Donald Trump Net Worth: The Billionaire Who Went from Real Estate to the White House

Donald Trump net worth is a topic many people are curious about. As a businessman and U.S. president, he has built a career in real estate, media, and politics. He became well-known for his real estate empire, owning hotels, golf courses, and luxury properties. He also gained fame through The Apprentice, a hit TV show that made him a household name.

So, let’s take a closer look at his earnings and how he built his wealth over the years.

What Donald Trump Net Worth?

Donald Trump is an American politician, media personality, and businessman serving as the 47th president of the United States since January 2025 with an estimated net worth of $8 billion. His fortune comes from real estate, branding, television, and political influence. While he has claimed to be worth much more in the past, financial reports and investigations have provided a clearer picture of his true wealth.

His business empire includes properties in New York City, Miami, Chicago, and Las Vegas. Trump’s name has been licensed to buildings, luxury products, and even consumer goods like steaks and water. His portfolio also includes golf courses, resorts, and media ventures.

Despite his billionaire status, Trump’s net worth has fluctuated over the years. Legal battles, failed businesses, and political decisions have all played a role in shaping his financial status.

Salary

As President, Donald Trump earned $400,000 a year. However, he gave almost all of that money to charity. He only kept $1 for himself. After leaving office, Donald will get a pension of $211,000 every year.

Presidents like Donald Trump also get extra benefits. They can get up to $1 million each year for travel. They also have Secret Service protection for life. On top of that, they get $150,000 for staff costs and help with office space.

Bill Clinton’s office space costs U.S. taxpayers more than $500,000 a year.

Early Life

Donald Trump was born on June 14, 1946, in Queens, New York. He is the fourth child of Fred and Mary Anne Trump. He has three older siblings: Maryanne, Fred Jr., and Elizabeth. He also has a younger brother, Robert. Trump comes from German and Scottish roots.

His father, Fred, gave each of his children around $20,000 a year, which would be about $265,000 today. By the time he was eight, Trump was already a millionaire.

Donald Trump first went to the private Kew-Forest School but had trouble fitting in. He was interested in his father’s business from a young age. So, his father sent him to New York Military Academy, a boarding school. Trump thought about a career in show business but chose to go to college instead.

He started at Fordham University in 1964 but transferred to the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania two years later. He graduated in 1968 with a degree in economics.

Business Career

Donald Trump started working at his father’s company, Trump Management, in 1968. His father owned rental properties in New York’s outer boroughs. By 1971, Trump became president of the company. He used the Trump Organization as an umbrella brand for many projects. Roy Cohn, Trump’s lawyer and mentor, helped him with legal matters, including a big case in 1973 where they fought the U.S. government over racial discrimination in Trump’s properties. Trump often sued, even if he lost, claiming it was a win. Cohn also introduced him to political consultant Roger Stone.

In 1992, Trump and his family members, including his siblings Maryanne, Elizabeth, Robert, and cousin John W. Walter, created a company called All County Building Supply & Maintenance Corp. The company helped Trump with his rental businesses. They allegedly used it to mark up services and get approval for higher rents.

Donald Trump’s first big project in Manhattan was the renovation of the Commodore Hotel in 1978. He received financial help from his father and Hyatt. The hotel reopened in 1980 as the Grand Hyatt. Trump also developed the Trump Tower, a huge building in Midtown Manhattan. He bought the Plaza Hotel in 1988 but filed for bankruptcy protection in 1992. He later defaulted on $3 billion in loans in 1995, losing many of his properties but avoiding personal bankruptcy.

Trump’s casinos in Atlantic City were also troubled. He opened his first casino, Harrah’s at Trump Plaza, in 1984. It wasn’t successful, and he took full control in 1986. In 1988, he bought the Trump Taj Mahal casino, which cost over $1 billion to build. Despite all his efforts, Trump’s Atlantic City casinos filed for bankruptcy protection multiple times.

In 1985, Trump bought Mar-a-Lago, a large estate in Palm Beach, Florida. He later turned it into a private club. He also began buying golf courses in 1999. By 2016, he owned 17 courses. Trump’s brand was licensed for many products like food, clothing, and home goods, bringing in over $59 million for his companies.

Donald Trump was also involved in other ventures. He purchased the New Jersey Generals, a football team, in 1983. He later sold it when the league folded. Trump hosted boxing matches and supported cycling races like the Tour de Trump. In 1988, he bought the Eastern Air Lines Shuttle but had to give it up in 1992 after he defaulted on loans.

In 1996, Trump purchased the Miss Universe pageants. He later moved them to NBC. In 2005, he started Trump University, a real estate school, but it was criticized for fraud. After his presidential win in 2016, he paid $25 million to settle lawsuits related to the company.

The Donald J. Trump Foundation was started in 1988. Trump donated $5.4 million to it by 2006. He gave $65,000 more in 2007 and 2008, but then stopped. The foundation received money from other donors, like $5 million from Vince McMahon. It gave money to health, sports, and conservative groups, as well as charities hosting events at Trump properties.

