Charlie Kirk, one of US President Donald Trump’s closest allies who campaigned hard for Republicans during the 47th presidential election, was shot dead on September 10 in Utah. The conservative activist was gunned down while delivering a speech on his American Comeback, in an incident strikingly similar to the one Trump faced in Pennsylvania, though he was able to dodge the bullet.The founder of Turning Point USA, Kirk’s death has jolted the US political scene. More than just a right-wing influencer, he was known for liberal campuses’ “Prove me wrong” debates on abortion, transgender rights, and race theory.Also read | Charlie Kirk shooting suspect arrested in Utah, says FBI director Kash PatelWho was Charlie Kirk?The 31-year-old Kirk, born in 1993, grew up in a wealthy Chicago suburb. His political run started early. Back in 2012, still a high school senior, he wrote a piece for Breitbart News accusing school textbooks of bias.That landed him a spot on Fox Business. Even in school, he was active in politics, picking fights on issues as small as cafeteria prices. Charlie Kirk speaks before he is shot during Turning Point’s visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept. 10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP)Mentored by Tea Party figure Bill Montgomery, Kirk dropped out of college halfway and went all in on politics. That same year, 2012, he founded Turning Point USA, a conservative student group that quickly caught the attention of donors like Foster Friess and Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus.The group grew into a powerful youth movement, and Kirk, barely 18, became the face of young conservatives. By 2019, he launched The Charlie Kirk Show, which remains one of Apple’s most-watched. Along the way, he built a huge online base, 5.2 million on X and 73 million on TikTok.Charlie Kirk’s influenceKirk’s “Prove me wrong” debates often went viral on TikTok and Instagram reels. He challenged people on hot-button issues. He even sparred with top Democrats during the election season and became one of Donald Trump’s closest allies, pushing Republican campaigns.Story continues below this adIn March, he was the first guest on California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s podcast, where the two clashed over divisive issues.While his loyalty to Trump peaked in 2024, it went back years, from Trump’s 2016 win to July 2019, when Kirk took over Students for Trump under Turning Point Action and launched a drive to recruit one million students for Trump’s reelection.Also read | Conservative activist Charlie Kirk dies after being shot during Utah college eventHe supported Trump through the 2020 election fraud claims and into Trump’s White House comeback. Along the way, he made headlines with controversial takes, dismissing the Russia-Ukraine war as a “border issue,” opposing gay marriage, rejecting diversity programs, and calling George Floyd a “scumbag.” FILE – Turning Point USA Founder Charlie Kirk speaks during a campaign rally, Oct. 24, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher, File)Charlie Kirk, who was vocal about guns and the Second Amendment, was a strong supporter of gun rights and owned guns himself. After the Parkland school shooting in 2018, he spoke on behalf of the NRA in Florida.Story continues below this adAt a Turning Point USA event in Salt Lake City in April 2023, Kirk sparked outrage after admitting that having an armed society will always mean there are some gun deaths, but he called it a “rational” cost for keeping the Second Amendment alive.He compared gun deaths to car accidents, saying just like we accept some deaths on the road to keep cars, society should accept some gun deaths to protect gun rights.“I think it’s worth the cost of, unfortunately, some gun deaths every single year, so that we can have the Second Amendment to protect our other God-given rights. That is a prudent deal. It is rational. Nobody talks like this. They live in a complete alternate universe,” Kirk had said, according to Newsweek.Charlie Kirk’s net worthAccording to Celebrity Net Worth, Kirk’s fortune is estimated to be $12 million. AP reported he has heavy real estate stakes, including luxury flats in Arizona and Florida, while most of his income comes from book sales, podcasts, and his online shows.Story continues below this adTurning Point USA’s fortunes have risen alongside its ProPublica pegged TPUSA’s revenues at $85 million, making it one of the largest student conservative organisations in the country.(With inputs from Newsweek, Turning Point USA)