What do you think of when you hear the words “politician” or “politician’s spouse”? Maybe a fancy dinner party at the White House, or maybe a lavish wedding where the bride wore $100 million worth of diamonds. You might even imagine them driving around in limos and flying on private jets. And while all of those are true, they’re missing something important: The richest politicians in America are also some of its most wealthy citizens! Yes, there are quite a few people on this list who have made their fortunes not through politics but through other endeavors—but these politicians have been able to use their position to make even more money than usual. So without further ado (and in no particular order), here are some of our favorite wealthiest politicians from across the country:
1. J.B. Pritzker, $3.4 billion
The richest politician in America is J.B. Pritzker, a businessman and politician who was elected governor of Illinois in November 2018. He’s worth $3.4 billion, according to Forbes. His net worth comes primarily from Hyatt Hotels Corp., an international hotel chain founded by his father Jay Pritzker; he also owns wineries, restaurants and real estate around the world through other companies he founded or co-founded with his siblings Todd and Tonya (who also have significant personal fortunes). Pritzker made headlines earlier this year when he released tax returns showing that he paid more than $1 million in federal taxes on an adjusted gross income of $213 million between 2016-17–the highest rate any American paid during that period; most others would have been taxed at lower rates thanks to deductions for charitable giving or mortgage interest payments
2. Donald Trump, $2 billion
Donald Trump is the richest president in US history, with a net worth of $2 billion. He made his money building and selling real estate. Trump is the founder of The Trump Organization, which owns golf courses, hotels and resorts around the world. He’s also an author who has written many books about business success and how to make money (which is ironic considering he was born into wealth).
3. Doug Burgum, $1.1 billion
Doug Burgum is a politician who served as the 39th Governor of North Dakota from 2019 to 2021. He was born on September 18, 1956 in Casper, Wyoming. He founded Great Plains Software with Jonathan Lewis and Pat Roney in 1982 and served as CEO until 1999 when it merged with Microsoft Corporation to form Microsoft Business Solutions Division (MBDS). He remained with MBDS until 2003 when he left the company to pursue other interests including philanthropy work through his family foundation which focuses on improving education opportunities for children living in poverty areas across America.
4. Darrell Isa, $460 million
You may not know Darrell Isa, but you’ve probably seen his work. He’s a businessman and politician who served in the Oklahoma House of Representatives from 2004 to 2010. Though he left politics for good in 2011, his net worth still totals over $460 million–a number that comes from founding Isa Development Corporation (IDC), which specializes in real estate development projects across the country. In addition to being one of America’s richest politicians, Darrell also happens to be quite charitable; he reportedly donated $2 million towards relief efforts following Hurricane Harvey last year!
5. Jim Justice, $450 million
The West Virginia governor is a businessman and politician who has held office since 2017. He’s also the owner of several coal mining companies, a thoroughbred horse farm, and several hotels. Jim Justice grew up in poverty on a family farm that was owned by his grandparents after his father died when he was three years old. He graduated from college with an accounting degree before launching his own business ventures including real estate development and coal mining operations that have made him one of America’s richest politicians today!
6. Jared Polis, $400 million
You may know Jared Polis as the Governor of Colorado, or perhaps you’ve seen him on the news for his work in politics. But did you know he has a net worth of $400 million? That makes him one of the richest politicians in America. Polis was born in Boulder and attended Princeton University before going on to law school at Harvard University. After graduating from law school, he started working as an attorney at Finnegan Henderson Farabow Garrett & Dunner LLP where he specialized in intellectual property litigation and complex commercial litigation matters such as patent infringement cases involving computer software and semiconductor products. His political career began when he became involved with local Democratic Party organizations before eventually running for Congress himself–and winning!
7. Glen Youngkin, $400 million
Glen Youngkin is the richest politician in America. He has a net worth of $400 million and he’s governor of Alaska. Youngkin is a Republican, but he was elected as governor in 2017 after serving as lieutenant governor from 2013 to 2017. A big reason for his wealth is that he owns several companies including one called Arctic Energy Services Inc., which specializes in oil drilling equipment and services for offshore drilling platforms and pipelines throughout Alaska, Canada and Greenland (and other places). The company also has offices around the world including Singapore and Dubai!
These are just some of the richest politicians in America. There are many others, but these seven individuals have more money than most people can even imagine. It’s important to remember that being rich does not necessarily mean someone is good at their job or cares about what happens to regular Americans like us.
