President Trump’s Earnings Far Surpass Those of Vice President and First Lady

President Trump’s earnings from cryptocurrency and real estate soared last year, overshadowing the income of both the vice president and the first lady, according to federal disclosures.

President Trump earned at least $2.2 billion. In contrast, Vice President JD Vance’s earnings ranged from $1.4 million to $7.4 million in 2025, which was a notable increase from his prior earnings of $213,000 to $1.3 million in 2024. This increase was largely due to royalties and advances from his 2016 autobiography, “Hillbilly Elegy.” The book generated between $1.2 million and $5.2 million, a significant rise from less than $100,000 in 2024.

The disclosures also noted that Vance sold his stake in the Rise of the Rest fund, earning at least $100,000. This fund was launched in 2017 with AOL co-founder Steve Case under the venture firm Revolution. Importantly, Mr. Vance’s salary as a U.S. Senator was not included in the disclosure. His wife, Usha, showed no income from the 2024 campaign year as she had left her legal job.

First Lady Melania Trump’s business earnings significantly exceeded those of the vice president, totaling between $17.3 million and $18.2 million last year. Her revenue was primarily from a $10.7 million licensing deal related to the “Melania” movie, promoted by Amazon. The company’s founder, Jeff Bezos, has interests potentially impacted by administrative policies. Amazon recently agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission over accusations of misleading customers into Prime memberships.

Additionally, the first lady earned $6 million from her memecoin sales and about $500,000 from her autobiography, “Melania.”

Reporting by Eric Lipton and Tyler Pager contributed to this summary.