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Lifestyles of the Candidates: Their Homes and Wealth

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the richest of them all? Via AOL Money:

Barack Obama's house:

Obama has a large, stately brick home on Chicago's South Side with an estimated value of $1.9 million. The Chicago Tribune describes it as a "96-year-old Georgian revival home that has four fireplaces, glass-door bookcases fashioned from Honduran mahogany, and a 1,000-bottle wine cellar."
Personal wealth:

Compared to the other candidates, Obama seems a pauper with assets of between $456,012 and $1.1 million.

Hillary's house:

More below:

Clinton's house in Chappaqua, New York, a Dutch colonial, has five bedrooms, four bathrooms and is valued at $4.13 million by Zillow.com.

Personal Wealth:

Hillary Clinton is worth between $10 million and $50 million. Much of her wealth comes from Bill's speaking fees. He has earned millions since leaving office.

John Edwards' House:

Former Senator and trial lawyer John Edwards has a sprawling estate in North Carolina, including a 10,400-square-foot main house with two garages, a recreation building, and a barn-like building housing a basketball court, squash court, swimming pool and various rooms, including one they call "John's Lounge," according to the Carolina Business Journal.

Personal Wealth:

John Edwards was a successful trial lawyer before entering politics. Most of his $50 million net worth came from his law work. Michael J. Dayton, editor of the North Carolina Lawyers Weekly, told the New York Times that he had more than 42 multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements and another 32 near the $1 million mark.

The wealthiest candidate in the race: Mitt Romney.

The richest of the candidates, he has assets of between $190 and $250 million, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Already he is estimated to have spent $20 million of his own money on the race.

Also wealthy is John McCain, due to his wife Cindy:

According to MONEY magazine, McCain's net worth is over $40 million. The bulk of his wealth comes from his wife Cindy who is chairman of Hensley & Co., the Anheuser-Busch beer distribution business she inherited from her father. She is an only child and is in charge of the family trusts that are worth millions.

And Rudy Giuliani:

Guiliani's net worth is over $50 million. He made over $11 million in 2006 from speech-making where he earns $200,000 per speech.
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  • Display: Sort:
    Man, that Edwards compound. (none / 0) (#1)
    by Geekesque on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 12:46:18 PM EST
    It's something else.

    Compared to my single-family residence... (none / 0) (#2)
    by rhbrandon on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:00:44 PM EST
    They're all out of my league.

    No matter which Dem. we wind up in the White House, they're all above my marginal bracket.

    Parent

    Re Mitt the Dog Torturer (none / 0) (#3)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:02:42 PM EST
    the appraisal forgets both the value and utility of his stake in Bain Capital, which recently closed on its purchase of Clear Channel.

    And, it omits the value and utility of Clear Channel's distribution arrangement for Rush Limbaugh's show.

    No wonder Rush repeatedly refers to the Mittster's campaign in the first person plural.  

    Romney = Berlusconi, American Style.


    Obama's 94-year old house is probably (none / 0) (#4)
    by oculus on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:13:53 PM EST
    the reason his assets are low.  Think of the amount of money required to keep that house liveable.

    Gosh (none / 0) (#5)
    by squeaky on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:15:10 PM EST
    It is amazing to see what the cost of homes are outside of Manhattan. Everything looks like a bargain. I should get out more.

    Why dontcha (none / 0) (#11)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:13:29 PM EST
    take a look at the listings in, say, Pittsburgh.  Friends tell me one can get a nice house in a nice neighborhood for not much over $100k there.

    Not a lot to do after 8 PM, but still.


    Parent

    Hmmmm (none / 0) (#13)
    by squeaky on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:27:05 PM EST
    Maybe I'll stay....  It is always a shocker though, to hear of how much, let's say, a million dollars will get you in real estate outside of NYC.

    Here it gets you a small condo or co-op with a $1,500/month or higher, maintenance fee.

    Parent

    JE's (none / 0) (#6)
    by Jgarza on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:28:23 PM EST
    house is tacky lol.

    Hill and Obama have some pretty good digs.  1.4 million is a pauper.  I'd like to be that knid of pauper.  

    be it ever so humble (none / 0) (#7)
    by Jen M on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:33:35 PM EST
    there's no place like home!

    parts of the country differ big time (none / 0) (#8)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 01:39:46 PM EST
    4 million in Montana will buy a ten thousand acre ranch....

    where in Montana (none / 0) (#12)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:15:13 PM EST
    is acreage going for $250 an acre?  Does it have water?  Gotta be the deserts in the east, 'cause there's nothing in the western part of the state anywhere near that price.

