Quantcast
The 10 richest presidents in US history – Metro US

The 10 richest presidents in US history

When President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in on Jan. 20, he will be the richest man to lead the United States in history. Forbes estimates the Republican businessman’s wealth to be in the $3.7 billion range, despiterepeated refusal to release his tax returns.

Though he’ll be the wealthiest man to helm the nation in its 240-year history, he is not the first to rake in a net worth through real estate and business ventures. According to rankings released by 24/7 Wall Street, these are the 10 richest U.S presidents, adjusted for inflation:

10. Franklin D. Roosevelt: $66 million

Much of FDR’s wealth was inherited from his family, and his marriage to Eleanor brought more money than Roosevelt had possessed.

9. Bill Clinton: $75 million

Clinton did not come from a family of wealth, nor did he earn much before assuming the Oval Office. Once leaving, however, Clinton made a good deal of his fortune from speeches, appearances and book deals.

8. Herbert Hoover: $82 million

Hoover built his fortune as a mining engineer, a position that forced him to travel internationally until the outbreak of World War I, but maintained holdings in mining companies until his death.

7. Lyndon B. Johnson: $108 million

Johnson inherited a piece of land in Texas, and built it up to be a 1,500-acre ranch now known as the Texas White House.

6. James Madison: $112 million

Madison was the largest landowner in Orange County, Virginia, with a 5,000-acre holding and the Montpelier estate. He also earned significant wealth in public office, but lost it later in life as his plantation collapsed financially.

5. Andrew Jackson: $131 million

Though he was in debt later in his life, Jackson became one of the wealthiest presidents by marrying into wealth and earning money through the military. He also owned a 1,050-acre estate that staffed as many as 300 slaves.

4. Theodore Roosevelt: $138 million

Rough Rider Roosevelt was born into a wealthy family, but lost most of his trust fund on a ranching business in the Dakotas. Roosevelt turned to public service later in his life, and later purchased an estate on Long Island that is now among its most valuable properties.

3. Thomas Jefferson: $234 million

Jefferson inherited a 3,000-acre Virginia plantain, Monticello, from his father, as well as several dozen slaves. The third president also held a number of political positions before rising up as president, which contributed to his net worth.

2. George Washington: $580 million

As the nation’s first president, Washington received the biggest salary: two percent of the total U.S. budget in 1789. But his plantation, Mount Vernon, was a massive crop producer, consisting of five farms over 8,000 acres of land, run by more than 300 slaves.

1. John F. Kennedy: $1.1 billion

Though JFK never lived long enough to realize his family’s inheritance, both he and his wife Jacqueline, an oil princess, came from enormous wealth.