Leaders.com
  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
  • Master Classes
  • Business
    • Entrepreneurs
    • Executives
    • Marketing and Sales
    • Social Media
    • Innovation
    • Women in Business
  • Leadership
    • Personal Growth
    • Company Culture
    • Public Speaking
    • Productivity
    • Hiring
    • Social Issues
    • Leaders
  • Wealth
    • Investing
    • Cryptocurrency
    • Retirement
    • Venture Capital
    • Loans and Borrowing
    • Taxes
    • Markets
    • Real Estate
  • Master Classes
Wealth

Former Vice President Mike Pence and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have both increased their wealth since deciding to run for president (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

By Tyler Hummel Leaders Staff

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel

Tyler Hummel is a news writer for Leaders Media. He was the Fall 2021 College Fix Fellow and Health Care...

Full bio


Learn about our editorial policy

Jul 6, 2023

Running For President To Grow Wealth 

Presidential candidates are gaining a great deal of personal wealth and attention from their campaign efforts. 

Key Details

  • A recently announced filing shows that Florida Governor and Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis’s net worth has increased from $319,000 to $1.2 million in the past year. 
  • A significant portion of that wealth came from his bestselling campaign book The Courage To Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint For America’s Revival, which was released in February and sold more than 169,000 copies, Forbes reports. 
  • Former Vice President MikePence—also a declared candidate—has used his time since leaving the vice presidency accumulating personal wealth, grossing $4.8 million in speaking and consulting in 2022, Forbes reports. 
  • He also received a $1.4 million advance for his memoir So Help Me God and receives a $381,000 salary from Hoosier Heartland. 

Why It’s Important 

Many presidential candidates run because they ultimately believe they have a shot at winning the nomination, but that does not mean that the attention it brings is not personally enriching. Both DeSantis and Pence were relatively middle-class civilians prior to their national-level political careers, with net worths below $1 million each, and they’ve both seen their valuations skyrocket from speeches and book sales. 

Candidates have gained more from their candidacies than just financial benefits. The race has turned several relatively unknown business leaders and political figures into national-level names. 

Vivek Ramaswamy was the relatively unknown author of Woke Inc: Inside Corporate America’s Social Justice Scam before he announced his candidacy earlier this year. Democratic primary challenger Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was also relatively unknown, mostly regarded as an activist and descendant of the Kennedy family, garnering more than 1.8 million Twitter followers. 

Backing Up A Bit 

The 2024 Presidential debate stages are going to be crowded later this year, as 12 Republicans and three Democrats have already announced their candidacies for office. President Joe Biden holds that incumbent advantage against his primary challengers, Marianne Williamson and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., but the Republican ticket has more opportunities. 

Former President Donald Trump (52%) currently holds the clearest lead, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (23.3%), former Vice President Mike Pence (6.5%), and the remaining candidates polling below 3.9%, according to FiveThirtyEight.  

Lesser known Republican and Democratic candidates could still see significant boosts to name recognition as a result of their candidacies.

Home / News / Running For President To Grow Wealth 
Share
FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Related Stories

Wall Street Makes $100 Billion Bet on Weight Loss Pills

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Investing

Oct 25, 2023

Ozempic

Investor optimism around a potential blockbuster obesity drug by Structure Therapeutics led to soaring share prices across the weight-loss pharma sector.

Key Details

  • Structure Therapeutics' stock jumped 35% after reporting positive results from early clinical trials of a once-daily weight-loss pill.
  • The experimental drug helped participants lose about 5% of their body weight over one month without side effects, although there are concerns with Ozempic.
  • Analysts predict the global anti-obesity medication market could reach sales of $100 billion by 2030, up from $71 billion currently.
  • With promising growth prospects, investors are betting on companies developing new weight loss drugs like Structure, Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Pfizer.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Parent’s Wealth Tip The Scales In SAT Scores and College Admissions

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Wealth

Oct 25, 2023

Parent's wealth tips the scales for SAT numbers

New data shows a strong correlation between family income and SAT scores, indicating the exam may act as a “wealth test” that advantages higher-income students.

Key Details

  • Students from wealthier families tend to score higher on the SAT than lower-income peers due to advantages like well-funded schools, tutors, and extracurricular activities.
  • The pandemic has exacerbated SAT score disparities, with average scores dropping the most among disadvantaged groups.
  • Addressing the gap requires increased funding for lower-income school districts and expanding access to test prep resources.
  • Children from the top 1% of families are twice as likely to attend an Ivy-Plus college (Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, and Chicago) compared to middle-class families with similar SAT/ACT scores.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn

Seattle Takes The Crown For Advanced Tech Talent

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
Tech

Oct 24, 2023

Seattle tech talent

Seattle has emerged as the metro area with the most advanced tech talent, beating out tech hubs like San Francisco and Silicon Valley.

Key Details

  • According to a new ranking by the Burning Glass Institute, Seattle has the highest proportion of advanced tech workers compared to other cities with similarly sized tech workforces.
  • The ranking evaluated 60 million high-paying, in-demand tech job postings and histories to identify cities with cutting-edge roles like AI and cybersecurity rather than legacy tech positions.
  • With tech giants Amazon and Microsoft headquartered in Seattle, the city edged out the San Francisco Bay Area, Boston, Austin, and Raleigh on the list.
  • The report found that demand for software developers and IT support specialists has declined over the past five years as companies seek more specialized tech talent.

Go deeper

FacebookTweetEmailLinkedIn
car loans, used cars
Loans and Borrowing

Oct 23, 2023

More Americans Can’t Keep Up With Car Payments

by Colin Baker Leaders Staff
Chevron Gas Deal
Markets

Oct 23, 2023

Chevron Makes $53 Billion Deal Amid Surging Gas Prices

by PJ Howland Leaders Staff
nike logo
Company Culture

Oct 20, 2023

Nike to Require More In-Office Days From Employees

by Colin Baker Leaders Staff

Recent Articles

Hiring

Nov 1, 2023

Learn the Winning Answers to the Most Common Phone Interview Questions

Come to your next phone interview fully prepared

Personal Growth

Oct 30, 2023

85 Quotes on Self-Love to Boost Your Self-Esteem

Don’t fall into the trap of harsh self-criticism

Company Culture

Oct 27, 2023

What is a Sabbatical? Your Ticket to Restful Growth and Meaning

Sabbaticals can benefits both employees and businesses

  • Business
  • Leadership
  • Wealth
Join the Leaders Community

Get exclusive tools and resources you need to grow as a leader and scale a purpose-driven business.

Subscribing indicates your consent to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy

Leaders.com
  • Privacy Policy
  • About
  • Careers
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
  • Disclosures
  • Editorial Policy
  • Member Login

© 2025 Leaders.com - All rights reserved.

Search Leaders.com