In 2016, The Washington Post reported the charity may have broken laws, including tax evasion. That same year, the New York attorney general said the foundation broke state laws by not submitting audits. It had to stop fundraising. Trump announced it would close in December 2016. In 2018, the New York attorney general filed a lawsuit, seeking $2.8 million. In 2019, a judge fined Trump $2 million for misusing funds, including to help his campaign.

Donald Trump and his businesses faced over 4,000 legal actions by 2018. Though he didn’t file for personal bankruptcy, his hotels and casinos in Atlantic City and New York filed for bankruptcy six times from 1991 to 2009. The businesses continued operating as they restructured debts.

In the 1980s, over 70 banks lent Trump $4 billion, but after bankruptcies, only Deutsche Bank continued to lend him money. After the January 6 Capitol attack, the bank stopped doing business with Trump.

Trump says he started his career with a “small loan of a million dollars” from his father. He borrowed at least $60 million from him, but largely didn’t repay. He also received $413 million from his father’s company. In 1984, Trump used a fake name, “John Barron,” to try to get a better ranking on the Forbes 400 list. Trump’s self-reported net worth has varied from minus $900 million in 1990 to $10 billion in 2015. In 2024, Forbes estimated his net worth at $2.3 billion, ranking him 1,438th wealthiest in the world.

Second presidency (2025)

Donald Trump started his second term on January 20, 2025. He became the oldest person to be president and the first with a felony conviction.

In the early days of his presidency, Trump signed many executive orders, more than any other president in their first day. These orders often faced legal challenges. He also pardoned 1,500 people involved in the January 6 events and made other controversial moves. Trump’s decisions often tested the limits of the law, including mass firings of federal employees.

Donald Trump also focused on changing domestic policies. He appointed oil and gas lobbyists to the EPA and pulled the U.S. out of the Paris Agreement. He made moves to reverse diversity policies, blaming “wokeness” for problems in the country. His administration took action against gender-related issues, banning trans people from the military and stopping gender changes on passports.

On immigration, Trump ordered the deportation of illegal immigrants, continued building the border wall, and paused the refugee program. His government pushed for more arrests of illegal immigrants and targeted sanctuary cities.

In foreign policy, Trump worked on U.S. relations, including with Israel and Hamas. He also planned to leave the World Health Organization and stopped its funding.

Donald Trump’s second administration saw major personnel changes. He appointed Elon Musk to work on government efficiency, giving Musk’s team access to multiple government agencies.

Personal life

Donald Trump married Ivana Zelníčková, a Czech model, in 1977. They had three children: Donald Jr. 1977, Ivanka 1981, and Eric 1984. They divorced in 1990 after Trump’s affair with Marla Maples. Trump married Maples in 1993 and had a daughter, Tiffany 1993, but they divorced in 1999. In 2005, Trump married Melania Knauss, a Slovenian model. They have a son, Barron 2006.

Trump claims he has never used alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs. He sleeps about four to five hours a night. He says his main form of exercise is golfing, though he doesn’t walk the course. He believes exercise wastes energy.

In 2015, his doctor, Harold Bornstein, said Donald Trump would be the “healthiest individual ever elected” but later admitted Trump wrote the letter himself. In 2018, Bornstein revealed that Trump’s agents had taken his medical records in 2017.

Donald Trump has identified as a Presbyterian since 2016. In 2020, he started calling himself a nondenominational Christian.

Real Estate

Before Donald Trump became President, he lived in a huge penthouse at Trump Tower in New York City. It was about 30,000 square feet and covered in gold, marble, and diamonds. The ceilings had Italian frescos. The apartment is worth at least $100 million, maybe up to $200 million because of its luxury and fame.

Not far from Trump Tower, he also owns some units in Trump Park Avenue. This building has views of Central Park.

Donald Trump bought a 213-acre property called Seven Springs in Westchester County, New York, for $7.5 million in 1995. He even rented it to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi for a while, though Gaddafi ended up staying elsewhere after a local protest.

In Florida, Trump bought Mar-a-Lago for $10 million in the 1980s. He called it his “Winter White House” during his presidency. The mansion was built in the 1920s by Marjorie Merriweather Post, a cereal heiress, who spent $7 million on it, which would be $101 million today. After Post’s death, the U.S. government didn’t take the estate, and it was put up for sale in 1981 for $20 million.

Donald Trump tried to buy nearby properties but ended up buying Mar-a-Lago in 1985 for $7 million. He spent millions more to renovate it, adding a ballroom, a pool, and tennis courts. When he faced financial struggles in the 1990s, Trump thought about dividing Mar-a-Lago into private homes. But when Palm Beach residents disagreed, he decided to turn the property into a private club. He agreed to make sure the estate couldn’t be developed.

Today, Mar-a-Lago is a 126-room mansion and a private club. If sold, it could be worth around $160-200 million.