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Chicago City Wire

Wednesday, June 18, 2025

Former firefighter Thelen paid in $176K to pension fund, could collect $3.5M in retirement

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Former firefighter George Thelen, who retired in November 2017, saved $175,761 toward a pension over 30 years working for fire departments, Firemen's Annuity and Benefit Fund of Chicago records show.

Over 30 years of retirement, Thelen would collect as much as $3.5 million, according to a projection by Local Government Information Services (LGIS), which publishes Chicago City Wire.

The projection assumes Thelen received $73,599 in the first year of retirement, then 3 percent annual increases thereafter, compounded.

After 3 years of retirement, Thelen will have already received $227,487 in retirement benefits, or more than the sum total of the retiree's contributions to the state pension fund.

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