for utilizing funds from the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation to purchase a $6 million lavish mansion in Los Angeles. The property was intended to serve as the campus for Black Artists and a meeting venue. But, Patrisse instead used the property to host personal events, such as a birthday party for her son. Later, she acknowledged using the property for her personal objectives was not the best decision.

Patrisse Cullors Net Worth

As of 2025, Patrisse Cullors net worth is nearly $3 million. She has accumulated considerable fortune from her involvement in activism, writing, and television projects. Her primary role as an activist has been associated with the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation, where she worked as an executive director.  According to reports, she made salary of around $120,000 a year. She stepped down as the executive director in May 2021 following the scrutiny over her financial decisions, and the foundation’s expenditures.

During her time at BLMGNF, the foundation obtained a significant influx of donations. It is revealed that the foundation received a total of $90 million after the murder of George Floyd in 2020. Patrisse has also earned substantial income through publishing books. During the release of the first book, St. Martin’s Press paid around a six-figure advance for her book.

In October 2020, Cullors signed a lucrative deal with Warner Bros. Television Group after venturing into television. Patrisse owns multiple properties valued at several million dollars. Reports indicate that she bought four houses totaling around $3.2 million in upscale areas of Georgia and California. However, she was criticized regarding the funding of property. Later, she cleared it out the properties were not financed through the funds of BLMGNF, but, rather through her personal income.