    Parent
    Montana (none / 0) (#14)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:31:04 PM EST
    southeastern Montana...Total ranch country....nothing else here...I live on a ranch....very remote...we only get mail three days a week...We have a one room school house thru 8th grade and then the kids have to move into town which is 60 miles away....this year the school house has three kids in it....lol....

    Parent
    and drivers always stop for pedestrians (5.00 / 1) (#18)
    by Jen M on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 03:55:47 PM EST
    because they're so damn happy to see another person?

    Parent
    LOL (5.00 / 1) (#19)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:00:51 PM EST
    lol yeah if you are broken down on the side of the road they will stop and offer to assist you.....they also wave at you ......lol.....just friendly folks....

    Parent
    forgive me (5.00 / 2) (#22)
    by Jen M on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:04:54 PM EST
    for I am a confirmed city girl, but you do mean waving with your whole hand, right? I mean people wave around here too but...

    Parent
    heh (5.00 / 1) (#24)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:05:40 PM EST
    LOL (none / 0) (#31)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 05:22:16 PM EST
    yeah a real wave, not a one fingered wave.....

    Parent
    that assumes the broken-down (none / 0) (#23)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:05:06 PM EST
    vehicle has western plates.  A pair of friends of a friend related their western hunting trip, when their pickup-towed trailer caused them no end of breakdown grief and no people stopping to help.  When they finally limped into town, "Jersey plates" was the garageman's explanation.

    Parent
    "Jersey plates".... (none / 0) (#27)
    by kdog on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:55:11 PM EST
    that's hysterical...good one scribe.

    Parent
    Nope (none / 0) (#28)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 05:04:59 PM EST
    Not in my part of Montana cause a friend of mine with New York plates did in fact break down and received help almost immediately...

    Parent
    Wyoming. Kinda the same in that he always gives a friendly wave to every random car w/Wyoming plates that he sees here in LA "because I might know them."

    Parent
    Made better by being true. (none / 0) (#30)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 05:17:48 PM EST
    I don't mean to generalize, but that's what happened to those two guys.

    Parent
    If we wanna go ancedotal (none / 0) (#38)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:05:19 AM EST
    Well, if you break down in certain parts of LA you may get snatched out of the car and your head bashed...

    Or in NYC or Chicago.....

    Parent

    And that's just.... (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by kdog on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 11:51:51 AM EST
    by the local police:)...since we're being anecdotal.

    Parent
    My Sentiments (none / 0) (#43)
    by squeaky on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 11:57:47 AM EST
    Exactly

    Parent
    Bedwetter Fantasies (none / 0) (#41)
    by squeaky on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 11:39:10 AM EST
    Never stop with you. Guess you need something to spice up the Geratol.

    Parent
    Not surprised n/t (none / 0) (#44)
    by cal1942 on Fri Dec 30, 2011 at 09:02:36 PM EST
    must be pretty hard (none / 0) (#16)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 03:35:29 PM EST
    for the kids to get away with, say, sleeping in class.  And, when someone cuts up, everyone knows about it, too, I bet.

    Seems a little empty (people-wise) to me, but there's a lot of pretty scenery in that neighborhood.

    Parent

    yeah (none / 0) (#17)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 03:53:16 PM EST
    yeah it is a vastly different way of life from most Americans, but we love it....We personally live on the border of a national forest so our scenery is breathtaking...The only thing bad about this area is it is chock full of Republicans.....lol....

    Parent
    IIRC (5.00 / 1) (#20)
    by scribe on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:03:03 PM EST
    it was Tom McGuane who remarked about the cruel irony that the most beautiful places (he was referring to Montana) also seemed to be the places most full of very angry people (Republicans).  I've been to Montana (SW) a couple times -loved it, almost moved there - and always managed to avoid confrontation by making sure (a) the conversation stayed on fishing, (b) I asked open-ended questions of the locals without expressing judgment or opposition, letting them vent, and (c) making sure when I did visit, my rental vehicle had western (MT, WY, ID) plates.

    I suppose the one saving grace, today, is that there is an internet, so people of similar interest and inclination can "meet" virtually, without the need for being physically in the same place.

