This Is How Much Donald Trump Jr. Is Really Worth

In the space of 20 years, Donald Trump Jr. has slowly been taking center stage in a famous family notorious for treating scandal like a food group. When the millennium began, the eldest son of Donald Trump endured status as a pedigreed pariah, initially choosing not to get involved in the New York-based clan's lucrative real estate business. Today, he's the favorite prodigy of the infamous billionaire and controversial former President, a chief administrator running the Trump Organization with his younger brother Eric, and an object of public scrutiny amped up by the possibility of grabbing the White House keys in 2024.

Given his famous father's penchant for outrageous behavior during his turbulent four-year term, Trump Jr. displays those same qualities endearing to right-leaning hardliners. His demeanor and behavior of late resembles his Trump Sr.'s antics, from garrulous comments about COVID-19 to outrage over an allegedly fixed 2020 federal election, proof that the proverbial fallen acorn still nestles close to the oak. However, for his part, Trump Jr. has been cavalier about his likelihood to occupy 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue or has simply avoided the topic.

Equally murky is the size of Trump Jr.'s personal financial portfolio, with assessments varying widely. Celebrity Net Worth pegs him at $300 million, while an even less-generous Forbes puts him as low as $25 million. In a post-truth era that the Trumps helped ignite, finding the magic figure might be more elusive than ever.

There is no doubt that Donald Trump Jr. led a privileged life when he was born to Donald and Ivana Trump December 31, 1977. And by all accounts, with a father constantly in the headlines, life seemed pretty quiet around the palatial digs. 

That all changed during the 1989 Christmas break in Aspen, Colorado, where the Trumps were vacationing. According to a Chicago Tribune story, Ivana found her husband with mistress Marla Maples, leading to an ugly divorce that saw the enraged wife collect $25 million, a cushy estate and child custody. Don Jr. handled the divorce poorly, refusing to speak to his father for years. The Washington Post reported that after graduating Wharton School of Finance, Don Jr. sought refuge in Aspen for a year, where he slept in his truck and bartended to make ends meet

But a year later, Don Jr. had a change of heart. "I was following my dad around from a young age," he said to New York Magazine. "I don't know if it's genetic, or just because I was surrounded by it, but I was always fascinated with building and construction and development. I guess I just wanted to make sure that I was making the right decision."

From making around $10,000 a year in Aspen (factoring in Colorado's $5.15 minimum wage at the time) to a Trump executive position of a much heftier salary, Don Jr. was finally on the fast track.

During his initial years at the Trump Organization, Don Trump Jr. lived in his father's shadow. But in 2004, the world finally got more than a glimpse of the corporate upstart as an adjudicator on the NBC reality series "The Apprentice" and its "Celebrity Apprentice" spinoff. To viewers, and alongside sister and fellow judge Ivanka, Don Jr. was a refreshing change from his more intimidating father, the obvious star of the show. Don Jr. displayed a much more laid-back onscreen demeanor when he came on in Season 2, although his polite straight-shooter approach shook the boardroom vibe at times.

"My job is to get [the contestants] talking amongst themselves," said Trump Jr. to ST Media. "I love the boardroom because it's the one time in my life that I'm not on the receiving end of the diatribe."

During his time on the show, Don Jr. appeared in 74 episodes of "The Apprentice" franchise and apparently pocketed $2.9 million from the show, according to data retrieved by MoneyNation. Money aside, those cameos did wonders for his profile. That is, until one reality show celebrity got to Don Jr. big-time, and not in a good way.

Singer Aubrey O'Day found herself among 12 famous contestants on Season 5 of "Celebrity Apprentice" in 2011. While the performer didn't win, O'Day still got more than she bargained for when she wound up romantically entangled with Donald Trump Jr.

The two kept mum about the year-long affair until US Weekly leaked the details in 2018. Don Jr.'s wife Vanessa filed for divorce and within a year, the couple agreed on an undisclosed settlement that included custody arrangements involving their five children. Complicating things was Vanessa's inheritance from her late father Charles Haydon. According to Page Six, Haydon's estate included an investment in Rao's Speciality Foods worth $415 million after a 2017 corporate buyout. Vanessa's share isn't known, but assuming Haydon's beneficiaries were strictly family, she, her mother Bonnie, and sister Veronika each might have received at least $130 million.

It was apparently enough for Don Jr. to file against his ex a statement of net worth with Manhattan Supreme Court, presumably to mitigate the settlement's financial damage to his bank account. But a lawyer interviewed by People said his efforts would be futile. "New York State, like many states, makes a division between separate property and marital property," said New York divorce attorney Raoul Felder. "It's only marital property that can be divided."

Don Jr. paid heavily for his infidelity. As for O'Day's life lesson? "Be careful about dating men with the last name Trump," she said to Entertainment Tonight.

