Donald Trump’s net worth falls by $300m in a year

Declines in the value of the president’s office building at 40 Wall Street, his iconic Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and properties owned jointly with Vornado Realty Trust accounted for some of the biggest hits to his net worth. 

The net worth of President Donald Trump has declined $300m (€254m) in the past year to $2.7bn, erasing 10% of his fortune since he took office, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

The drop marked the sharpest decline since Bloomberg began tracking his fortune in 2015. It started with a decrease in income across the Trump Organisation’s portfolio of office buildings and was compounded by the coronavirus pandemic’s impact on property markets. 

President Trump’s critics would say some of that is his own fault. They have accused him of failing to take the pandemic seriously as it spread, pushing a dubious drug therapy instead of mask-wearing, and leaving states to bid against each other for scarce medical supplies. 

The president has falsely claimed the US would have fewer cases if there were less testing. 

Declines in the value of the president’s office building at 40 Wall Street, his iconic Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue and properties owned jointly with Vornado Realty Trust accounted for some of the biggest hits to his net worth. 

His golf courses also lost value amid a broader slide in prices, as fewer young people take up the sport. 

Late last year, Eric Trump, who’s been running the business while his father is in the White House, began floating a potential sale of their hotel in Washington. 

In June, Vornado said it was exploring options to “recapitalise” two office towers it co-owns with the Trump Organization. 

The pandemic and uncertain outlook for the economy and property market make finding new investors a challenge. 

Bloomberg