Donald Trump's personal wealth has ballooned, reportedly earning more in the last two years than the previous 60 combined. The US president has seen his net worth go from £1.73 billion in 2024 to £4.81 billion in 2026.
Roughly 26% of Trump's wealth comes from pre-existing real estate and golf ventures. But the overwhelming majority comes from cryptocurrency, with the total going up by a staggering 183% in two years.
Meme coin launch and fees
Trump launched his 'Official Trump' ($TRUMP) meme coin in January 2025, days before his inauguration. It went onto the market with a valuation of £11.26 billion, but is now worth £339 million – a 97% drop. However, this did not hurt Trump, who never directly invested in the coin. Instead, he was paid a 1% to 5% transfer fee every time a $TRUMP meme coin was bought or sold.
Comparisons with predecessors
Steven Ratner, a former Obama staffer and journalist, called the increase 'unprecedented in scale and source'. He said: 'Obama's wealth grew from royalties on books written before office — and Bush's mostly from a sports‑team stake from over a decade prior. Most of Trump's new billions are from deals made in office.'
In comparison, President Bush's net worth increased by 35% while in office, thanks to a stake he bought in the Texas Rangers baseball team a decade before. President Obama's went up by 47% in his first two years because of royalties from books he wrote before taking office. President Biden's wealth grew just 5% in his first two years in office.
Legal stance and legislation
Trump maintains that all of his dealings are completely legal as his business operations are handled by his sons Eric and Don Jr. He told CNBC in July: 'I could know about it. I didn't. There's nothing illegal. There's nothing wrong with it I could know.'
A White House spokesperson rejected any allegations of conflicts of interest, stating that all of the President's assets are held in fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions. But his personal profits while in the White House have been debated in the Senate and led to the drafting of the CLARITY Act, which attempts to establish formal regulations for cryptocurrencies. It would prohibit federal elected officials or immediate family members from issuing or directly monetizing personal digital assets during their tenure in office.
