5 of the richest US presidential hopefuls in 2024 – net worths, ranked: from billionaire Republicans Donald Trump and Vivek Ramaswamy, to Joe Biden and Oprah Winfrey’s ‘adviser’, Marianne Williamson

Jan 2 , 2024

Presidential hopefuls for the US 2024 elections (from left): Joe Biden, Marianne Williamson and Vivek Ramasamy. Photos: @joebiden/Instagram, Getty Images, AFP

Self-made Indian-American billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy made most of his money from biotech and finance, and is making headlines for his relentless campaign events

A long shot in the 2024 US presidential race, self-help author Marianne Williamson became an ‘adviser’ to Oprah Winfrey after her New York Times bestseller, A Return to Love

On November 5, 2024, Americans will take to the polls for an election whose results will be felt the world over. Although still months away, the election cycle and presidential hopefuls’ campaigns have already kicked off. Of course, candidates’ funds – including their own net worths – play an important part in their ability to campaign.

Read on for some of the richest candidates across party lines – and their estimated net worths, according to Forbes and Bloomberg.

5. Marianne Williamson (Democrat): US$2.5 million

Self-help author Marianne Williamson is the first Democrat to formally challenge Joe Biden for the 2024 presidential nomination. Photo: AP

Democratic presidential hopeful Marianne Williamson is largely considered a long shot in the political race. The self-help author and spiritual adviser launched her campaign in March – the first Democrat to do so. Per NBC, she also ran in 2020 and is a strong believer in increasing the federal minimum wage and “creating a legal fund for victims of police brutality”.

According to Forbes, most of her money is available in liquid assets, putting her in a unique position to cover any expenses as required. Her New York Times bestseller, A Return to Love, saw her reportedly build a strong relationship with Oprah Winfrey, even becoming her adviser, per Vox. A famous line from Williamson’s book often gets incorrectly credited to former South African president Nelson Mandela, according to the publication.

4. Joe Biden (Democrat): US$10 million

President Joe Biden speaks about investment in rail projects, including high-speed electric trains, in Las Vegas, in December 2023. Photo: AP

When Biden took office in 2021, he was worth an estimated US$8 million. Per Forbes, his wealth has since grown to around US$10 million, mostly because of the increase in value of properties he owns. Per Bloomberg, Biden and his wife Jill listed an income of US$46,200 outside his government pay check. He also disclosed that he earned a small amount in royalties from his book, Promise Me, Dad, his memoir about his relationship with his son Beau, who died of brain cancer.

3. Robert Kennedy Jr (Independent): US$15 million

Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr speaks during a campaign event at Independence Mall in October 2023, in Philadelphia. Photo: AP

Kennedy is the son of former US Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and nephew of former president John F. Kennedy. In April, he launched his campaign for the White House, initially wanting to challenge President Joe Biden in the Democratic primary. Per CNN, he later said he would run as an independent candidate.