The late Sen. Lindsey Graham amassed a net worth of about $1.5 million during more than three decades in Congress, placing him in the bottom half of the 535 voting members despite serving as one of the Senate GOP's most influential leaders, the New York Post reported Monday.

Graham, who died Saturday at age 71, ranked 294th in congressional wealth with an estimated net worth of nearly $1.5 million, according to data compiled by Quiver Quantitative.

The figure stood in sharp contrast to the fortunes of some of his Senate colleagues. Sen. James Justice, R-W.Va., the wealthiest member of Congress, has an estimated net worth exceeding $664 million, according to the same tracker, even though both senators earned the standard annual Senate salary of $174,000.

Graham's comparatively modest financial standing reflected a life shaped by humble beginnings in South Carolina.

Raised in the small town of Central, Graham grew up behind his family's restaurant and pool hall, the Sanitary Cafe, where his parents worked long hours and he helped run the business.

He often credited his working-class upbringing with motivating him to become the first member of his family to attend college.

His early adulthood was marked by tragedy. While attending the University of South Carolina, Graham lost both parents to illness within 15 months of each other.

He subsequently became the legal guardian of his 13-year-old sister, raising her while completing his education.

After earning a law degree, Graham joined the Air Force before launching his political career. He was elected to the House in 1994, took office in 1995 and won election to the Senate in 2002, taking office in 2003.

Over the next two decades, he emerged as one of the Republican Party's leading voices on foreign policy and national security.

Despite his seniority and leadership positions, Graham's personal finances changed little over the past decade, according to the Post. Financial disclosure records showed that much of his investment portfolio consisted of mutual funds and corporate bond funds.

His largest assets included a townhouse near the U.S. Capitol valued at approximately $890,000 and a home in Seneca, South Carolina.

Graham never married and had no children.

During his unsuccessful 2016 presidential campaign, the Center for Responsive Politics ranked him among the Senate's least wealthy members for 10 straight years.