The Bidens, Trumps, Obamas and More: The Wealthiest Presidential Families
Being part of a first family comes with tremendous fame, power and fortune. President Joe Biden may be wealthy, but not to the same degree as some of our other heads of office.
Biden routinely talks about his blue-collar upbringing in Scranton, Penn., once even referring to himself as “the poorest man in Congress.”
When he became vice-president, things turned around. As president, per Title 3 of the U.S. Code, he earns a sizable salary of $400,000.
Other perks he gets as president include remaining on government payroll after leaving office, a $50,000 annual expense account, a $100,000 nontaxable travel account and $19,000 for entertainment, according to Business Insider.
Here’s a look at the fortunes of the richest first families.
Laura Woods contributed to this story.
Last updated: Oct. 5, 2021
President Joe Biden
The 78-year-old and his wife have a shared net worth of around $9 million, according to a 2021 Forbes article.
Their wealth includes two mansions in his home state of Delaware for a combined $4 million, as well as investments worth $4 million and a federal pension of $1 million, the article reported.
Prior to becoming the 46th President of the United States, the politician represented the state of Delaware in the United States Senate from 1973 to 2009. Afterward, he was appointed as Vice President to the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, for two consecutive terms from 2009 to 2017, making an annual $235,100 salary.
The majority of Biden’s income has also come from book deals and speaking fees. He currently has published four books.
Biden had three children with his late wife, Neilia Hunter. He had his younger daughter with his second wife, Jill Biden, to who he has been married since 1977.
Hunter Biden
Beau Biden
Naomi Biden
Ashley Biden
Richest Kid: Robert “Hunter” Biden
Robert “Hunter” Biden, age 51, $4 million net worth
Ashley Biden, age 40, $2.5 million net worth
Joseph “Beau” Biden, age 46, deceased, $500K-$750K net worth
Naomi Biden, age 1, deceased
The president’s only surviving son, Hunter, makes his living as an attorney, as the founder of the investment and advisory firm Rosemont Seneca Partners, and as the founder of venture capital firm Eudora Global.
In 2017, Ashley, the youngest of Joe Biden’s children, founded Livelihood, a clothing company that raises funds to address economic inequities and community development initiatives. In August 2021, the brand donated $26K to support minority entrepreneurs in Wilmington, just outside Washington D.C, according to Delaware Business Times. Ashley has long been a social justice advocate and got her start as a social worker in Delaware.
The first family has had its fair share of tragedies. In 1972, Naomi and Biden’s first wife, Neilia Hunter died in a car accident. In 2015, Beau Biden passed away after battling brain cancer. He was the former federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Philadelphia and a National Guard Iraq War veteran. He also served two terms as attorney general of Delaware.
Former President Donald Trump
Donald Trump is believed to be the richest president in U.S. history, and some of his children also have accumulated impressive fortunes. However, the Trumps have some serious competition from their White House predecessors when it comes to money.
Donald Trump net worth: $2.4 billion
Melania Trump net worth: $50 million
Donald Trump was the 45th President of the United States. He was sworn into office on Jan. 20, 2017, and lost the campaign for his second term in 2021.
The president is the founder of The Trump Organization, a real estate development company. His portfolio spans the globe, consisting of hotels, office buildings, golf courses, residences and even a winery.
Considering his entrepreneurial roots, it's not surprising that Trump's children have followed in his footsteps, with some earning millions of dollars of their own. His children include:
Donald Trump Jr.
Ivanka Trump
Eric Trump
Tiffany Trump
Barron Trump
Richest Kid: Ivanka Trump
Ivanka Trump net worth (combined with husband Jared Kushner): $800 million
Donald Trump Jr. net worth: $300 million
Eric Trump net worth: $300 million
Tiffany Trump net worth: $10 million
Barron Trump net worth: Too soon to tell
She faced some pretty tough competition, but Ivanka Trump is the former president’s richest child. She served as an advisor to the president — her father. Prior to becoming a first child, she ran a now-defunct eponymous fashion line and oversaw development and acquisitions at The Trump Organization.
