Navy Seal who killed Osama bin Laden reveals shocking amount of money he earned for deadly mission

The Navy SEAL who is said to have shot and killed Osama bin Laden has revealed how much he was paid for being part of the deadly mission.

Robert O'Neill has claimed to be the man responsible for the death of the al-Qaeda founder and leader for years, and has been open about his experience leading up to the kill.

He even featured in Netflix documentary American Manhunt: Osama bin Laden, which was finally released this month after it was delayed from its March release.

While another SEAL named Matt Bissonnette claims that he was responsible for killing the terrorist-leader, O'Neill has had the spotlight for the best part of a decade.

The American has carried out several interviews since that fateful day in May 2011, though he has just recently revealed how much he earned for his services on that mission.

O'Neill spoke to Jason Tartick on his Trading Secrets podcast, where the host aims to 'break into the vault behind all things money and careers'.

Sharing a clip on social media, O'Neill can be seen answering a question about how much he had to his name when he killed bin Laden.

The father explained: "Paycheque to paycheque, so maybe $2,500 (£1,865) every two weeks."

He highlighted that at the end of the day, Navy SEALS are just 'normal dudes', before revealing that he was also part of the team that saved Captain Richard Phillips - the man who had a film made about his story, starring Tom Hanks.

O'Neill went on: "I was at my daughter's Easter tea party at her pre-school, and then I got a call that a guy by the name of Captain Phillips had been taken by Somali pirates.

"They had called my team to go get him."

He said that just '15 hours and 46 minutes' later, he was part of a headcount in the Indian Ocean before saving the merchant mariner.

The former SEAL added: "We saved Richard Phillips from Somali pirates and we were still broke.

"(These) dudes are mowing their own lawn, can't afford their mortgage, (but) they get a call, (they) got to go."

O'Neill plays a part in the new Netflix documentary, which explores the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks and the long hunt for bin Laden.

Navy finances with ⁦@Jason_Tartick⁩ pic.twitter.com/4FGCA0a5hf

— Robert J. O'Neill (@mchooyah) May 20, 2025

SEALTeam Six were responsible for the death of the al-Qaeda leader as part of Operation Neptune Spear, which tracked the terrorist to his hideout in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Osama bin Laden was shot in the chest and head in the home, with his body being buried at sea by the US military in due course.

While O'Neill and Bissonnette both claim to have shot him, the US government had never confirmed or announced the identity of the man who delivered the fatal shot, which is in keeping with the Navy SEAL ethos.

They vow not to 'publicly discuss the nature of one's work or seek recognition for actions'.