 "Donald Trump or Kamala Harris. Voters will have to choose between the two -- the former whose net worth is estimated $8 billion and the latter who is worth $8 million. File image/AP")
One claims to be a billionaire, and another claims to be middle class. That’s the choice the American voter has to make on November 5 — between former US President Donald Trump and US Vice President Kamala Harris.
With just a week before the US presidential polls, both candidates have presented their very different approaches to running the country.
And while that’s important, there’s one question that is still being asked: who’s the richer of the two?
How rich is Kamala Harris?
The current US vice president’s net worth stands at an estimated $8 million, according to a Forbes report. But these riches haven’t come from her political career.
After earning a degree in law, in 2004, she became San Francisco’s District Attorney, earning her a salary of $140,000 a year. This climbed to more than $200,000 in 2010.
In 2010, she became California’s Attorney General, and her salary dropped to $159,000 a year. Seven years later, in 2017, she joined the US Senate, earning her an annual pay of $174,000.
Forbes reports that the early 2010s shaped Harris’ finances in other ways. In 2012, following their mother’s death, Harris and her sister sold her Oakland home for $710,000, local real estate agent Jerry Beverly confirmed.
As vice president, she now earns a salary of $218,000 per year.
So, where does her wealth come from? Forbes reports that her multi-million dollar net worth is largely thanks to a home Harris bought with her husband, Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff in 2012. Since 2021, the value of the house has jumped about $1 million to an estimated $4.4 million.
Together, the couple hold between $2.9 million and $6.6 million in investments, cash, and retirement funds, according to 2024 forms filed in May — per Barron’s.
Harris’ net worth has also been bolstered by her book deals. She received an advance of more than $300,000 for her memoir, The Truths We Hold, and has raked in more than $500,000 as royalties from her writing gig.
And even if she loses the White House race, Harris’ net worth won’t be affected. That’s because she will begin receiving an estimated $8,200 in monthly payouts from her California pensions later this year, and her federal pension payments will likely begin in 2026. Also, she will be able to rake in the cash if she follows previous vice presidents in booking more speaking gigs as well as book deals.
What about Donald Trump’s net worth?
But how does Kamala Harris’ net worth compare to her Republican rival, Donald Trump? Forbes reports that Trump’s net worth as of today is $8 billion, a more than two-fold increase since the end of September when it was $3.9 billion.
A big chunk of this comes from his Truth Social parent company. However, Trump also has made millions from his real estate holdings. He has 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 US 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.
However, Trump’s net worth has long been disputed; New York Attorney General Letitia James has initiated a civil case against the former US president accusing him of exaggerating his wealth by as much as $3.6 billion at times.
Additionally, Trump has massive legal costs; he reportedly owes $540 million in liabilities. His long list of legal cases also keeps adding to his expenses.
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Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz , the current Minnesota governor, is way less wealthy than his potential boss. He also has the least wealth of any of the candidates, according to his most recent financial disclosure, which reportedly shows that he owns no stocks, bonds or real estate.
Forbes reports that Walz’s net worth is just over $1 million. Many experts have pointed out that this is a lower net worth than about six out of 10 adults in his demographic of college-educated married people ages 50 to 64.
Meanwhile, his fellow vice-presidential candidate Senator JD Vance , a Republican from Ohio who grew up in poverty, is now a multimillionaire. His bestselling book, Hillbilly Elegy, which was published in 2016, really boosted his economic status. Today, he boasts a net worth of around $10 million.
Trump’s running mate owns sizeable stake in two businesses and a pricey property. In his 2023 Senate financial disclosure form, he placed holdings at more than $600,000. He also said he had hundreds of thousands of dollars in savings accounts, millions of dollars in mutual funds, and between $100,000 and $250,000 in cryptocurrency. The total value of the couple’s reported assets is between $4.1 million and $11.8 million, according to a Post analysis. In 2023, their income on investments was somewhere between $201,801 and $1.2 million.
Vance and his wife, Usha , also own a $1.6 million house in Northern Virginia. They also own a Washington, DC townhouse that they rent to tenants, which is worth between $500,000 and $1 million. In 2022, they reported collecting between $15,000 and $50,000 in rent.
With inputs from agencies