Top Ten Richest Presidents
These numbers are adjusted and reflected in today's dollars.
10. John F. Kennedy - Net worth: $1 billion. (but never inherited his father’s fortune). Almost all of JFK’s income and property came from a trust shared with other family members. JFK doesn't rank as #1 since he died before ever claiming his money.
9. Bill Clinton - Net worth: $55 million. Unlike many presidents, Bill Clinton did not come from a wealthy family, nor did he have lucrative employment before his presidency. But since leaving office we estimate that Clinton has earned more than $125 million before taxes, with the vast majority of that coming from speaking fees.
8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Net worth: $60 million. Roosevelt’s wealth came through inheritance and marriage. He owned the 800-acre Springwood estate, as well as properties in Georgia, Maine and New York.
7. Herbert Hoover - Net worth: $75 million. An orphan, Hoover was raised by his uncle, a doctor . He made a fortune as a mining company executive. He had a very large salary for 17 years and had extensive holdings in mining companies. Hoover donated his presidential salary to charity.
6. Lyndon B. Johnson - Net worth: $98 million. Johnson’s father lost all the family’s money when LBJ was a boy. Over time, the 36th president accumulated 1,500 acres in Blanco County, Texas, which included his home, called the “Texas White House.” He and his wife owned a radio and television station in Austin, Texas, and had a variety of other moderate holdings, including livestock and private aircraft.
5. James Madison - Net worth: $101 million. Madison was the largest landowner in Orange County, Va. His land holding consisted of 5,000 acres and the Montpelier estate. He made significant wealth as Secretary of State and president. Madison lost money at the end of his life due to the steady financial collapse of his plantation.
4. Andrew Jackson - Net worth: $119 million. While he was considered to be in touch with the average middle-class American, Jackson quietly became one of the wealthiest presidents of the 1800s. “Old Hickory” married into wealth and made money in the military. His homestead, The Hermitage, included 1,050 acres of prime real estate. Over the course of his life, he owned as many as 300 slaves.
3. Theodore Roosevelt - Net worth: $125 million. Born to a prominent and wealthy family, Roosevelt received a sizable trust fund. He lost most of his money on a ranching venture in the Dakotas and had to work as an author to pay bills. His 235-acre estate, Sagamore Hill, now sits on some of the most valuable real estate on Long Island.
2. Thomas Jefferson - Net worth: $212 million. Jefferson was left 3,000 acres and several dozen slaves by his father. Monticello, his home on a 5,000-acre plantation in Virginia, was one of the architectural wonders of its time.
1. George Washington - Net worth: $525 million. His Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, consisted of five separate farms on 8,000 acres of prime farmland, run by more than 300 slaves. His wife, Martha Washington, inherited significant property from her father. Washington made well more than subsequent presidents: his salary was 2% of the total U.S. budget in 1789.
10. John F. Kennedy - Net worth: $1 billion. (but never inherited his father’s fortune). Almost all of JFK’s income and property came from a trust shared with other family members. JFK doesn't rank as #1 since he died before ever claiming his money.
9. Bill Clinton - Net worth: $55 million. Unlike many presidents, Bill Clinton did not come from a wealthy family, nor did he have lucrative employment before his presidency. But since leaving office we estimate that Clinton has earned more than $125 million before taxes, with the vast majority of that coming from speaking fees.
8. Franklin Delano Roosevelt - Net worth: $60 million. Roosevelt’s wealth came through inheritance and marriage. He owned the 800-acre Springwood estate, as well as properties in Georgia, Maine and New York.
7. Herbert Hoover - Net worth: $75 million. An orphan, Hoover was raised by his uncle, a doctor . He made a fortune as a mining company executive. He had a very large salary for 17 years and had extensive holdings in mining companies. Hoover donated his presidential salary to charity.
6. Lyndon B. Johnson - Net worth: $98 million. Johnson’s father lost all the family’s money when LBJ was a boy. Over time, the 36th president accumulated 1,500 acres in Blanco County, Texas, which included his home, called the “Texas White House.” He and his wife owned a radio and television station in Austin, Texas, and had a variety of other moderate holdings, including livestock and private aircraft.
5. James Madison - Net worth: $101 million. Madison was the largest landowner in Orange County, Va. His land holding consisted of 5,000 acres and the Montpelier estate. He made significant wealth as Secretary of State and president. Madison lost money at the end of his life due to the steady financial collapse of his plantation.
4. Andrew Jackson - Net worth: $119 million. While he was considered to be in touch with the average middle-class American, Jackson quietly became one of the wealthiest presidents of the 1800s. “Old Hickory” married into wealth and made money in the military. His homestead, The Hermitage, included 1,050 acres of prime real estate. Over the course of his life, he owned as many as 300 slaves.
3. Theodore Roosevelt - Net worth: $125 million. Born to a prominent and wealthy family, Roosevelt received a sizable trust fund. He lost most of his money on a ranching venture in the Dakotas and had to work as an author to pay bills. His 235-acre estate, Sagamore Hill, now sits on some of the most valuable real estate on Long Island.
2. Thomas Jefferson - Net worth: $212 million. Jefferson was left 3,000 acres and several dozen slaves by his father. Monticello, his home on a 5,000-acre plantation in Virginia, was one of the architectural wonders of its time.
1. George Washington - Net worth: $525 million. His Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, consisted of five separate farms on 8,000 acres of prime farmland, run by more than 300 slaves. His wife, Martha Washington, inherited significant property from her father. Washington made well more than subsequent presidents: his salary was 2% of the total U.S. budget in 1789.
The fortunes of America’s presidents are tied to the economy of their time. As the focus of the economy changed, so has the way the presidents made their money.
It’s not surprising then to find the first few presidents -- from Washington’s election to about 75 years later -- as large landowners. They generally made money from land, crops and commodity speculation. Of course, this left them highly vulnerable to poor crop yields, and they could lose most or all of their properties because of a few bad years. Similarly, they could lose all of their money through land speculation -- leveraging the value of one piece of land to buy additional property.
It’s not surprising then to find the first few presidents -- from Washington’s election to about 75 years later -- as large landowners. They generally made money from land, crops and commodity speculation. Of course, this left them highly vulnerable to poor crop yields, and they could lose most or all of their properties because of a few bad years. Similarly, they could lose all of their money through land speculation -- leveraging the value of one piece of land to buy additional property.