The latest federal disclosures indicate a substantial increase in earnings for Vice President JD Vance and First Lady Melania Trump last year. However, their combined income was significantly lower than President Donald Trump’s financial gains from cryptocurrency and real estate ventures.
In 2025, Mr. Vance reported earnings between $1.4 million and $7.4 million, considerable growth from his previous year’s income of between $213,000 and $1.3 million. Notably, these figures exclude his Senate salary. Much of his financial success stems from royalties and advances for his 2016 autobiography, “Hillbilly Elegy.” In 2025, royalties contributed between $1.2 million and $5.2 million to his income, a sharp rise from under $100,000 in 2024.
Additionally, Mr. Vance profited from selling his stake in the investment fund Rise of the Rest, a fund associated with venture firm Revolution and launched with AOL co-founder Steve Case. This brought in a minimum of $100,000. His wife, Usha Vance, showed no reported income for 2025, having left her legal firm job during the 2024 campaign.
First Lady Melania Trump’s income exceeded that of the Vice President. Her business activities generated approximately $17.3 to $18.2 million last year, a jump from less than $1 million in 2024. Key contributors included a $10.7 million licensing deal for the “Melania” movie acquired by Amazon. This transaction is notable as Amazon, under founder Jeff Bezos, settled a significant Federal Trade Commission lawsuit for $2.5 billion involving its Prime membership promotions. Melania Trump’s revenues also included $6 million from her memecoin sales and around $500,000 from her autobiography, “Melania.”
This article was produced with contributions from reporters Eric Lipton and Tyler Pager. Andrea Fuller, who specializes in data journalism, uses detailed analysis to provide insights into complex topics.