Smithsonian exec who said DEI 'must be at the center' of institutions is raking in eye-popping salary

Lonnie Bunch III, the Smithsonian Institution secretary, earned over $4.4 million in base salary and benefits from 2020-2024. The Smithsonian uses private trust funds for executive pay to comply with federal caps, but federal taxpayers fund 60% of the institution. Bunch has promoted DEI as central to museum excellence and is associated with the 1619 Project, which faces criticism for historical inaccuracies.