We all know that the current US president, Donald Trump, is a very wealthy man, with assets totalling around $3.1 billion. We also know that it costs a large amount of money to run a presidential campaign, so it might be reasonable to assume that many of America’s past president were also wealthy men. But just how wealthy? We’ve put together some details about the wealthiest of all – the figures are quite astounding.
Donald Trump – $3.1 billion
America’s 45th president is also the wealthiest it has ever had, with assets totalling in the billions rather than ‘mere’ millions. Trump’s fortune comes in part from property – Manhattan real estate in particular. However, he also took over his father’s already very prominent empire, and built on that, making his fortune even larger.
However, Trump’s complicated private life and the number of children he has, as well as current and ex-wives means that when he dies his estate could be a complicated one. He will need to have discussed his will and carried out careful estate planning with a company like IWC so that he can be sure of what is going to happen to his fortune.
John F. Kennedy – $1.1 billion
Although JFK’s total sum might pale in comparison to Trump’s, it’s still a significant figure, and it’s no wonder that the entire Kennedy family held a lot of influence in American politics during the 1960s; with that much money, you could do pretty much anything.
Don’t forget that Kennedy’s wife, Jacquie, was wealthy in her own right, being the heiress to a vast oil fortune. Together, the pair were unstoppable.
George Washington – $587 million
Being America’s very first president was always going to be a hard job, so having some money behind you would have been essential – there was just so much to do and get right. George Washington was the man with the money; it came from his families plantation, Mount Vernon, which Washington inherited from his half-brother.
In addition, the first presidential salary was 2% of the entire US budget. By today’s standards, that would have been $80 billion.
Thomas Jefferson – $236.8 million
When Thomas Jefferson was just a teenager, he inherited 3,000 acres of land from his father. Over time, Jefferson bought more land until he had 5,000 acres, from which he was able to make money by renting it out, building property, or selling as required.
Sadly, this wealth did not last, and Jefferson died heavily in debt, so much so that his daughter had to turn to charity for any form of money.