What was Derek Draper's net worth? Tributes pour in after Kate Garraway's husband dies battling COVID

Derek Draper, Katе Garraway's husband, diеd at 56 on January 5, 2024. Hе was struggling with COVID-19 for a long time, which lеd to his dеath, as pеr Indеpеndеnt. Drapеr sеrvеd as a political advisor to formеr Sеcrеtary of Statе Pеtеr Mandеlson, and his nеt worth was $15 million at thе timе of dеath.

Katе sharеd a lеngthy Instagram post with a picturе of Dеrеk and wrotе that he was battling with his health issues after suffering a heart attack last month. The post continued,

"Derek was surrounded by his family in his final days and I was by his side holding his hand throughout the last long hours and when he passed. I have so much more to say, and of course I will do so in due course, but for now I just want to thank all the medical teams who fought so hard to save him and to make his final moments as comfortable and dignified as possible."

For the last few months, Kate has frequently shared all the updates about Derek's health problems. Derek remained hospitalized for almost a year after contracting COVID-19 in 2020, and he battled with his fatigue problems after returning home, as per The Evening Standard.

Sky News reported that Derek Draper's organs were damaged, and Kate also took a break from her work to prioritize her husband and family.

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Derek Draper had a net worth of $15 million: Positions and work explored in detail

Like his wife, Kate Darraway, Derek Draper also had a successful career as a lobbyist and was in the headlines for his alleged links to two scandals. His career contributed to his earnings, and his net worth was said to be $15 million, as per Net Worth Post.

After working for Labour cabinet minister Peter Mandelson as a political advisor, he shifted his career towards psychotherapy. He formed a blog called LabourList in 2009 and was an editor on the platform. He also worked in multiple positions and places, like Modern Review, Talk Radio, and Daily Express.

He found himself in trouble when he was found speaking to a journalist about his links to the government. He was working at the GPC Marker Access as a lobbying director, and he reportedly said,

"There are 17 people who count in this government, and to say I am intimate with all of them is the understatement of the century."

Derek Draper's emails with Gordon Brown's advisor Damian McBride later went viral where the latter said he was preparing a campaign targeting senior Conservatives on a blog titled RedRag. Draper responded by calling it "brilliant," he then resigned from LabourList. He also shared a statement which reads in part,

"I do ask people to remember that its contents were never published by me, or anyone else, involved in the Labour Party and they would never have seen the light of day were it not for someone hacking into my emails and placing them into the public domain."

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Netizens pay tribute to Derek Draper on social media

Although Derek Draper was involved in a few controversies, he established himself as a popular face among the public. Social media platforms were flooded with tributes when people heard about his demise.

The Independent reported that Derek Draper and Kate Garraway tied the knot in 2005, and the latter shared a lot of posts related to Derek's health condition in the last few months. The duo were the parents of a son and daughter.

Kate has gained recognition for her appearances on ITV and has been featured as a guest panelist in 18 episodes of Loose Women. She has also presented shows like Daybreak, Lorraine, and The Biggest Loser.