In October 2022, Pelosi was severely assaulted after a man wielding a hammer broke into his San Francisco home, surviving with a skull fracture. The assailant, David DePape, initially targeting Pelosi's wife, was convicted of federal offenses in 2023.[2]
Pelosi founded and runs the venture capital firm Financial Leasing Services, Inc., through which he and his wife have a personal fortune of about $114 million.[11][12]
Pelosi's success in stock trading attracted media attention in the summer of 2021, leading to efforts to strictly control individual stock ownership by members of Congress.[13][14][15]
In 1957, at the age of 16, Pelosi lost control of a car that he was driving on Skyline Boulevard, a mile north of Crystal Springs Dam in San Mateo County, California[4] and crashed. His older brother David, who was a passenger in the car, died in the crash.[4] Moments before the crash, David had warned his brother to reduce speed.[4] Paul Pelosi was exonerated in the matter by the coroner's jury.[16][17]
In May 2022, Paul Pelosi was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol in Napa County after he crashed into another car at an intersection.[19][20][16] Pelosi pleaded guilty in August 2022 and he was sentenced to serving five days in jail, paying $6,800 in fines and restitution, completing a DUI program, as well as three years of probation.[21][22][23]
In the early hours of October 28, 2022, an assailant broke into Pelosi's San Francisco home, shouted "Where's Nancy?", and subsequently attacked Pelosi with a hammer.[24][25] The suspect was taken into police custody, while Pelosi was hospitalized with blunt force injuries.[26][27] He underwent skull surgery after the attack and was discharged from hospital on November 3.[28][29] The suspect, 42-year-old David DePape, told police he was on "a suicide mission" and wanted to take Nancy Pelosi hostage, question her, and break her kneecaps if she lied.[30] DePape was charged with multiple crimes including assault, attempted homicide, and attempted kidnapping. He pleaded not guilty to all state charges.[31][32][33]
Pelosi first returned to public view over a month later, when he appeared with his wife at the Kennedy Center Honors. He wore a hat and a glove to conceal his injuries.[34]
DePape was convicted on federal charges on November 16, 2023.[35][2] On May 17, 2024, he was sentenced to 30 years in prison.[36]
When asked by Anderson Cooper about her husband's condition in June 2024, over a year and a half after the attack, Nancy Pelosi replied, "He's making progress. He's about 80% there, physically. Traumatically, it's terrible."[37]