The Net Worth of the U.S. Presidents: Washington to Obama

May 20 2010, 3:05 PM ET | Comment

President and Term	Estimated Net Worth
1st George Washington (1789-1797)	$525 million	His Virginia plantation, "Mount Vernon," consisted of five separate farms on 8,000 acres of prime farmland, run by over 300 slaves. His wife, Martha Washington, inherited significant property from her father. Washington made significantly more than subsequent presidents: his salary was two percent of the total U.S. budget in 1789.
2nd John Adams (1797-1801)	$19 million	Adams received a modest inheritance from his father. His wife, Abigail Adams, was a member of the Quincys, a prestigious Massachusetts family. Adams owned a handsome estate in Quincy, Massachusetts, known as "Peacefield," a working farm, covering approximately 40 acres. He also had a thriving law practice.
3rd Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809)	$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. He made significant money in various political positions before becoming president, but was mired in debt towards the end of his life.
4th James Madison (1809-1817)	$101 million	Madison was the largest landowner in Orange County, Virginia, with land holding consisting of 5,000 acres and the "Montpelier" estate. He made significant money as secretary of state and president. Madison lost money at the end of his life due to the steady financial collapse of his plantation.
5th James Monroe (1817-1825)	$27 million	Monroe's wife, Elizabeth, was the daughter of wealthy British officer. He made significant money during eight years as president, but entered retirement severely in debt and was forced to sell Highland plantation, which included 3500 acres.
6th John Quincy Adams (1825-1829)	$21 million	Adams inherited most of his father's land. His wife was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He devoted most of his adult life to public service, notably after leaving office.
7th Andrew Jackson (1829-1837)	$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 1800's. "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. Jackson entered significant debt later in life.
8th Martin Van Buren (1837-1841)	$26 million	Van Buren made substantial income as an attorney. He was one of only two men to serve as secretary of state, vice president, and president. He owned the 225-acre "Lindenwald" estate in upstate New York.
9th William Henry Harrison (1841)	$5 million	Harrison married into money - wife's father was prominent judge and landowner. When Harrison's mother died, he inherited 3,000 acres near Charles City, Virginia, which he later sold to his brother. He also owned "Grouseland" mansion and property, in Vincennes, Indiana. Despite his assets, Harrison died penniless, causing Congress to create a special pension for his widow.
10th John Tyler (1841-1845)	$51 million	Tyler Inherited 1,000-acre tobacco plantation. His first wife, Letitia, was wealthy. Tyler bought "Sherwood Manor," a 1,600 acre estate, previously owned by William Henry Harrison. He became indebted during the Civil War and died poor.
11th James Knox Polk (1845-1849)	$10 million	Like his wife, Sarah Childress, Polk's father was a wealthy plantation owner and speculator. Polk made significant sums as speaker of the house and governor of Tennessee, and owned 920 acres in Coffeeville, Mississippi, as well as 25 slaves.

