One of the most interesting elements of the United States political structure is the people from a wide array of backgrounds that make a run for President. From, the traditional Democrats and Republicans to the more peculiar Independents, everyone has an equal right to campaign to be the people's choice.
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As it is an election year once again in the US, we will examine the financial backgrounds of individuals still standing.
Donald Trump
Trump’s money has been an avid subject of debate ever since he ran for his first term as president. Throughout his fraud trial, even more inconsistencies appeared regarding his financials which, according to Forbes, have drastically been affected by his social media company Truth Social. The company came as an answer to his ban on Twitter in 2021; Trump decided to create his own medium of communication while simultaneously capitalising on the polarising nature of Twitter’s decisions at the time and poach some of its unhappy republican users. Once valued at $22 billion, Truth Social’s value came crashing down once the hype stabilised and Trump was reinstated to Twitter which took away the initial need for Truth Social. The business is now worth $1.2 billion.
This lower value shaved off a lot of Trump’s net worth putting it at an estimated $2.6 billion according to Forbes.
Joe Biden
President Joe Biden has made good money throughout his career and invested it wisely. His current net worth is maintained through appreciating real estate; two Delaware properties worth a combined $7 million. Biden also cashed in on his two terms as Vice President through books and speaking events, reported indicate that earned millions upon vacating his position. His net worth is estimated at $10 million.
Dean Phillips
Before getting into Politics, Dean Phillips was a businessman. He is the heir to Phillips Distilling Company of which he was CEO and chairman. According to Forbes he also ran a gelato company from 2012-16 which was acquired by Unilever. His first foray into politics came in 2018, when he won a House seat in 2018. During this process, he disclosed $77 million in assets according to Fortune.
Robert F. Kennedy Junior
RFK Jr comes from one of the most known and once powerful political families in the United States. He is the fourth person in his family to run for president. His grandfather, Joe Kennedy made his estimated $1.2 billion fortune through stocks and real estate. RFK is one of Joe’s 29 grandchildren as such his inheritance is not as large as people would think. Forbes puts his net worth at about $15 million which includes assets owned by his wife Cheryl Hines as well.
Nikki Haley
Haley is a former governor of the state of South Carolina and was a United Nations ambassador under Donald Trump. After leaving Trump’s administration she cashed in on this experience through authorship, and is now his opponent in the elections.
She wrote a memoir in 2019 and another book in 2022. She also ventured into business through consulting which generated around $700,000 in fees according to Forbes. After that, she joined Boeing as director and left the next year earning $300,000, she remains a board member at UHG which earns her $250 000. She is reportedly worth $8 million.
Marianne Williamson
Marianne Williamson is an author. In 1992, she wrote a book and was featured on Oprah which kickstarted her career. Now, still, the author is leveraging her political runs to boost her public image and promote her work. She is worth a reported $2.5 million.
Cornel West
Dr Cornel West is an American thinker, author and Ivy League professor. His career spanning 30 years has made him around $15 million. His first book sold 500,000 copies.
He is also a political commentator on news channels and has even had a film role in The Matrix. However Dr. West had difficulties managing his finances which led him to trouble with the IRS as he reportedly failed to pay taxes for many years and owed them hundreds of thousands of dollars.
It is also alleged that he blew a lot of his money on extra-marital affairs. Dr West claims that he now lives paycheck to paycheck and has an estimated net worth of $50k.
Read more:
⋙ Donald Trump: New damning proof of his fraud revealed by Forbes
⋙ Donald Trump: How much is Mar-a-Lago really worth?
⋙ President Biden has a massive net worth, and most of his wealth doesn't come from politics
Sources:
Forbes: The Net Worth Of Every 2024 Presidential Candidate
New York Times: Who’s Running for President in 2024?
CBS News: Who's running for president in 2024? Meet the candidates — and the ones who've dropped out
