Politics
NewsOnScale Staff
October 4, 2026
Donald Trump has been on the Forbes billionaire list for decades. His net worth was already in the billions when he took office for the second time in January 2025.
What's new is the rate of growth.
Forbes estimates Trump's current net worth at approximately $6.4 billion, up from $2.3 billion at the start of his second term. That's a $4 billion increase in roughly 20 months. By one accounting, he took in approximately $2.2 billion in 2025 alone — more than he earned across his entire first term.
Trump forgoes the $400,000 presidential salary. He made $2.2 billion instead.
Where the money came from
The $TRUMP meme coin, launched days before his January 2025 inauguration, brought in roughly $635 million in sales. The Trump family's crypto company, World Liberty Financial, saw a UAE-linked investment firm buy nearly half its stake, adding hundreds of millions more. Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, remains valued at approximately $2 billion despite reporting significant net losses.
Foreign real estate and licensing deals accelerated. In January 2026, the Trump family announced a $7 billion real estate project in Saudi Arabia covering a hotel, golf course, and luxury homes. Foreign licensing revenue hit $45 million in 2024, a 580 percent increase from the prior year.
The comparison
Forbes compared Trump's wealth growth to prior presidents. George W. Bush's net worth rose 35 percent in his first two years, driven by reinvested proceeds from a pre-2001 Texas Rangers stake. Barack Obama saw a 47 percent increase from book royalties written before he took office. Trump's net worth rose 183 percent in his first two years of his second term.
The $400,000 question
Trump has made a point of forgoing the presidential salary since his first term, donating it to various government agencies. The gesture is worth $400,000 per year. His crypto and licensing revenue in 2025 alone was more than 5,000 times that amount.
The White House has said there are no conflicts of interest in the president's business arrangements. Ethics watchdogs and members of Congress have disagreed, pointing specifically to the $TRUMP meme coin, foreign real estate deals, and the UAE investment in World Liberty Financial as arrangements that blur the line between the presidency and personal enrichment.
Trump entered office a billionaire. He is leaving the first half of his second term significantly richer. The $400,000 salary he gave up is a rounding error.
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