Who Is The Richest Republican Candidate?

One of the requirements of formally running for president is submitting financial disclosures to the Federal Election Commission that include a candidate's overall net worth. A majority of candidates boast high net worths of well over seven figures — an impressive number in any field — but it's the GOP that boasts the candidate with the most money. So, who is the richest Republican candidate? The answer is none other than Donald Trump, though the net worth he claims in interviews is a far cry from what his FEC filing has to say. This is a problem that has dogged Trump long before the first GOP debate.

According to The Donald himself, he's worth as much as $10 billion. But his FEC filings point to a net worth of at least $1.5 billion, while Bloomberg has calculated Trump's net worth at around $2.9 billion. Likewise, Forbes also disputes the hefty $10 billion claim. The magazine has been working with Trump and assessing his net worth for decades, most recently featuring him in a March billionaires issue, thus they've been tracking his worth long enough to accurately assess it. According to staff writer Erin Carlyle, it's Trump's over-valuing of his own personal brand that makes for such a large margin between estimates like the aforementioned $1.5 billion and his repeated claim of $10 billion.

Nevertheless, Trump's net worth is worlds away from the second most valuable GOP candidate, Carly Fiorina, who's worth at least $59 million. Fiorina has been incredibly transparent with her finances, releasing tax information from as far back as two years. Trump, meanwhile, continues to boast erroneous numbers. During his presidential candidacy announcement speech, he claimed an impressive $8.74 billion in assets despite information to the contrary. Despite the major discrepancies, Trump's wealth is so hefty that, even with a net worth of $1.5 billion, he's still the richest candidate to ever run from either party.

In contrast, the richest Democratic presidential candidate's net worth is far closer to that of Ben Carson, Jeb Bush, and John Kasich, who all have at least $10 million. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, Hillary Clinton's net worth of around $15.3 million puts her millions away from fellow candidates Bernie Sanders and Martin O'Malley, both of whom boast less than $1 million. Though mass amounts of money certainly don't account for winning an election, both Clinton and Trump are sitting pretty as the candidates in their respective party with the best polling numbers. According to Real Clear Politics, Clinton is leading the pack based off of five different presidential polls. Though his numbers may have ultimately diminished following the first GOP debate, Trump continues to lead the Republican field as well.