    Parent

    well (none / 0) (#25)
    by athyrio on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:07:36 PM EST
    I am happy to see that this is slowly changing here at least because we now have a democratic governor and our two senators are both democratic as well....we are getting there but it has been a long hard fight.....for example I also post on a local web site and their current discussion is they dont see why Dr. King was honored in this way....so I have been having fun pouncing on them and their ignorance....:-)

    Parent
    Can you (none / 0) (#37)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:00:41 AM EST
    tell us where you lived before you moved there??

    Parent
    hmmm... (none / 0) (#9)
    by mindfulmission on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:07:41 PM EST
    Why do we care?

    Why does it matter how big their houses are or what their net worth is?

    let me expand... (none / 0) (#10)
    by mindfulmission on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 02:11:56 PM EST
    ... on that.

    All the candidates are filthy rich.  I am not sure it it means much if one had a 1.5 million dollar house and one has a 10 million dollar house.

    They are all rich - welcome to American politics.  

    Parent

    Romney's wealth (none / 0) (#15)
    by Zeno on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 03:17:32 PM EST
    So where does Mitt's money come from? He's the only candidate for whom I don't see a source cited. Is he a brilliant investor? Or did he just rake it in from Daddy's GM stock?

    He made it as a venture (none / 0) (#39)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:07:19 AM EST
    capitalist... That is a person you go to for start up money if you want to start a company... employ thousands...make many of them rich.. become rich yourself..

    Parent
    Complete falsehood (none / 0) (#45)
    by cal1942 on Fri Dec 30, 2011 at 09:15:54 PM EST
    Bain Capital is a junk dealer.  They've run buyouts, takeovers, bought in whole sold off in pieces, "streamlined" companies (and you know who gets "streamlined").

    Thousands have lost their jobs and some companies have failed from being over leveraged.

    Romney got his dough from the old man and became a partner at Bain.  Another trust fund baby who's made his sons trust fund babies perpetuating the money begets money family line.

    BOTH Romney and his wife have seven figure annual income probably taxed as "carried interest","  ie same ultra low 15% capital gains rate.

    Mitt Romney is the living example of one the many things that's wrong with this country.

     

    Parent

    Biden (none / 0) (#21)
    by Stellaaa on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:04:14 PM EST
    I think Biden was the poorest, he did not even own a house.  

    What's most troubling to me (none / 0) (#26)
    by Deconstructionist on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 04:12:03 PM EST
      isn't that these rich people have a chance to be President so much as so many of them became rich by being career politicians.

      Clinton, Giuliani and to a lesser extent Obama are prime examples of people who are rich because they are politicians not politicians because they are rich.

    Yes, but (none / 0) (#32)
    by PlayInPeoria on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 06:07:24 PM EST
    they didn't get to have the fun we had.... they didn't get to inhale!

    Parent
    I thought Obama sd. he did inhale. (none / 0) (#33)
    by oculus on Tue Jan 22, 2008 at 06:23:25 PM EST
    i always find these things amusing, (none / 0) (#34)
    by cpinva on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 12:16:25 AM EST
    as though at some early point in our nation's history, a poor person, or one of modest means actually ran for president. lincoln may have been born in a log cabin, but he wasn't living in one when elected to the white house, he'd been a reasonably successful lawyer and politician already.

    i don't begrudge any of the candidates their wealth, as long as they came by it legally. to my knowledge, they all did. you might not like how they did, but that's your problem, not their's.

    that edward's place sort of reminds me of the famous winchester house, in california, where the late mrs. winchester kept adding on to it, to keep ghosts out or something.

    by helping enough others get what they want.

    It's anybody's problem who is troubled by it (none / 0) (#36)
    by Deconstructionist on Wed Jan 23, 2008 at 01:46:49 PM EST
     
    and it would seem beyond question that mob=ney driven politicians have the potential to do things not exactly consonant with the general welfare.

    I sure hope I am not alone in believing there is something wrong with people becomig very wealthy solely because of the their past, present or possibloe future public offices  and that your view that anything is kosher unless there is a specific statute criminalizing it is a minority view of what the standard to be President (or hold lesser office) should be.

     I am not naive enough though not to realize that many people do have standards as low as your standards are.

    I wonder what (none / 0) (#40)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jan 24, 2008 at 07:21:33 AM EST