California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s tales of a hardscrabble childhood are raising more than a few skeptical eyebrows when stacked against his family’s deep ties to billionaire wealth.
Newsom has painted a picture of growing up in financial struggle, often citing his single mother’s grind to make ends meet, but critics point to his father’s high-flying legal career and connections to the Getty fortune as a stark contrast to this narrative.
Let’s start at the beginning: Newsom’s mother was just 19 when he was born, soon after facing divorce and raising two kids solo.
Newsom has often shared stories of his mother juggling multiple jobs—sometimes two and a half at once—to cover rent, even taking in roommates to ease the burden.
He’s described sleeping on a couch while his sister bunked in a hallway, all because the spare room was rented out for extra cash.
Adding to the personal challenges, Newsom has spoken about battling dyslexia as a child, a hurdle that undoubtedly shaped his early years.
Yet, the other side of the story looms large: Newsom’s father, William Newsom, wasn’t exactly scraping by as a former associate justice on the California Court of Appeals.
William also served as an attorney for Gordon Getty, managing aspects of a billion-dollar fortune, and even played a role in delivering ransom money during the infamous kidnapping of John Paul Getty III.
This connection to wealth isn’t just background noise—it’s a glaring counterpoint to the governor’s claims of a humble start.
Newsom himself has doubled down on the underdog story, saying, “My mom was 19, pregnant and divorced a few years later, with two kids. Came from no money and just hustled,” on the “All The Smoke” podcast.
“Worked hard, grinding every single day. Two and a half jobs, no bulls—,” he continued, hammering the image of a family barely getting by on the same podcast.
But let’s be real: while his mother’s struggles may have been genuine, having a father entwined with one of America’s wealthiest families suggests a safety net most “hustlers” could only dream of.
Newsom’s early education at École Notre Dame des Victoires, a Catholic school, hints at a childhood not entirely defined by deprivation, even if only for a brief stint in kindergarten and first grade.
Fast forward to adulthood, and after graduating from Santa Clara University, Newsom launched PlumpJack Group, a boutique winery, with none other than Gordon Getty providing financial backing—a far cry from bootstrapping.
Sure, personal grit matters, but when a billionaire heir is bankrolling your first big venture, it’s tough to sell the “self-made” story without a few raised eyebrows.
Even Newsom’s lighter moments, like trolling Vice President JD Vance with a high school photo of himself in a fancy scarf, seem to clash with the everyman image he projects.
While his mother’s hard work deserves respect, the governor’s narrative often glosses over the privilege tied to his father’s elite connections, leaving conservatives wondering if this is less about relatability and more about political posturing.
Newsom’s spokesperson told The Post, “He has talked about moving between two different worlds, but he was raised by a mother who worked three jobs at one point—secretary, waitress, and paralegal.” Fine, but ignoring the other “world” of wealth and influence feels like half the story at best.
