Net Worth: $39M Served: 2001-2009
George Bush Jr, son of former president Bush Sr, served the United States as the 43rd president. Before his time in office, he attended Yale, where he also became a member of Skull and Bones, and was basically set up financially and politically, thanks to his father’s influence and path-making. Like his father, he worked in oil for several years before settling down with his wife and embarking on his journey into politics.
Bush was elected as the governor of Texas, where he served from 1995-2000. He was incredibly popular among voters, hence his re-election and ultimate election into the Oval Office. There are a lot of conspiracy theories that surround the Bush administration and 9-11, and while no one knows for certain if there is any truth behind them, one thing is for sure: The Bush family has made an absolute fortune in the oil industry…
President Eisenhower
Net Worth: $9M Served: 1953-1961
Dwight D. Eisenhower is another shining example of someone who made the most out of the American Dream. He grew up in a rural farm town, with a blue-collar family. His father worked as a mechanic and his mother was a stay-at-home Mennonite. He attended West Point and then joined the military, where he served for an extensive period of time before his time in office.
He became extremely decorated within the service and even obtained the rank of five-star general. He also worked as president of Columbia University from 1948-1953 when he was elected to the Oval Office. He may have in fact been elected for a 3rd term if the 22nd amendment of the constitution hadn’t been ratified that year to prevent him (or any other U.S. future president) from being able to run again.
President Hoover
Net Worth: $83M Served: 1929-1933
Herbert Hoover is the very definition of a self-made millionaire. His parents both died when he was a child, and he grew up living with an uncle. He earned his degree in geology from Stanford and went on to work internationally for different mining companies before WWI shook everything up. He saved thousands upon thousands of lives, both helping Americans evacuate from around Europe, and feeding over 10 million refugees.
All of his philanthropic work during the war earned him both the nickname of “The Great Humanitarian,” and the attention of President Wilson, who nominated him to head up the Food Administration. That’s what initially got his foot in the door of the political world, where he ended up doing a lot of good work and making a very impressive amount of money for it. Hoover passed away in NYC in 1964, when he was 90 years old.
President Clinton
Net Worth: $76M Served: 1993-2001
Aside from the very public reasoning behind why Bill Clinton was impeached, he was actually a terrific president for the United States during his time in office. While he enjoyed a comfortable salary in the Oval Office, Clinton made a lot of his money through book and press deals. For instance, he apparently made nearly $15 million from sales of his book, "My Life."
But Clinton hadn’t always been so wealthy. In fact, he had a pretty rough time during his childhood, after his biological father passed away and his mother married his stepfather (whose name he ultimately took.) He attended Georgetown, graduating with a degree in International Affairs before entering into politics. His various media and business ventures have enabled him to acquire a net worth of over $75 million in total.
President John Adams
Net Worth: $21M Served: 1797-1801
John Adams was the 2nd president to ever serve the country in that position. Unlike George Washington, he wasn’t rolling in cash before obtaining his seat in the Oval Office, but he certainly wasn’t struggling, either. He’d worked as a writer and lawyer, before his election, so he already had amassed a small fortune when he went into office. Besides the money that he’d made on his own, he also married into even more wealth, thanks to his wife’s family.
In fact, John Adams ended up marrying Abigail Quincy – the 2nd first lady of the United States, and a member of a prestigious political family in Massachusetts. In fact, Abigail was one of the first women’s rights activists in the U.S., mailing her husband letters during the revolution asking him to “keep the ladies in mind,” when creating laws for the new nation! Well, Abigail, we’re simply thrilled you and your husband enjoyed the fruits of your labors, to a healthy extent of $21 million!