Ivanka’s husband, Jared Kushner, also served as a senior advisor to the former president. Born into money himself, Kushner and his family had a fortune of at least $1.8 billion before Trump took office, thanks to their real estate firm Kushner Companies, according to Forbes.
Ivanka's siblings clearly aren't hurting for cash, either. Since their father became president, Donald Jr. and Eric have taken the reins at the family company, both serving as executive vice presidents.
Tiffany Trump is a recent graduate of Georgetown Law School, class of 2020. And at age 14, Barron Trump, Donald Trump's only child with wife, Melania, is the president's only minor child, so he doesn't yet have a fortune of his own.
Barack Obama
Barack and Michelle Obama net worth: $70 million
The 44th president of the U.S., Barack Obama served two consecutive terms, from 2009 to 2017. In 2004, he was elected to the U.S. Senate from Illinois. Along with his wife, Michelle, President Obama earned $20.5 million from 2005 to 2016, according to a Forbes analysis of tax returns and disclosures. The bulk of this money came from book deals, which totaled $15.6 million.
In 2018, the Obamas signed a joint book deal worth a reported $65 million with Penguin Random House for their respective memoirs, according to Variety. That same year, they secured a Netflix deal of an unknown amount that will have them producing series and movies. Also a hot commodity on the speaker circuit, President Obama reportedly earns around $400,000 per engagement, according to ThoughtCo.
A doting dad, Obama and his wife raised two daughters during their stay in the White House:
Malia Obama
Sasha Obama
Richest Kid: Too Soon to Tell
Malia Obama net worth: $100,000
Sasha Obama net worth: $100,000
Both college students, Malia and Sasha Obama are too young to have vast fortunes of their own just yet.
Obama's eldest daughter, 23-year-old Malia, graduated from Harvard University in 2021. Their youngest daughter, 20-year-old Sasha, graduated high school in 2019 and is a student at the University of Michigan.
George W. Bush
George W. Bush net worth: $40 million
Laura Bush net worth: $10 million
George W. Bush served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009 and governor of Texas from 1995 to 2000. Son of former President George H.W. Bush, he was the second child of a president to occupy the Oval Office himself.
Bush founded oil and gas company Arbusto Energy in 1977. Along with a group of investors, he also purchased the Texas Rangers baseball team in 1989 — selling it nine years later and earning a $14.9 million profit on his share of the investment.
While running the country, George W. Bush did doing double duty as a dad to twin daughters:
Jenna Bush
Barbara Bush
Richest Kid: Jenna Bush Hager
Jenna Bush Hager net worth: $10 million
Barbara Pierce Bush net worth: $5 million
The Bush twins were 19 when their parents moved into the White House. Both college students at the time, Barbara graduated from Yale University and Jenna from the University of Texas at Austin.
Now all grown up, Jenna Bush Hager appears to be the richest twin. She and husband Henry Hager are the parents of three children, and she co-hosts the Today show’s fourth hour with Hoda Kotb. Her annual salary is $4 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
Barbara is the co-founder and board chair of Global Health Corps, a nonprofit focused on global health equity. She married screenwriter Craig Coyne in October 2018.
Bill Clinton
Bill and Hillary Clinton net worth: $120 million
William Jefferson Clinton is the 42 president of the U.S., serving from 1993 to 2001. Previously the governor of Arkansas, he stepped into office at the end of the Cold War.
The former president told NBC’s Craig Melvin that when he left the White House, he was $16 million in debt due to legal fees incurred during his time in office. He and Hillary got right to work, earning more than $153 million in paid speeches from 2001 to 2015, according to a CNN analysis. Notably, Clinton garners the highest speaking fees of all former presidents, currently commanding around $750,000 per speech, according to ThoughtCo.
Both Clintons are also successful authors. Hillary earned an $8 million advance for her memoir “Living History” and another $14 million advance for her book “Hard Choices,” according to NPR. For his part, Bill landed a $10 million advance for his book “My Life.”
