Most of the wealthiest presidents were prosperous before making the White House their office, with this money helping them accomplish their presidential ambitions. Some, such as Herbert Hoover, worked hard to develop an empire, while others, including Theodore Roosevelt, inherited their fortune.
The wealthiest president by far is 45 — Donald Trump. Serving from 2017 to 2021, Trump was worth around $3.7 billion before he took office, according to Forbes.
Here are some of the wealthiest presidents in U.S. history, whose assets are more than $90 million.
(All figures have been adjusted for inflation to 2022 U.S. dollars. Source: Wikipedia)
9. Bill Clinton - 42nd president, 1993-2001
$90 million
The Clintons gained their wealth in two stages, according to NPR. During his pre-presidency, with the help of several friends, Bill and Hillary invested in several areas, most returning healthy profits. Post-presidency, Bill made most of his wealth through the various public speeches, charging a standard fee of $150,000.
8. Herbert Hoover - 31st president, 1929-1933
$100 million
Hoover opened his own mining consulting business in 1908 after having several high-salaried positions, ownership of Burmese silver mines and royalties from various textbooks he authored.
7. Lyndon B. Johnson - 36th president, 1963-1969
$131 million
Johnson and several of his family members owned ranches and held large quantities of stock in numerous banks. The family also controlled a chain of radio stations and was involved in real-estate development.
6. James Madison - 4th president, 1809-1817
$136 million
As one of America's founding fathers, Madison gained his wealth through inheritance from his father, who married the daughter of a wealthy tobacco merchant.
5. Andrew Jackson - 7th president, 1829-2837
$159 million
Jackson purchased property later known as The Hermitage and became a wealthy planter who owned slaves. In 1801, he was appointed colonel of the Tennessee militia and was elected its commander the following year, according to Wikipedia.
4. Theodore Roosevelt - 26th president, 1901-1909
$168 million
Theodore is the uncle of Franklin Roosevelt’s wife, Eleanor Roosevelt. The family gained wealth through owning a 50-acre farm in what is now known as midtown Manhattan, New York City.
3. Thomas Jefferson - 3rd president, 1801-1809
$284 million
Jefferson’s wealth came from 7,000 acres of land he inherited from his father. He also owned two plantations with roughly 150 to 200 slaves.
2. George Washington - 1st president, 1789-1797
$707 million
The first president’s fortune came from his inheritance of the 8,000-acre Mount Vernon plantation, where there were slaves, and his presidential salary, which was $25,000, or 2% of the U.S budget. He also owned more than 50,000 acres of land in what is now known as West Virginia.
1. Donald Trump - 45th president, 2017-2021
$2.5 billion
Trump gained his wealth through several sources, including inheritance, real estate, business development, land ownership, gifts and fundraising.
See Also: Who Are The 9 Poorest Presidents Of All Time?
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