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Greg Gianforte
RepublicanGovernor of Montana| Age | 65 (b. 1961-04-17) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2021-01-01 (~5 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White (Italian, English, and Scottish ancestry) |
| Religion | Christian; attends Grace Bible Church (nondenominational) in Bozeman; Presbyterian background |
| Education | B.E. in Electrical Engineering and M.S. in Computer Science from Stevens Institute of Technology, 1983 |
| Prior occupation | Software entrepreneur and businessman; co-founded RightNow Technologies (sold to Oracle in 2011); earlier co-founded Brightwork Development (sold to McAfee, 1994); began career at Bell Laboratories |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | San Diego, California |
| Languages | English |
| Marital status | Married — Susan Gianforte |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Bozeman, Montana (official residence as governor; Helena, Montana) |
Pending research: notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2017 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Representative for Montana's at-large congressional district (2017-2021) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Western Caucus |
| Leadership | Governor of Montana (25th; since January 2021) · Chair, Republican Governors Association (since November 2025) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; voted with President Trump's position on 93.3% of key votes during his U.S. House tenure (FiveThirtyEight tracking) |
| Signature legislation | Income tax cut reducing Montana's top marginal rate (2021/2023, as governor) · Constitutional ('permitless') carry law - HB 102 (2021) · Ban on transgender athletes in girls' and women's school sports (2021) · Restrictions on gender-affirming care for minors (2023) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2017) · estimate
| RightNow Technologies (founder/major shareholder; sold to Oracle in 2011 for ~$1.5-1.8 billion; his ~20% stake valued ~$290M at acquisition) | business_owned · 2011 |
| Gianforte Family Foundation (private charitable foundation; assets ~$183.6M in 2022) | other · $183,600,000–$183,600,000 · 2022 |
Top industries: Livestock · Auto dealers (new & used) · Waste management · General contractors · Home builders
Scandals & crimes ledger
convicted — Misdemeanor Assault Conviction — Body-Slam of Reporter Ben Jacobs
On May 24, 2017 — the eve of Montana's special congressional election — Gianforte physically grabbed Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs, who was asking about the CBO score of the AHCA, and threw him to the ground ('body-slammed' him). The Gallatin County Sheriff charged Gianforte with misdemeanor assault. After winning the election, Gianforte pleaded guilty on June 12, 2017. Gallatin County Justice of the Peace Rick West sentenced him to a 180-day deferred sentence with community service, anger management, and a fine. Gianforte went on to serve as U.S. Representative and later as Montana Governor.
settled — Civil Settlement with Reporter Ben Jacobs — Assault Claim
Prior to his criminal sentencing, Gianforte reached a civil settlement with reporter Ben Jacobs arising from the May 24, 2017 assault. Gianforte donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, wrote a formal apology letter, and Jacobs waived any civil lawsuit. The settlement preceded the criminal guilty plea.
convicted (guilty plea) — 2017 assault of reporter Ben Jacobs (guilty plea to misdemeanor assault)
On May 24, 2017, the night before winning a special election for Montana's U.S. House seat, Gianforte assaulted Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs at his Bozeman campaign office after Jacobs asked about health care policy. Witnesses said Gianforte grabbed Jacobs and slammed him to the ground. He was cited for misdemeanor assault by the Gallatin County Sheriff's Office and pleaded guilty on June 12, 2017. In a separate civil settlement to avoid a lawsuit, Gianforte apologized, paid restitution to Jacobs, and donated $50,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists. He took office in the U.S. House on June 21, 2017.
resolved — Montana Commissioner of Political Practices — Campaign Finance Violation Finding (2020 Governor's Race)
During his 2020 gubernatorial campaign, Gianforte's campaign committee transferred ~$181,000 from the primary account to the general election account while the primary campaign still carried $1.58 million in unpaid debts (mostly personal loans). The Commissioner of Political Practices found two violations of Montana campaign finance law and referred the matter to the local county prosecutor. The campaign was directed to return or refund the improperly transferred funds. No public record of a resulting criminal prosecution has been found.