The short answer to the question is this: $5.6 billion, but as with any billionaire, Donald Trump's net worth is constantly fluctuating due to a variety of factors. Let's take a deeper dive into what he owns, how much it's worth, and what impacts the valuations of what he owns.
That $5.6 billion estimate is as of July 29 2024. It starts with figures from Forbes which were accurate as of May 2. Those numbers have been updated with Donald Trump’s raised stake in his publicly traded company — and the company’s significantly lower market capitalization.
What makes up the majority of Trump's net worth?
By far, the lion's share of Trump's net worth comes from Trump Media & Technology Group Corp (NASDAQ: DJT), the parent company of his social network, Truth Social. The company went public via a merger with the special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Digital World Acquisition Company in March 2024.
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Trump Media's share price has been up and down since then — mostly down — but any sizable ownership stake in a major publicly traded company can be worth millions or even billions. Of course, as a publicly traded company, Trump Media is likely to be one of the most volatile areas of Trump's portfolio, rising and falling as the company's share price rises or falls.
After receiving another 36 million shares in the company at the end of April, Trump’s stake in Trump Media now stands at around 65%, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission and reporting from Reuters. That stake is now worth about $3.7 billion as of July 29.
Trump's other assets
The second-largest chunk of Trump's net worth is real estate, accounting for $1.1 billion, followed by his clubs and resorts at $800 million. Trump reportedly has $400 million in cash and $100 million in other assets.
Among Trump's real estate holdings are a 30% stake in 1290 Avenue of the Americas, an office and retail building in New York. The building is worth about $1.8 billion. He also owns a 30% stake in a three-building complex at 555 California Street and 17 condos at his Trump Park Avenue property.
Among Trump's other properties are Trump Tower, worth about $161 million after debt, Trump International Hotel Las Vegas, worth about $122 million, and three homes in Florida and a variety of residential lots. He also owns the penthouse at Trump Tower, a leasehold at 40 Wall Street through 2059, Trump Winery, and Trump Parc and Parc East, which consists of condos, a garage, and some retail. Other holdings include Trump World Tower, Trump Plaza, Trump International Hotel & Tower in Chicago, Trump Palace, and two homes next to one of his golf clubs in Virginia.
Donald Trump owns the Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral Miami resorts, worth $325 million and $273 million, respectively, and 10 golf clubs in six states and three golf properties in Europe.
Finally, other assets held by Trump include $3 million in cryptocurrency, an aircraft, loans made to his children, and a licensing and management business.
And what lies in the debit column, detracting from Trump's net worth? Forbes estimated his legal liabilities at more than $500 million, in its 2nd May estimate.
How much have Trump's legal problems cost?
Despite his legal problems or perhaps because of them, Trump apparently has more liquidity now than he did at any time while he was in the White House. He cashed out his hotel in Washington, D.C. and refinanced a building in San Francisco, receiving $162 million from that transaction.
However, Trump still doesn't have enough liquid assets to cover the legal judgments against him. He owes over $540 million in legal judgments in connection with two court battles in New York, although it could be years before these liabilities are resolved because he has vowed to fight those judgments.
Reports of just how much Trump owes in relation to the legal cases against him vary but it's likely that the $540 million estimate that Forbes gave in early May has gone up, possibly significantly. In May, The Independent reported that he owed lawyers an amount in the seven-figure range — about $1.1 million based on filings with the Federal Election Commission by Trump's political action committee (PAC), Save America.
How much Trump himself will shell out on legal fees remains to be seen, given that the Save America PAC has been footing the bill for much of that ballooning total.
How Donald Trump's net worth has fluctuated over time
Forbes estimated Donald Trump's net worth at around $200 million, back in 1982 rising to $1.7 billion by 1989. However, his net worth plunged in the 1990s, and he fell off the Forbes 400 list for the first half of the decade. In 1996, he was worth about $450 million. From there, Trump's net worth gradually rose over time, and by 2007, it was $3 billion before tumbling again in 2009, at the end of the Great Recession (December 2007 to June 2009.)
In 2009, Trump began building his billions again, reaching $4.5 billion in 2015. Trump's net worth began to decline again in 2016, falling to $3.7 billion before bottoming out during the pandemic at $2.5 billion in 2020 and 2021, likely in part because of closures that shuttered his clubs and resorts.
In 2022, Trump's net worth to $3.2 billion but dropped again, to $2.6 billion, in 2023. This year's increase is solely due to his $5.6 billion stake in Trump Media, which is not great news for him.
Trump Media only generated $4 million (not a typo) in revenue for 2023 and is operating at a loss. Moreover, the company's balance sheet shows minimal assets.
Similar to meme stocks or cryptocurrencies, Trump Media's valuation appears inflated by Trump's fanbase. Even with generous valuation methods, such a stock would usually be valued in the tens of millions, not hundreds of millions, let alone billions. If this holds true, Trump may be wealthy now, but if the hype around DJT stock ends, Trump is worth closer to half of the current estimates.
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