The Clintons' daughter was 12 when he took office:
Chelsea Clinton
Richest Kid: Chelsea Clinton
Chelsea Clinton net worth: $25 million
As an only child, Chelsea Clinton is the richest Clinton offspring by default. Now all grown up, she's vice-chair of the Clinton Foundation but does not take a salary from the nonprofit organization.
Chelsea has served on the board of media and internet company IAC since 2011. She earns a $50,000 annual retainer and $250,000 in restricted IAC stock units per year, according to Barron’s. As of January 2020, her stake in the company was valued at $8.95 million. Also a New York Times best-selling author, she has been married to Marc Mezvinsky since 2010. The couple has three children.
George H.W. Bush
George H.W. and Barbara Bush net worth: $25 million
George H.W. Bush was born into money. His grandfather was a steel industrialist, and his father was an investment banker who was elected to the U.S. Senate from Connecticut in 1952. Shortly before the election, he helped George raise $350,000 to found Zapata Petroleum. George went on to make millions during the Texas oil boom in the 1950s and '60s.
In 1988, George H.W. Bush was elected as the 41st president, making him the first sitting vice president to be elected to the role of president since Martin van Buren in 1836. He served eight years as Ronald Reagan's vice president.
Tragically, George H.W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, lost their 3-year-old daughter, Robin, to leukemia in 1953. Barbara passed away on April 17, 2018 at age 92, and the president followed on Nov. 30, 2018, at 94. The couple, married 73 years, had five other children:
George W. Bush
Jeb Bush
Dorothy Bush
Neil Bush
Marvin Bush
Richest Kids: George W. Bush and Jeb Bush
George W. Bush net worth: $40 million
Jeb Bush net worth: $40 million
Net worth information is only available for George H.W. Bush's two children who followed him into major political roles — George W. and Jeb. Each has a net worth of $40 million.
After serving as president George is now retired, except for working the paid speech circuit, where he earns approximately $175,000 per engagement, according to ThoughtCo.
Jeb Bush was the governor of Florida from 1999 to 2007. Continuing the family tradition, he ran for president in 2016 but lost his party's bid to Donald Trump. While campaigning in 2015, he released 33 years of tax returns, revealing his net worth soared $29 million after leaving the governor’s office. His wealth was garnered from speaking fees, investments, Jeb Bush & Associates — his capital investment company — work with Barclays and consulting for the now-shuttered Lehman Brothers.
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan net worth: $13 million
Nancy Reagan net worth: $25 million
Ronald Reagan took office as the 40th president of the U.S. in 1981 and served two terms. Formerly a Golden Globe-winning actor, he was governor of California from 1967 to 1975.
When he moved into the White House, Reagan had a net worth of approximately $4 million, according to The New York Times. This appeared to be from a combination of real estate investments, interest payments, capital gains on stock sales, and speaking and broadcast fees.
After living with Alzheimer’s disease for 10 years, the former president died on June 5, 2004. Nancy passed away more than a decade later, on March 6, 2016. The source of their post-presidential wealth is unknown, but much of it was likely tied to real estate. Their final home — a three-bedroom, six-bathroom house — in the Bel-Air section of Los Angeles sold for $15 million in 2016, after Nancy’s death.
He was a father of five children. But, tragically, his daughter, Christine, was born prematurely and died shortly after birth in 1947. His four other children are:
Maureen Reagan
Michael Reagan
Patti Davis
Ron Reagan
Richest Kid: Ron Reagan
Ron Reagan net worth: $12 million
Of Ronald Reagan's children, net worth information is only available for his namesake. Once a professional ballet dancer, he also has worked as a radio host, television political commentator and author. He has written several books, including "My Father at 100: A Memoir" and "If You Had Five Minutes with the President."
Gerald Ford
Gerald Ford net worth: $7 million
Betty Ford net worth: $20 million
In a non-traditional ascent to office, Gerald Ford became Richard Nixon's vice president after the resignation of Spiro Agnew in October 1973. Ten months later, Nixon resigned amid scandal and Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the U.S.
