Ron DeSantis Net Worth: An In-depth Analysis

Ron DeSantis is the 2024 presidential candidate best positioned to challenge Donald Trump. The current and 46th Governor of Florida has more in common with Barack Obama than Trump. He has limited experience in the private business sector and does not have billions in the bank. At the beginning of 2022, Ron DeSantis had a net worth of only around $320,000, with $20,000 in student loans.

DeSantis secured a huge book deal early this year that probably upgraded his net worth to six figures. The Republican’s current net worth is approximately $350,000 to $1.2 million.

Are you eager to learn more about Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ net worth? Dive into the journey of his wealth accumulation from public service and now, a race to the White House.

Ron DeSantis Bio

Early life

Ronald Dion DeSantis is a 44-year-old American politician born September 14, 1978. Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Ron is the first child of Karen and Ronald Daniel DeSantis. His younger sister, Christina DeSantis, died in 2015 from a pulmonary embolism. She was 30 years old.

DeSantis’s parents met at Youngstown State University in Ohio. His mother is a nurse, while his father worked for Nielsen Media Research. He installed Nielsen TV-rating boxes. Ron’s family left Jacksonville for Orlando before settling in Dunedin, Florida. Ron was six years old then.

Ronald DeSantis was part of the Dunedin National team that played at the 1991 Little League World Series held in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.

Education

Ron DeSantis began his education at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. He then joined Dunedin High School. After graduating high school in 1997, DeSantis enrolled at Yale University. He studied history and was quite active at the university. He joined fraternities and secret societies such as the Delta Kappa Epsilon and St. Elmo. He was an outfielder and captain of the school’s baseball team.

While at Yale, DeSantis worked different jobs, including coaching at a baseball camp. Ron DeSantis graduated from Yale in 2001 with a B.A., magna cum laude. Ron then joined Darlington School in Georgia as a history teacher. He worked there for a year before enrolling for a law degree at Harvard Law School. He was the business manager for the school’s Journal of Law and Public Policy.

He earned his Juris Doctor from Harvard in 2005, cum laude. 

Career

Ron DeSantis’s career in government service began in 2012. He won the seat to represent Florida’s 6th congressional district representative. He served in the United States Congress for three terms and then moved to the governorship.

The candidate for the 2024 presidential elections is famous for his fundraising ability. Between April and June, DeSantis raised more money than his rival, Donald Trump. He raised $20 million against Trump’s $17.7 million. He has raised more money than any candidate in the entire United States from donations alone.

DeSantis is not particularly as wealthy as Donald Trump. He is more of a Barack Obama, who entered the White House with a modest net worth of only $1.3 million. As such, he relies on support from state and national parties and rich GOP donors.

Military Service

There is a widely misunderstood history of DeSantis. While he deployed with the United Navy SEALs, he was not a SEAL himself.

During his second year as a law student, DeSantis was commissioned with the U.S. Navy and assigned to the Navy Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 2005, he completed his naval justice studies at the Naval Justice School. He then reported as a prosecutor to the JAG Trial Service Office Command South East, Mayport Naval Station, Florida.

Ron became a lieutenant in 2006 and was sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. He worked in the Joint Task Force Guantanamo, which worked with detainees at the camp. Part of the information about Ron’s time at the Guantanamo camp has since been redacted. Mansur Ahmad Saad al-Dayfi, a detainee at the camp, alleged that Ron DeSantis oversaw the force-feeding of detainees at the camp.

In 2007, DeSantis was sent to advise SEAL Team One on legal matters at the Colorado Naval Special Warfare Command Group in California. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq as a part of the troop surge and legal advisor to Dane Thorleifson. Thorleifson was the SEAL commanding officer of the Special Operations Task Force-West in Fallujah.

Before completing his Naval service in 2019, DeSantis received several awards and medals for his service. He received the Bronze Star Medal and the Commendation Medal from the Navy and Marine Corps. He was awarded the Iraq Campaign Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.

Florida Governor

Ron DeSantis filed his Florida gubernatorial candidacy on January 5, 2018. With endorsement from the Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Ron won the vote.

DeSantis supported legislation allowing concealed gun owners to carry firearms. He also promised to promote a state-wide ban on Sanctuary City. Sanctuary City commits to protecting undocumented immigrants.

He opposed marijuana legalization for recreational purposes. He, however, promised to establish a medical marijuana program.

A day after the Republican primaries, Ron stated in a Fox News interview. He said, “The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state.” The word monkey attracted harsh criticism from all over. Critics said he was addressing his Democratic opponent, Andrew Gillum, an African American.

DeSantis assumed office as governor on January 8, 2019. On January 11, he pardoned the Groveland Four, the black men falsely convicted of rape in the 1940s. Most of DeSantis’s legislative agendas are enacted on rapid timelines. This has helped him maximize the power of his office.

Take a Look at Who is Ron DeSantis?:

Book Deal

White House or no White House, Ron DeSantis is already a rich man. His lucrative book deal with HarperCollins pushed his net worth to over $1 million. His June financial disclosure shows that the deal skyrocketed his net worth from $319,000 to $1.2 million.

HarperCollins published Ron DeSantis’s book, The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival. It came out early this year and became a bestseller.

According to the financial disclosure form, the publisher paid DeSantis a book advance of $1.25 million. The form shows that the Florida governor only has two income streams. He earns from his book deal and the annual state salary of $141,400.

Ron Launched the book in February; as of June, he had already sold 168,900 print trade copies, excluding bulk orders for campaign events. Before his book, Ron published another book in 2011. He was not famous then. As such, his book Dreams from Our Founding Fathers: First Principles in the Age of Obama paid him $20,000 in book royalties. 

Stock Portfolio of Ron DeSantis

In his recent reports, Ron did not list any significant stock holdings. In his June 2023 tax returns reports, Ron declared that he only earns from the governor’s salary. His only other income stream is his book deal with HarperCollins publishers.

How Did Ron DeSantis Make His Money?

Ron DeSantis is estimated to have a modest net worth of $1.2 million. His wealth is thanks to his state salary and the lucrative book deal he signed with HarperCollins.

Here is a closer look at how Donald Trump’s biggest opponent made his money.

Ron was a naval reserve officer in the United States Army, assigned to the Judge Advocate General’s Corps. In 2007, he deployed to Iraq with the United States SEALs as a legal advisor to the commanding officer. In 2008, he returned to the U.S. and served in the Naval Region Legal Service Office Southeast.

Ron DeSantis was appointed to the United States Attorney’s Office as an assistant United States attorney in Florida. After his honorable discharge in 2010, he ran for the U.S. Congress in 2012. He represented Florida’s 6th Congressional District until 2018. He became governor of Florida in January 2019. He still holds this position, hoping to relinquish it as he heads to the White House.

Besides savings from his previous occupations, Ron DeSantis receives an annual salary of $141,400. His net worth skyrocketed from around $350,000 to $1.2 million when he signed a book deal worth over $1 million. 

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Conclusion

Ron DeSantis may not have a fat net worth or huge investment plans, but his presidential campaign supporters have. The Florida governor has a net worth of $1.2 million. But when it comes to fundraising, the guy is a genius. He has raised more money than his primary opponent, Donald Trump.