How Erika Kirk's In-Laws Robert And Kathryn Made Their Money

Erika Kirk's father-in-law has an unexpected connection to President Donald Trump. The late podcaster Charlie Kirk's father, Robert W. Kirk, is an architect who lent his talents to the Trump Tower in Manhattan. Although Erika's mother-in-law, Kathryn Kirk, started out as a trader at the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, she eventually decided to switch things up and began working as a mental health counselor instead. With the couple's combined earnings, they could afford to live in Prospect Heights, a posh suburb of Chicago. Alongside setting Charlie up for a comfortable life, Robert's work also may have inspired him to get political. 

The conservative commentator's views started to veer more towards the right due to the Obama administration's economic policies, which sought to solve the 2008 financial crisis. Since the housing sector was gravely affected at the time, Robert's business as an architect would likely also have suffered a massive blow, further pushing him towards conservative ideologies. Unsurprisingly, Charlie's dad also made significant donations to Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign against Barack Obama. Notably, though, it doesn't seem like Robert's past work for Trump or even his finances ultimately fueled his son's career. 

Charlie Kirk didn't get really far in school but, at just 18 years old, he still took a big leap by dropping out of community college to co-create Turning Point USA. By Charlie's own admission, the podcaster had "no money, no connections and no idea what I was doing" when he made the life-altering decision in 2012 (via PBS News). The risk paid off over the next decade or so, and the organization raked in a whopping $85 million in 2024 alone.

Following Charlie Kirk's death, Erika Kirk could have continued to lead a lavish life. After all, she had an estimated net worth of $2 million at the time, and her late husband was worth around $12 million. However, the former pageant queen understandably chose to continue her late husband's legacy as the CEO of Turning Point USA. Meanwhile, Erika's in-laws continued to live their lives as privately as possible. So, when Ainsley Earhardt asked Erika how Robert and Kathryn Kirk were coping with Charlie's death, during her December 2025 appearance on "Fox & Friends," she answered only, "Everyone's hanging in there." 

Then, Erika gushed about her own mother's close bond with Charlie, fondly reflecting on their regular family dinners together. To many, that response seemed like a deflection and stood as yet another glaring sign that Erika Kirk isn't close with her late husband's parents. "She totally avoided the question on how Charlie's are parents doing. This is so bizzare to me that she never discusses them," one commentator on X, formerly known as Twitter, remarked. However, it's worth noting that earlier on in the interview, the mother-of-two agreed with Earhardt when she pointed out that Charlie's parents were incredibly private folks. As a result, Erika may have simply avoided the question out of respect for them. 

Still, one X user felt that the former beauty queen still would have been better off reiterating her in-laws' need for privacy instead of dodging the question altogether. With that in mind, many found it even harder to ignore the glaring physical distance between Erika and the Kirks when they gathered at the White House to pay tribute to Charlie on his birthday.