.
May 20 2010, 3:05 PM ET |

Comment

President and Term	Estimated Net Worth
12th Zachary Taylor (1849-1850)	$6 million	Taylor inherited significant amounts of land from his family, which at one point included property in Mississippi, Kentucky, and Louisiana. He made substantial money in land speculation, the leasing of warehouses, and investments in bank and utility stocks. Taylor owned a sizeable plantation in Mississippi and a home in Baton Rouge.
13th Millard Fillmore (1850-1853)	$4 million	Neither Fillmore nor his wife had significant inheritance. He founded a college that is the current State University of New York at Buffalo, and his primary holding was a house in nearby East Aurora, NY.
14th Franklin Pierce (1853-1857)	$2 million	Pierce's father was frontier farmer, and his wife was well-to-do aristocrat. He served as attorney for 16 years and held property in concord, NH.
15th James Buchanan (1857-1861)	less than $1 million	Born in log cabin in Pennsylvania, Buchanan was one of 11 children. He was the only president never to marry. He worked for nine years as attorney, and spent 16 years in public office, including four years as secretary of state.
16th Abraham Lincoln (1861-1865)	less than $1 million	To the log cabin born. Lincoln served as an attorney for 17 years before his presidency. He owned a single-family home in Springfield, Illinois.
17th Andrew Johnson (1865-1869)	less than $1 million	Johnson's father was a tailor, and his wife was a shoemaker. He served the public for 20 years, including as Governor of Tennessee and U.S. Senator. Johnson owned a small house in Greenville, TN.
18th Ulysses Simpson Grant (1869-1877)	less than $1 million	Grant's father was a tanner, and his wife was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. He lost his entire fortune when swindled by his investing partner. Grant owned a modest home in Galena, Illinois. Although he died with little money, his autobiography kept family afloat.
19th Rutherford Birchard Hayes, (1877-1881)	$3 million	Hayes' father was a shopkeeper. He was an attorney for 15 years and owned "Spiegel Grove," a 10,000 square foot home that sat on 25 acres in Fremont, Ohio. Hayes also served as Governor of Ohio and was a member of the House.
20th James Abram Garfield (1881)	less than $1 million	Garfield was born in a log cabin in Ohio. He spent 18 years in the House of Representatives. Garfield owned "Lawnfield," a home and small property in Mentor, Ohio. He died penniless.
21st Chester Alan Arthur (1881-1885)	less than $1 million	The son of an Irish preacher, Arthur's wife came a from military family. He made substantial sums as Collector for the Port of New York. His townhouse in New York was well-appointed with furniture commission from Tiffany.
22nd and 24th Grover Cleveland (1885-1889, 1893-1897)	$25 million	Cleveland's father was a bookseller and preacher, and his wife was the daughter of wealthy lawyer. Cleveland served as an attorney for twelve years, and also made significant sums on sale of his estate outside of Washington, D.C. He bought "Westland Mansion" near Princeton, New Jersey.

.
May 20 2010, 3:05 PM ET |

Comment

President and Term	Estimated Net Worth

23rd Benjamin Harrison (1889-1893)

$5 million

Harrison had no significant inheritance of his own or from his wife's family. He was a highly paid attorney for 18 years, and served as attorney for Republic of Venezuela. Harrison owned large Victorian home in Indianapolis, Indiana.

25th William McKinley (1897-1901)

$1 million

Mckinley had no significant inheritance. Served 30 years in public office, including local prosecutor and member of the House of Representatives. Went bankrupt during depression of 1893 while he was Governor of Ohio.

26th Theodore Roosevelt (1901-1909)

$125 million

Born to a prominent and wealthy family, Roosevelt received a significant 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. Roosevelt spent most of his adult years in public service. His 235-acre estate, "Sagamore Hill," sits on some of the most valuable real estate on Long Island.

27th William Howard Taft (1909-1913)

$3 million

Taft's wife's father was a law partner of former president, Rutherford B. Hayes. Taft was president of the American Bar Association, an active attorney for nearly two decades, and only president to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.

28th Woodrow Wilson (1913-1921)

less than $1 million

Wilson received modest compensation as head of Princeton and Governor of New Jersey. He never served in any position that provided him with a reasonable income. Wilson had a stroke in office and died five years later.

29th Warren Gamaliel Harding (1921-1923)

$1 million

Harding obtained wealth through marriage to his wife Mabel, daughter of a prominent banker. He owned the Marion Daily Star and a small home in Marion, Ohio. Most of Harding's net worth came from his newspaper ownership.

30th Calvin Coolidge (1923-1929)

less than $1 million

Coolidge's father was prosperous farmer and storekeeper. "Silent Cal" Spent five years as an attorney, and almost two decades in public office, which included time as Governor of Massachusetts. His net worth derived primarily from his home, "The Beeches," in Northampton, Massachusetts, the advance from his autobiography, and the money he made from his newspaper column.