In 2018, barely three months after wife Vanessa Trump filed for divorce, Donald Trump Jr. didn't waste any time in finding another romantic partner. The Washington Post broke the news that Don Jr. had hooked up with former Fox News personality Kimberly Guilfoyle. This time, the connection was more than an O'Day fling and it wasn't long before media wags started calling the two a power couple in Washington, D.C. "I've managed to maintain a very low bar with Kimberly," said Don Jr. about his main squeeze on a Facebook video. "I don't want her to get too big an ego, or accustomed to kindness. I want to keep her tough."

And likely frugal, since the two aren't notorious for revealing any lavish gifts with which they shower each other. When asked if he sent a lot on Guilfoyle for their first Christmas together, Don Jr. replied to E! "Yes, I have, but it's a secret. I've spent a lot of time and obviously a lot of money." 

We can make one recent exception however. In April, the couple spent $9.7 million on a Florida mansion, less than a half-hour drive from former resident Trump's posh Mar-A-Lago digs after selling their Bridgehampton home for $8.14 million. According to People, their new residence boasts 11,300 square feet with six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. 

When Donald Trump officially became President, he passed the baton to sons Don Jr. and Eric, who wanted to run things with a low-key approach. And in tandem with their father's "America First" policy, the brothers promised to halt all international deals. "When politics are over, we will resume doing what we do best, which is building the best and most luxurious properties in the world," said Don Jr. to Forbes at the time. 

The brothers then pocketed $110 million selling assets like a Brooklyn housing development, a Park Avenue penthouse, a South Carolina warehouse and some land in the Dominican Republic, which Forbes declared to be in violation of that international pact. GQ reported other transgressions over federal policy such as a residential property development project in Scotland near a Trump golf course and Don Jr.'s bid to sell $1 billion worth of luxury homes in India. Neither brother commented on those endeavors.

A few months after Donald Trump left the presidency, the siblings were also tightlipped over an Associated Press report about the family's recently dwindling fortunes. In several cases, Trump hotel and condo suites had dropped by as much as one-third the price. One Manhattan condo space that went for $4 million in 2008 was sold for $3 million in 2021. Whether it be due to the pandemic or name associated with a controversial President, the Trump Organization remains in freefall.

Donald Trump Jr. has repeatedly been taken to task for his controversial safaris, including one South China Morning Post dispatch about a 2019 sojourn in Mongolia where he bagged a few argali sheep, an endangered species. Package prices for such a trip to Mongolia offered by hunting expedition service providers like Ameri-cana run anywhere from $70,000 to $95,000, although in Don Jr.'s case, there's the additional government security cost, too.

Equally controversial was a TMZ scoop about Don Jr.'s 2012 trip to Zimbabwe with brother Eric, where they hunted and brought down such big game as a civet cat, crocodile, elephant, kudu, civet cat, and waterbuck. Don Jr. was unrepentant about the safari, ruefully tweeting "I HUNT & EAT game." The Trump brothers booked the trip through a company called Hunting Legends which doesn't publicly disclose their package prices. However, another provider, Nyamazana Safaris, offers 21-day hunting packages for $35,700, plus trophy fees that vary according to game. Elephants top that list at $12,000.

Activist site One Green Planet reported that Don Jr. has also pursued game across this continent, from hunting moose in the Yukon to grizzlies in Alaska. According to Book Your Trip, such a moose package can be expensive at $33,000 while a grizzly venture could go as high as $15,000. Undoubtedly, Don Jr. can afford big-game hunting, demonstrating that the corporate executive has a killer instinct for other things outside the safari circuit.

If former President Donald Trump ever wins back the White House, there's no telling how vocal the celebrations among the partisan right would get. But if for some reason he abandons his bid, several Republicans are optimistic they have another ace in the hole by getting Donald Trump Jr. to run instead. Trump's eldest son sometimes acts like a candidate, forever running down the current administration. "The Biden family has spent decades in Washington, DC," he tweeted in October, "enriching themselves by selling access to Joe Biden's taxpayer funded office."

Despite his outspokenness, Don Jr. claims a Presidential seat isn't on his mind. "I haven't personally thought about it," he said to Paul Steinhauser at Fox News. "There's some people talking about it in terms of polls, I've seen a bunch that has me pretty high up on the list if not on top of it. Who knows?" 

Strategists likely have an idea. Donald Trump is by far the Republican favorite with a campaign war chest The New York Times estimated at more than $100 million. But should he drop out of the race, second-place Don Jr. would be the ideal Plan B. Academic journal The Conversation wrote that election regulations allow withdrawing candidates to transfer funds to preferred contenders, meaning Don Jr. would have a financial leg up on his competition. In short, winner, winner, chicken dinner, unless voters determine otherwise.

Despite living in Florida, Donald Trump Jr. still owns property in New York. According to the New York Post, the Trump Organization executive owns a spacious loft in the Manhattan-based Sovereign condo complex that's actually three adjoining suites he originally purchased separately for a total purchase price of $4.21 million. Don Jr. previously owned a Trump Place suite, which he unloaded for $1.84 million. Other Don Jr. property with undisclosed values in New York state includes a cabin and a 171-acre hunting preserve he owns with brother Eric.

