Keeping tabs on former President Donald Trump’s legal woes is much more difficult than tracking his net worth. Although his social media business wiped out hundreds of millions from his vast fortune earlier this year, Trump has never had to worry too much about money, with or without being the President of the United States. With an estimated net worth in the billions of dollars, his personal riches aren’t in question.
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Here are a few key takeaways:
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Current estimated net worth: $5.4 billion
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Trump’s net worth spiked $868 million at the end of 2024 when the then president-elect moved his 57% stake in his media company to his revocable living trust.
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His wealth has dropped from its all-time high of $6.1 billion in 2024 to its current $5.4 billion. This dip took place after he retook office.
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To date, Trump is the richest President to ever hold the Oval Office.
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As the President of the United States, he earns a salary of $400,000 per year. In addition to that salary, he also gets a $50,000 expense allowance to help cover official duties.
Curious about just how Trump earned (and spends) his billions? Here is a brief outline to help clear up just how rich President Donald Trump is.
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How Much Have Trump’s Legal Problems Cost Him?
The former and now current President has been charged with dozens of felonies across four cases: two federal, one in New York and another in Georgia related to efforts to overturn the 2020 election results in the Peach State. However, though Trump was found guilty in May on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records, he walked free without any punishment once he re-entered the White House in January of 2025.
Although his legal bills seemingly piled up, it is uncertain how much Trump is has had to pay out of his own pocket. As previously reported by GOBankingRates, much of the money donated to Trump’s Save America political action committee was used to pay his legal bills. This is supported by a mid-year FEC filing, which showed the PAC had spent approximately $25 million in the first half of 2023, $21.6 million on legal fees.
With nothing seemingly able to stop Trump from spending PAC money on his and his allies’ legal bills, there is a good chance that there probably hasn’t been much impact on his net worth due to legal problems, though other forces have impacted it.
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Donald Trump’s Net Worth History
At the time of his first inauguration, Donald J. Trump was the oldest person to be sworn into the office of the president of the United States. He was 70 years, 220 days old on Jan. 20, 2017. (That title now belongs to President Joe Biden, who was 78 when he was sworn in.)
Trump beat out a number of contenders to become the Republican nominee for the 2016 presidential election. He went on to defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton. His term ended on Jan. 20, 2021, when Biden began his term as the 46th president.
He then went on to skip a term when Biden beat him in the 2020 election, but was once again reelected as President in 2024 for his second term. Making him both the 46th and 48th president, which, whether you support him or not makes him one of the most influential political and financial figures around.
Trump was born into a wealthy family and inherited about $40 million from his late father, real estate developer Fred Trump. In 1971, Donald Trump became head of what would later be known as The Trump Organization.
Trump’s earnings and inheritance helped him to develop more than 500 companies. The business mogul has held stakes in luxury golf courses, skyscrapers, television shows, casinos, books, merchandise and now, social media.
Donald Trump’s Business Successes
In 1980, Trump landed a deal with Hyatt, the city of New York and the unprofitable Commodore Hotel beside Grand Central Station, earning the right to renovate and rebrand the ailing hotel into the Grand Hyatt. The property became an instant success, making Trump one of the best-known real estate developers in the area.
In 1984, Trump completed construction on the 68-story Trump Tower, which serves as the headquarters for The Trump Organization to this day. The building includes a 60-foot waterfall and, on opening day, had five levels of retail stores and restaurants.
Trump has owned a slew of successful businesses and properties, among them Trump Place, a luxury residential community spanning 92 acres. The Trump International Hotel & Tower Chicago has a hotel, condos and numerous restaurants and shops. The success of Wollman Rink, a Central Park staple, is arguably credited to Trump, who refurbished the ice rink in 1980. The Trump Organization ran it under contract with New York City for several years.
However, following the storming of the U.S. Capitol, New York City announced that it was severing its business ties with Trump. On Jan. 13, 2021, Mayor Bill de Blasio said that the city would be terminating three contracts with The Trump Organization that would cease its operations of a carousel in Manhattan’s Central Park, two skating rinks and a golf course in the Bronx.
Also in January 2021, the PGA of America stripped Trump’s golf course in Bedminster, New Jersey, of the honor of hosting the 2022 PGA Championship. In Europe, golf organizers said Trump’s club in Turnberry, Scotland, would be out of the running to host The Open Championship “for the foreseeable future.”
In December of 2024, Trump’s net worth spiked over an estimated $800 million, marking a $1 billion increase when he moved his 57% stake in his media company to his revocable living trust.
Donald Trump’s Failed Businesses
Donald Trump has major business wins to his name, but he has also had some big losses.
In 1988, Trump spent $365 million on a fleet of Boeing 727s, as well as landing facilities in Boston, New York City and Washington, D.C. He also bought the rights to paint his name on a plane. His attempt to build a luxury flying experience under the Trump Shuttle name failed, however, and the company was decommissioned.
In 1990, the banks that backed Trump’s investments provided him with a $65 million bailout in new loans and credit. Trump’s famous Taj Mahal casino in Atlantic City, New Jersey, went bankrupt in 1991, and Trump Hotels & Casino Resorts went bankrupt in 2004. In 2009, the same company — now called Trump Entertainment Resorts — filed for bankruptcy again.
One of Trump’s highest-profile business failures is Trump University. The unaccredited online college was launched in 2005 and closed down in 2010. Three Trump University lawsuits plagued his 2016 presidential campaign, alleging that Trump University was a scam that cost students tens of thousands of dollars. Trump settled the lawsuits for $25 million, though he did not admit any wrongdoing.
Donald Trump’s Wife and Family
Donald Trump has been married three times. He was with his first wife, Ivana, from 1977 to 1992. The couple had three children together: Donald Jr., Ivanka and Eric. The three eldest Trump children — along with Ivanka’s husband, real estate investor and developer Jared Kushner — were highly involved in their father’s presidency.
Trump married Marla Maples in December 1993, two months after Maples gave birth to their daughter, Tiffany. The couple divorced in 1999.
Trump has been married to his current wife and former first lady, Melania Trump, who has an estimated net worth of $50 million, since 2005. Melania is the mother of Trump’s youngest son, Barron, who was born in March 2006.
Donald Trump’s Lifestyle
Before moving to the White House, Donald, Melania and Barron Trump lived in a three-floor penthouse in Trump Tower in Manhattan, where they enjoyed an indoor fountain and a door encrusted with diamonds and gold, according to a report from Business Insider.
In October 2019, he filed paperwork to officially move his permanent residence to Florida, which Forbes speculated could have been because of more favorable tax and financial laws in the state.
Among the properties Trump owns is Mar-a-Lago, in Palm Beach, where he spent 25 of his first 100 days in office and currently resides with Melania and Barron. The luxury club is worth $300 million, according to Forbes, and sits on 17 acres of valuable South Florida land. Trump bought the estate — which boasts 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and three bomb shelters — for the bargain price of $10 million in 1985.
He and his family moved into the White House once again in January of 2025, where they will expectedly reside for the remainder of his second term.
Caitlyn Moorhead contributed to the reporting for this article.
Editor’s note on political coverage: GOBankingRates is nonpartisan and strives to cover all aspects of the economy objectively and present balanced reports on politically focused finance stories. You can find more coverage of this topic on GOBankingRates.com.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: How Rich Is President Donald Trump?