31st Herbert Clark Hoover (1929-1933)

$75 million

An orphan, Hoover was raised by his uncle, a doctor. He made a fortune as a mining company executive, had a very large salary for 17 years and had extensive holdings in mining companies. Hoover donated his presidential salary to charity. He also owned "Hoover House" in Monterey, California.

32nd Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1933-1945)

$60 million

Roosevelt had wealth through inheritance and marriage. He owned the 800-acre "Springwood" estate as well as properties in Georgia, Maine, and New York. In 1919, his mother had to bail him out of financial difficulty. He spent most of his adult life in public service. Before he was president, Roosevelt was appointed assistant secretary of the navy by Wilson.

33rd Harry S. Truman (1945-1953)

less than $1 million

Truman was a haberdasher in Missouri and nearly went bankrupt. He served 18 years in Washington, D.C. Despite his modest income, he was able to save some of his presidential salary.

.
May 20 2010, 3:05 PM ET |

Comment

President and Term	Estimated Net Worth
34th Dwight David Eisenhower (1953-1961)	$ 8 million	Eisenhower had no inherited wealth. He served the majority of his career in the military and five years as president of Columbia. Ike owned a large farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.
35th John Fitzgerald Kennedy (1961-1963)	Although he never inherited his father's fortune, the Kennedy family estate was worth nearly $1 billion dollars.	Born into great wealth, Kennedy's wife was oil heiress. His Father was one of the wealthiest men in America, and was the first chairman of the SEC. Almost all of JFK's income and property came from trust shared with other family members.
36th Lyndon Baines Johnson (1963-1969)	$98 Million	Johnson's father lost all of the family's money when LBJ was a boy. Over time, he 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, TX, and had a variety of other moderate holdings, including livestock and private aircraft.
37th Richard Milhous Nixon (1969-1974)	$15 million	Nixon was born without any inheritance, and was a public servant for most of his life including a term as a Senator from California. "Tricky Dick" made significant sums from series of interviews with David Frost and book advances. He sold his New York townhouse to the Syrian ambassador to the U.S. and purchased a large home in Saddle River, NJ. At various times, Nixon also owned real estate in California and Florida.
38th Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. (1974-1977)	$7 million	Ford had no inheritance, and he spent virtually his entire adult life in public service. Over the course of his lifetime, he owned properties in Michigan, Rancho Mirage, and Beaver Creek, Colorado. After he left the White House in 1976, he made nearly $1 million a year from book advances and from serving on the boards of several prominent American companies.
39th James Earl Carter, 1977-1981	$7 million	Carter was the son of a prominent Georgia businessman. He was a peanut farmer for almost two decades. Carter left office deeply in debt, but made substantial sums from writing 14 books. Part of a family partnership that owns 2,500 acres in Georgia.
40th Ronald Wilson Reagan, 1981-89 (Republican)	$13 million	Reagan had no inheritance, but his first wife, an actress, had her own money. He was a movie and television actor for over two decades. "The Gipper" owned several pieces of real estate over his lifetime, including 688-acre property near Santa Barbara, California. Reagan was highly paid for his autobiography and as a GE spokesman.
41st George Herbert Walker Bush (1989-1993)	$23 million	Bush was the son of Prescott Bush, a Connecticut Senator and successful businessman. Aided by his friends in the financial community, he made a number of successful investments. One of his major assets is his home and 100+ acre estate in Kennebunkport, Maine.
42nd William Jefferson Clinton (1993- 2001)	$38 million	Clinton was born with no inheritance, and he made little significant money during 20 plus years of public service. After his time in White House, however, he made a substantial income as an author and public speaker. Clinton received large advance from autobiography. His wife, the secretary of state, has also made money as author.
43rd George W. Bush (2001-2008)	$20 million	Bush was born into a wealthy family. Over ten years, he made substantial sums of money in the oil business. The largest contribution to his net worth was the profitable sale of the Texas Rangers.
44th Barack Hussein Obama (2008-present)	$5 million	Obama is the grandson of a goat herder. He is a former constitutional law professor and civil rights attorney. Book royalties constitute most of Obama's net worth.