President Trump’s earnings from his cryptocurrency and real estate empire greatly outpaced those of Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump, according to recent federal disclosures.
While President Trump accumulated at least $2.2 billion last year, the vice president and first lady saw significant surges in their income, though substantially less than the president. JD Vance, who was previously a U.S. senator, earned between $1.4 million and $7.4 million in 2025. The vast bulk of his income stemmed from royalties and advances related to his autobiography, “Hillbilly Elegy,” published in 2016. From this book, he earned between $1.2 million and $5.2 million, marking a notable increase from the less than $100,000 earned in 2024.
Vance’s financial disclosure also shows he sold his stake in a fund named Rise of the Rest, securing at least $100,000. The investment fund was initiated in 2017 by Vance and AOL co-founder Steve Case, under the venture firm Revolution.
Usha, the wife of JD Vance, did not report any income in the disclosure as she had resigned from her position at a law firm during the 2024 campaign.
First Lady Melania Trump’s earnings exceeded those of Vice President Vance, with business revenues ranging between $17.3 million and $18.2 million in the past year. In comparison, she earned less than $1 million in 2024. A significant portion of her income was from a $10.7 million licensing deal concerning the “Melania” movie, which was acquired and marketed by Amazon. It is noteworthy that Amazon’s founder, Jeff Bezos, has multiple interests that could potentially be influenced by government policies.
In addition to the revenue from the movie, the first lady gained $6 million from her memecoin sales and approximately $500,000 from releasing her autobiography, “Melania.”
Eric Lipton and Tyler Pager contributed additional reporting.
Andrea Fuller is a data journalist at The Times, focusing on data analysis to clarify complex subjects.
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