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This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.

Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

FACT BRIEF

Did Trump’s net worth decline during his presidency?

Monday, April 11, 2022

By Lisa Freedland

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YES

Former U.S. President Donald Trump's net worth declined roughly $700 million in the last full year of his presidency, from $3.1 billion to about $2.4 billion, according to estimates by Forbes of the value of various holdings and activities.

The majority of Trump's losses were attributable to declines in some of his real-estate holdings, including golf resorts and hotels, which were affected by the pandemic's impact on travel and leisure activities. During his term, he also lost money in his licensing and management business as multiple licensees dropped the Trump name to avoid being associated with "four years of polarization," according to real estate analyst Kevin Brown.

After a rebound in some valuations as pandemic restrictions eased, in March 2022 Forbes estimated his net worth had recovered to $3 billion.

Even at the lowest estimate, Trump was the richest president in U.S. history. The net worth of his most recent predecessors, Obama, Bush (Jr.) and Clinton, increased by $69 million, $20 million and $240 million during their presidencies.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

Sources

Forbes The Definitive Net Worth Of Donald Trump

Newsweek Donald Trump's Net Worth Fell by a Third During His Presidency, Forbes Says

Cheapism U.S. Presidents' Net Worth, Before and After Taking Office

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Gigafact

Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

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About fact briefs published on Gigafact

Fact briefs are short, credibly sourced summaries that offer “yes/no” answers in response to claims found online. They rely on publicly available, often primary source data and documents. Fact briefs are created by contributors to Gigafact —a nonprofit project looking to expand participation in fact-checking and protect the democratic process. See all fact briefs here.