(NewsNation) — Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump differ greatly when it comes to their approach to running the country, but the two candidates vying for the White House are also very different when it comes to their personal net worth.
Net worth is the value of the assets a person owns minus the liabilities they owe. Here’s a closer look at how Trump, the Republican nominee for president, and Harris, who replaced President Joe Biden at the top of the Democratic ticket, built their wealth.
What’s Donald Trump’s net worth?
Trump was worth about $4 billion as of Sept. 9, according to Forbes.
The most recent estimate indicates Trump is down about $3 billion since May, when Forbes reported he was worth about $6.9 billion and Bloomberg similarly placed his net worth at about $7.67 billion.
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group fell during the first week of September and hit their lowest level since a merger took the company public earlier this year. As of Monday, Sept. 9, Trump Media had lost about 72% of its value since peaking at $66.22 in late March, CNN reported.
The selloff bumped Trump off the Bloomberg Billionaires Index ranking the world’s 500 wealthiest people.
Bloomberg’s most recent estimate places Trump’s net worth at $7.67 billion, while Forbes reports he’s worth about $6.9 billion. Both estimates are based on calculations from May 22.
However, Trump’s net worth has grew by at least $1 billion since the assassination attempt on the former president took place at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13, Forbes reported.
Overall, Trump’s wealth can be attributed to his Truth Social parent company, his real estate holdings, clubs and resources and other holdings.
Trump’s share of Truth Social was valued at $4.6 billion in June before shares of Trump Media and Technology Group jumped by 32% in the days after Trump was shot, Forbes reported. Trump owns 65% of the company (114.75 shares), which had been valued at $3.5 billion before the Butler rally.
Donald Trump’s real estate holdings
Another $1.1 billion of Trump’s net worth comes from his real estate holdings, which include Trump Tower in New York, three Florida homes and the Trump International Hotel in Las Vegas. His other properties, including the Mar-a-Lago club, six U.S. golf courses, his Miami resort and three European golf courses, are valued at $810 million.
Forbes estimates that Trump has more than $410 million in cash and other liquid assets and $100 million in other assets.
What does Donald Trump owe?
According to Forbes, the former president’s legal troubles have negatively affected his net worth. Trump reportedly owes $540 million in liabilities. In February, a judge ordered Trump to pay a $454 million judgment in a civil fraud lawsuit brought by New York Attorney General Letitia James, ruling Trump inflated the value of his assets. Trump’s lawyers appealed the ruling.
What’s Kamala Harris’ net worth?
The vice president’s net worth is currently valued at around $8 million, according to Forbes. Her wealth has grown by $2 million since 2019, when she was tabbed as Biden’s running mate.
Much of her value stems from real estate and government pensions, according to Forbes.
A home in Brentwood, California, owned by Harris and husband Doug Emhoff, has a current value of $4.4 million, but the couple still owes on the residence, Forbes reported.
The 3,500-square-foot four-bedroom home is located less than a mile from the Sunset Strip and is the only piece of real estate known to be owned by Harris and Emhoff.
Harris sold her apartment in Washington, D.C., and in San Francisco in 2021. The San Francisco apartment sold for $860,000, according to financial disclosures. According to Forbes, Harris purchased the apartment for $489,000 in 2004.
Harris paid $1.775 million for her Washington apartment in 2017, according to reports.
Kamala Harris’ pensions
Harris, who earns around $235,000 annually as vice president, has about $1 million in state, local and federal pensions, Forbes estimates. Other aspects of her wealth come from retirement accounts, investments and Emhoff’s 401K account.
Kamala Harris’ book income
Harris has authored three books, including “The Truths We Hold,” a children’s comic book called “Superheroes Are Everywhere” and a criminal justice policy book, “Smart On Crime,” which she authored in 2009.
According to Forbes, Harris made the most on her books in 2021, when she collected $450,000, which was $100,000 more than the previous year. She only made $80,000 on the books in 2022, according to Forbes, and $8,500 in 2023.
How have politics affected Trump’s, Harris’ net worths?
During his time in the White House between 2017 and 2021, Trump’s net worth averaged out at $2.86 billion each year, according to Bloomberg.
His highest annual net worth during the presidency was $3.1 billion in 2017, 2018 and 2019. His lowest annual net worth was $2.5 billion in both 2020 and 2021.
Bloomberg reports the presidency cost Trump $700 million, pointing to a fallout with brokers and lenders over the Jan. 6 Capitol riots and the impacts of the pandemic on office buildings.
Trump’s highest net worth before he won the 2016 presidential election was in 2015, when his wealth was valued at $4.5 billion.
In the 10 years before he won the White House, Trump was worth an average of $3.13 billion each year, and the lowest value that Trump’s wealth was estimated at was $2 billion.
The real estate mogul fell off of the Forbes 400 list between 1990 and 1995 before his book, “The Art of the Deal,” and his NBC hit reality show, “The Apprentice,” caused Trump’s personal brand to surge before he jumped into the political arena.
How Harris’ financial picture changed
Harris made between $140,000 and $200,000 per year as San Francisco’s attorney general, according to tax returns filed by the couple.
In 2010, Harris took a pay cut to become California’s attorney general, which paid her $159,000 per year. In 2017, Harris’ salary as a U.S. Senator jumped to $174,000, according to Time.
When she was elected as Biden’s vice president in 2020, Harris’ net worth was estimated at $6 million, which was due largely to Emhoff’s work as an entertainment attorney. Forbes estimated that Emhoff was earning around $1 million per year with his work.
However, that salary dropped significantly when Harris moved into the vice president’s residence, and Emhoff left the law firm, ABC News reported. Emhoff accepted a position as a law professor at Georgetown University, where he earned nearly $200,000 per year.