Donald Trump said he would refuse a salary for being the US president if elected. After his stunning victory, no comments from him have followed so far. However, referring to well-informed sources, Trump is determined to fulfil this pledge. Before his triumph, the Republican nominee stated that he would not “take even one dollar” of the presidential salary that equals about $400,000 per year. Forbes estimated his net wealth at $3.7 billion, thus putting him at #324 on the Billionaires’ list.
Interestingly, this is not the first case in the US history. Herbert Hoover elected in 1929 was the first to reject a salary for the presidential service. John F. Kennedy took office in 1961 and also decided it was not necessary for him to take a salary as personal income. The wealthy presidents donated their money to charity. Donald Trump will be the third philanthropic president.
It is still unclear what causes the newly-elected president will allocate his salary for. Judging by his astonishing election pledges, the money could be earmarked for building the wall at the Mexican border or future beauty contests. Who knows? Donald Trump brought up his altruistic plans speaking to a crowd of his fans in September 2015 in New Hampshire: “The first thing I'm going to do is tell you that if I'm elected president, I'm accepting no salary, okay? That's not a big deal for me.” Later, he confirmed his intention before the countdown for the final vote.
