One of the earliest U.S. presidents have been additionally the wealthiest after they entered place of business. Within the trendy generation, presidents traditionally have collected maximum in their wealth thru media offers and look charges after leaving place of business.
President-elect Donald Trump is likely one of the wealthiest American citizens ever to function president of america, with an estimated total web price of $3.7 billion on the time of his inauguration in 2016, in keeping with Forbes. However he is an outlier, in keeping with presidential historian Barbara A. Perry, who famous that almost all “presidents after the Civil Battle weren’t rich trade other folks — they did not come from cash.”
As examples, she pointed to Invoice Clinton, the forty second president, and Barack Obama (No. 44,) neither of whom had a lot non-public wealth after they entered place of business.
“They got here from not anything. They are now not elite,” she advised CBS MoneyWatch. “They made their very own method on the planet thru scholarly prowess and got here to the White Space with little or no of their wallet when it comes to cash.” Each and every has made tens of thousands and thousands since leaving place of business, alternatively.
This is how the richest former U.S. presidents rank when it comes to their top non-public wealth, in keeping with a 2023 document from 24/7 Wall St. The document calculates former presidents’ particular person web price according to their earning, actual property holdings, spouses’ wealth and inheritances. All figures are adjusted for inflation.
Richest U.S. presidents ever
1. Donald J. Trump ($3.7 billion). President-elect Trump’s present web price is even upper these days, pegged at $5.5 billion, in keeping with Forbes. It incorporates his profits thru actual property investments and holdings, plus his stake in Trump Media & Generation Team, which has skilled dramatic swings in its market value this month.
2. John F. Kennedy ($1.3 billion). Maximum of Kennedy’s wealth used to be inherited, presidential historian Douglas Brinkley advised CBS MoneyWatch. His father, Joseph Kennedy, made a big fortune as an investor, and in addition used to be appointed by way of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1934 as the primary chairman of the Securities and Trade Fee.
3. George Washington ($708.5 million). Like many early presidents, George Washington used to be a rich land proprietor. “Our first president used to be wealthy, he owned a large number of actual property,” Brinkley stated.
In step with Perry, “he used to be very astute about farming and rotating his plants. He grew tobacco and corn, and used corn to make whiskey, which is the place a large number of his wealth got here from,” she stated.
4. Thomas Jefferson ($285.8 million). Thomas Jefferson’s wealth used to be inherited thru land from his father.
5. Theodore Roosevelt ($168.6 million). Theodore Roosevelt got here from one among New York’s maximum outstanding and rich households, and inherited a fortune. His cousin, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, would later function the country’s thirty second president, ranks No. 11 on 24/7 Wall Street’s list of wealthiest presidents.
6. Andrew Jackson ($160.1 million). Andrew Jackson used to be a rich plantation proprietor. Slavery used to be the main supply of the 7th president’s non-public wealth, in keeping with the White House Historical Association.
7. James Madison ($136.7 million). James Madison used to be born to rich, plantation-owning folks.
8. Lyndon B. Johnson ($131.9 million). The principle supply of Lyndon B. Johnson’s wealth got here from his spouse, Woman Chicken Johnson’s circle of relatives, who owned a tv and radio station trade.
9. Herbert Hoover ($100.1 million). Herbert Hoover changed into a multimillionaire thru his possession of Burmese silver mines, and by way of incomes royalties from gross sales of a textbook on mining engineering, in keeping with the Miller Center at College of Virginia.
10. Invoice Clinton ($91.6 million). Invoice Clinton changed into rich upon leaving The White Space in 2001, on the finish of his 2d time period.
“Invoice Clinton got here from not anything, and did not make some huge cash in place of business,” Brinkley stated. “He did not personal a place of abode for his 8 years as president,” Brinkley stated. “The providence got here ex-presidency.”