He lost the 1976 election to Jimmy Carter, and within a year of leaving office, he earned around $1 million, according to Business Insider. He likely was able to amass his fortune due to a busy post-presidential work schedule. This included paid speeches, writing books, and serving on several boards and commissions, according to The Miller Center at the University of Virginia.
Also an author, former first lady Betty Ford became famous in her own right for co-founding drug and alcohol rehabilitation clinic the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California.
President Ford passed away on Dec. 26, 2006, and Betty died on July 8, 2011. They had four children:
Michael Gerald Ford
John Gardner Ford
Steven Ford
Susan Ford
Richest Kid: Unknown
Net worth information for the Ford children is not publicly available.
Mike Ford retired from Wake Forest University in 2017, after working as a student life administrator and campus leader for 36 years. Steve Ford is an actor and director, and his credits include "The Young and the Restless" and "When Harry Met Sally." Susan Ford serves on the board of trustees at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation.
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon B. Johnson net worth: $100 million
Lady Bird Johnson net worth: unknown
Immediately following the Nov. 22, 1963, assassination of John F. Kennedy, Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson was sworn into office. Eventually elected in his own right, he served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969.
Johnson’s wife, Lady Bird, bought a radio station in the 1940s and an Austin, Texas, television station in 1952, according to The Atlantic. They sold the television station for $9 million in 1972.
The former president only had four years of retirement prior to his death, but during that time he nearly doubled his already large estate to include stock in at least nine banks, television stakes in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, a real estate and photographic supply company in Austin, and property in several locales, according to The Atlantic.
Johnson passed away on Jan. 22, 1973. Lady Bird died more than three decades later, on July 11, 2007. Their fortune lives on in the family-owned wealth management firm LBJ Family Wealth Advisors, located in Austin.
The Johnsons had two daughters:
Lynda Bird Johnson
Luci Baines Johnson
Richest Kid: Unknown
Net worth information for the Johnson children is not publicly available.
Lynda Bird Johnson is married to Charles S. Robb, a former Virginia senator and governor. Luci Baines Johnson's husband, Ian Turpin, is president of LBJ Advisors. He supervises the holdings of the former president.
John F. Kennedy
John F. Kennedy net worth: $100 million
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis net worth: $50 million
John F. Kennedy was elected president at age 43 and remains the youngest person ever elected commander-in-chief. The 35th president of the U.S. was also the most popular; his average approval rating of 70 percent is the highest since Gallup starting tracking this stat.
Sworn into office in 1961, he was in his first term when he was assassinated in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. His widow, Jacqueline, married Greek shipping tycoon Aristotle Onassis in 1968, She passed away on May 19, 1994.
Born into a wealthy Boston family, John Kennedy enjoyed a privileged childhood filled with private schools, servants and summer homes, according to the Miller Center. Elected to the Senate in 1952, he represented Massachusetts until winning the Democratic presidential nomination in 1960.
One of the richest families in America, the Kennedys were worth $1.2 billion as of 2015, according to Forbes. Most of the family fortune is spread across dozens of trusts, ranging in value from tens of thousands of dollars to $25 million.
Jacqueline Kennedy gave birth to three children. The youngest, Patrick, died two days after birth in August 1963. The other Kennedy children:
Caroline Kennedy
John F. Kennedy Jr.
Richest Kid: Caroline Kennedy
Caroline Kennedy net worth: $250 million
John F. Kennedy Jr. net worth: $50 million
Tragically, John Jr., his wife and his wife's sister died in July 1999, when the small plane he was piloting crashed off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts. He was 38 at the time of his death.
Caroline Kennedy is a lawyer and author, and she served as the U.S. ambassador to Japan for three years in the mid-2010s. She has been married to Edwin Schlossberg since 1986. The couple has three children.
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All net worth information is via celebritynetworth.com.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: The Bidens, Trumps, Obamas and More: The Wealthiest Presidential Families
