Top 10 Richest US Presidents
FRANKLIN D. ROOSEVELT (1933-1945) $60 MILLION
Franklin D. Roosevelt’s net worth peaked at about $60 million, according to estimates from 24/7 Wall St (The amount has been adjusted for inflation)
Much of the 32nd president’s fortune was inherited. His wife Eleanor, also inherited wealth, adding to the couple’s net worth.
BILL CLINTON (1993-2001) $70 MILLION
Unlike many of the other presidents, the Clinton’s did not inherit a family fortune. Very little of their current wealth was acquired while Bill Clinton was in office; first as Arkansas governor and later as the 42nd president of the United States.
After leaving the presidency, Clinton earned a sizable fortune giving speeches and writing books, including a $15 million advance on his autobiography in 2005.
His wife Hillary has also contributed to the couple’s net worth with speeches and books, including a $14 million advance in 2014 for her autobiography.
Some estimates have placed the couple’s net worth as high as $110 million.
HERBERT HOOVER (1929-1933) $75 MILLION
Orphaned at age 9, Herbert was raised by his uncle and went to work as a mining engineer in California before moving to Australia. There he made his fortune as a mining company executive.
In addition to his big salary, Hoover amassed valuable holdings in several mining companies.
Once he was elected president, he saw it fit to donate his government salary to charity.
LYNDON BAINES JOHNSON (1963-1969) $98 MILLION
Lyndon Johnson inherited a small piece of land in Texas, but he eventually built it into a sprawling 1,500-acre ranch that would become the “Texas White House.”
His wife, Lady Bird, also used an inheritance to buy a radio and television station in Austin, Texas.
JAMES MADISON (1809-1817) $101 MILLION
Majority of Madison’s fortune was in real estate, consisting of some 5,000 acres, including his estate that was called Montpelier.
After inheriting land from his father, he eventually became the largest landowner in Orange County, Virginia.
After serving as president, he retired to Montpelier to manage his tobacco plantation. He however had to sell a sizable portion of his land to recover from financial losses that were brought about by a fall in tobacco prices.
ANDREW JACKSON (1829-1837) $119 MILLION
Andrew Jackson made his early fortune in land speculation in the Tennessee frontier and was one of three investors who founded Memphis.
He later bought a 640-acre plantation known as the Hermitage near Nashville.
THEODORE ROOSEVELT (1901-1909) $125 MILLION
Roosevelt was born to a prominent and wealthy New York city family that traced its roots to one of the earliest 17th-century settlers of New Amsterdam. Part of the family’s enterprises included a hardware and industrial glass company.
As a young man, Roosevelt depleted his trust fund after several failed land investments in the Dakotas. He however made money on other land holdings e.g. his 235-acre estate, Sagamore Hill, now sits on some of the most valuable real estate on Long Island.
THOMAS JEFFERSON (1801-1809) $212 MILLION
Jefferson inherited 3,000 acres and several dozen slaves from his father. He also made money in various political positions before becoming president.
He designed and built Monticello, his home on a 5,000-acre plantation in Virginia. But after leaving the presidency, he lost much of his money on the business and ended up in huge debts toward the end of his life.
GEORGE WASHINGTON (1789-1797) $525 MILLION
After an early career as a land surveyor, the country’s first president amassed his wealth as a land speculator in the new nation.
His sprawling Virginia plantation, Mount Vernon, included five separate farms on 8,000 acres of prime farmland. His wife, Martha Washington, also inherited significant property from her father.
JOHN F. KENNEDY (1961-1963) $1 BILLION
The Kennedy family fortune was created by JFK’s father, Joseph Kennedy, who prospered in stock and commodities markets before investing those profits in real estate and other businesses.
His wife, Jacqueline Bouvier, was also a heiress to her stepfather’s oil fortune. Almost all of JFK’s income and property came from trust shared with other family members.
Though the Kennedy family fortune far exceeded any other president’s wealth, John F. Kennedy did not own it directly, but shared it through a trust with the rest of the family.