Don Jr. also had a few investments outside the state of New York, reported Forbes. They included a stake in a hydroponic lettuce operation (possibly worth $650,000 according to a separate report by ProPublica), a technology company called Future Venture LLC, and an unproductive Texas oil well that lost $200,000.

He might have pocketed some cash in a 2014 redevelopment project of a rundown Charleston, South Carolina Navy hospital worth $5 million. Delays hampered the endeavor, putting Don Jr. and his partners into bankruptcy territory, until they managed to sell the building back to the city for $33 million three years later. Don Jr. and some partners bought another Charleston property, this time a dilapidated warehouse, using a $3.65 million Deutsche Bank loan. When they were unable to pay the loan when it was due, President Donald Trump surreptitiously bought out the group and sold the building for $4.1 million.

It's safe to say that Donald Trump Jr. isn't afraid to use his celebrity to make some extra cash. And it didn't hurt to have his name attached to a book with the intimidating title, "Triggered: How the Left Thrives on Hate and Wants to Silence Us." Published in 2019 and retailing on Amazon for $17.99, the tome, bent on attacking leftists in general and Democrats in particular, quickly topped The New York Times bestsellers list. That said, the paper responsible for compiling those results attributed many of those sales to the Republican National Party purchasing $100,000 worth of copies. 

That success didn't stop the critics like The Washington Post (which called the writing "wretched") from trashing the book, claiming it read like a manual for a possible Don Jr. presidential bid. 

Don Jr. didn't disclose anything about his share of literary revenue, but it's clear he won't be getting as much for his followup "Liberal Privilege: Joe Biden and the Democrats' Defense of the Indefensible," which was supposed to blow the lid off corruption in the Biden government. Sales were so poor that when it dropped in August 2020, Amazon offered the book for 25 percent off the $13.69 retail price during Black Friday (via HuffPost). Don Jr. further pushed the book on Twitter, 

The past few years have seen Donald Trump Jr. mouth off on a variety of issues from gun control and COVID-19 response to rigged federal elections and cancel culture. But lately, he's been collecting all those witticisms and putting them out in a different form of print media, namely clothing. His website Shop Don Jr. showcases t-shirts, hoodies, ball caps and other wardrobe apparel with a variety of slogans like "Do Not Comply," "Buy American," "Turn Off the News" and a number of sayings that can't be repeated here, but attack the likes of Joe Biden and Anthony Fauci.

Consider this swag a series of fashion statements of a sort, drawing a cross-section of angry and bemused consumers taken in by the brashness of these phrases. Don Jr. even has a Yuletide hoodie with a drawing of St. Nick surrounded by text proclaiming "Santa Loves the Second Amendment." Other entries include items printed with  "Guns Don't Kill People Alec Baldwin Kills People" and "Love All Body Types" under a row of bullets in different shapes and sizes.

T-shirts generally cost $27.99, ball caps go for $29.99, and hoodies are available for $39.99. So far, there's no account over how well sales are going.

If you're among those with a sneaking suspicion that Donald Trump Jr. likes to hear himself talk, there might be some proof to back up those thoughts. Cameo, a website dedicated to folks who want celebrities to personalize a message for them on video for a price, now includes Trump personality as part of its luminary roster. For $640, he'll deliver a short personalized video to a fan, while businesses can shell out $6,400 for what he calls "engaging video content." Part of the proceeds from these services are destined for The Shadow Warriors Project, an endeavor started by Benghazi attack survivor Mark Geist to match service dogs to other war veterans. 

"Really look forward to doing all of that and speaking to you guys soon," said Don Jr. on his promotional video. "It's good to be here." While he didn't elaborate on what subjects he'd be willing to talk about, it's safe to say he draws the line at bestowing the amenities of Democrats.

Speculation on how much Donald Trump Jr. is worth can be a dicey proposition. Estimates on that figure insanely vary widely, from Forbes's $25 million to Celebrity Net Worth's $300 million.

To be fair, Money Nation broke down its total figure of $123 million to a salary of $12.6 million that Don Jr. would receive annually. But career website Zippia might argue that's more of a salary befitting a CEO. Based on data on what executive vice presidents might take in each year, they estimated the average to be around $172,000, making the Forbes profile of Don Jr.'s total value more realistic.

But such an annual salary means Don Jr. would have made only $3.6 million while working at the Trump Organization, slightly more than the $2.9 million he earned on "The Apprentice" franchise. Forbes estimated that Don Jr. made the same money at his day job as siblings Ivanka and Eric, each with a total of $25 million.

His real estate holdings of Manhattan suites and a Florida mansion would total about $9 million (assuming he split the Florida cost with his girlfriend). As for those other real estate deals, the absence of numbers implies he took hits on those ventures. Meanwhile, his books and other sideline gigs would be marginal, at best. Sticking with the Forbes number of $25 million is a safe bet, but it could be worse. Don Jr. would only make $400,000 a year if he became President.