Justice Samuel Alito’s Fossil-Fuel Holdings as the Supreme Court Prepares to Hear an Oil-Company Case

The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on Suncor v. Boulder on October 5, the first day of its new term. The petition, filed by Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil, asks the Court to hold that federal law bars state and local governments from suing fossil-fuel companies for climate-related harms. Justice Samuel Alito—the only current justice with disclosed energy holdings—has not recused himself, despite watchdog calls.

The Guardian

Alito was appointed by President George W. Bush in 2005. He holds a mineral-rights property in Grady County, Oklahoma, leased to Citizen Energy in 2022; the lease provides a share of oil revenue. In 2024, Citizen Energy was acquired by Validus Energy, in which Elliott Investment Management holds a majority stake.

New Republic

• Reported assets (excluding home) grew from about $1.1 million in 2005 to $3.4 million–$8.4 million by 2024.

The Guardian

• Oil-related holdings generated $390,000–$2.9 million over the same period, per Court Accountability.

The Guardian

• The Oklahoma property was valued by Alito at $100,000–$250,000; a 2017 adjacent-plot sale for $800,000 suggests a higher market value.

The Guardian

• Rental-income windfalls in 2019 and 2022 each yielded $100,000–$1 million.

The Guardian

• An inheritance in 2004 provided ExxonMobil stock valued at $100,000–$250,000, the largest single liquid investment listed.

The Guardian

• A Supreme Court spokesperson told NBC News in May that Alito is not required to recuse because his disclosed holdings do not include the companies named in the petition.

People Magazine

• The Court’s 2023 ethics code says justices should recuse when “impartiality might reasonably be questioned,” but leaves the decision to the individual justice.

SCOTUSblog

• Court Accountability and other watchdogs have urged a Senate ethics committee to investigate Alito and have called for his recusal, noting his financial interests span firms that could benefit from a ruling in favor of the petitioners.

The Guardian

• Legal scholars note that ethics rules focus on holdings in companies named in a case, leaving a gap for indirect exposure through related assets.

The Guardian

• The review provides a wide range for Alito’s oil-related gains ($390,000–$2.9 million). Sources differ on the precise amount, reflecting valuation bands in disclosure forms.

The Guardian

• No public records confirm whether wells have been drilled on the Oklahoma property, leaving actual revenue potential uncertain.

New Republic

• “It’s reasonable to assume that means the value of the Alito property would have increased to around $800,000,” — Lisa Graves, co-founder of Court Accountability

The Guardian

• “It raises concerns because you have a sitting justice who is hoping to get richer based on oil exploration of this land,” — Lisa Graves

The Guardian

• “A reasonable person would think if you’re invested in the industry that could benefit from the outcome of a lawsuit, then you could personally stand to benefit from the outcome, even if you don’t hold the stock in the specific company that happens to be the named plaintiff,” — Lisa Graves

The Guardian

The pending Suncor petition could reshape the ability of state and local governments to pursue climate-damage lawsuits, a legal avenue that has grown since the 2007 *Massachusetts v. EPA* decision. Alito’s financial ties to the broader fossil-fuel industry raise questions about the adequacy of current judicial ethics standards and the potential for perceived conflicts to influence high-stakes environmental jurisprudence.

The Guardian

• Arguments on October 5.

Justice Samuel Alito: I’m Not Retiring

• A decision later in the term could set precedent on subnational climate litigation.

SCOTUSblog

• Legislative proposals, such as the Supreme Court Ethics, Recusal, and Transparency Act introduced in 2025, remain under consideration.

SCOTUSblog