Net Worth: $1M Served: 1897-1901
William McKinley served as an infantryman for several years during the Civil War before becoming President. After his time in the service, he went to law school and became a practicing attorney, which allowed him to make a comfortable living wage for himself and his wife, Ida. Still, he never exactly flourished financially. McKinley was sworn into office in 1897 and had already acquired a large portion of his net worth by that point.
But in 1893, when the great depression struck the nation, he found himself facing some serious financial turbulence. He actually went bankrupt, himself, and was forced to start all over again – which didn’t seem to hold him back much at all, considering that he ran for president less than 5 years later and won. He was elected for a second term, as well, but was assassinated halfway through it.
President Roosevelt
Net Worth: $67M Served: 1933-1945
FDR grew up in a fairly wealthy family, the son of a businessman and landowner. His parents sent him to an exclusive private school when he was a teenager, where the sons of some of the most powerful men in the country attended. Later, he went to Harvard and Columbia and eventually passed the bar. He also married his cousin, and the niece of Theodore Roosevelt – Sara, who obviously came from plenty of wealth of her own.
But FDR decided that he was unhappy pursuing the life of an attorney and instead turned his focus to politics. He was elected as a state senator of New York and was re-elected again in 1912. He then entered a very prestigious position as assistant secretary of the Navy, a job which he loved, and which paid extremely well. He had amassed a large portion of his impressive $67 million net worth before ever becoming president.
President Harrison
Net Worth: $6M Served: 1889-1893
The 23rd president of the United States is a shining example of a self-made millionaire who lived the American dream to the fullest. The former president did come from a long line of politicians, however, as his father was a congressman and his grandfather served as president, as well. But he still decided to become a lawyer, which he did successfully for 18 years, amassing a large portion of his impressive net worth.
But Benjamin Harrison wasn’t just any lawyer. He worked on some incredibly high-profile cases, with large and powerful clients – like the entire nation of Venezuela, whom he helped to settle a dispute about their border. In 1890, in the middle of Harrison’s presidency, he was suspected of bribery when he was caught paying a cabinet member for an extravagant summer cottage in Cape May Point. He’d reportedly coughed up what would be nearly $300,000 in today’s financial world.
President John Quincy Adams
Net Worth: $23M Served: 1825-1829
Interesting that John Quincy Adams would be above his father on this list, but indeed he was able to outdo his dad by a smooth couple of million bucks, as far as their net worths are concerned! This Adams was the son of 2nd president John Adams and his lovely wife Abigail. Although, if it weren’t for his inheritance from his father, he wouldn’t have been able to make entirely so much money!
Adams was actually the first U.S. president who was the offspring of another. Before his time in the Oval Office, he served as a Senator and Minister to Russia. After losing the election for a 2nd term, he thought he was going to retire to his farm in Massachusetts, but he ended up being elected to the House of Representatives, instead. He held his seat in the house until his death in 1848. Adams’ youngest son, Charles, inherited a large portion of his father’s estate after his passing.
President Theodore Roosevelt
Net Worth: $140M Served: 1901-1909
This former president, who is most commonly called “Teddy Roosevelt,” was born and raised in a wealthy family, like so many other world leaders. He started out pursuing a career in law but quickly decided that it wasn’t for him and went into politics, instead. Roosevelt inherited an incredible amount of land from his family but lost the majority of it before his time in office after harsh winters destroyed his ranching business.
But Roosevelt had thick skin, and he wasn’t about to let himself slip into poverty. So, he decided to author a couple of books. He published several books and made a decent amount of money during his career as a writer. He became president when he in fact was set to become vice president because McKinley was assassinated in 1901 and he stepped up to take over. His elaborate estate, Sagamore Hill, has been turned into a historic site.