Fact check: Old graphic misrepresents Biden and Harris’ wealth

WASHINGTON: The net worth of US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris did not more than quadruple between 2019 and 2022, although an old, unconfirmed graph on social media suggests otherwise.

The graphic, which circulated on the Internet and was recently revived, shows a picture of Biden and Harris with exaggerated numbers: Biden’s net worth is given as $9 million in 2019 and $41 million in 2022, while Harris’s is given as $6.3 million in 2019 and $28 million in 2022.

A Facebook post accompanying the graphic called it evidence of corruption, but this information is misleading. According to Reuters and Forbes, Biden and Harris’ actual net worth did not reach the amounts reported in the data. In 2019, Biden and his wife Jill’s wealth was estimated at $9 million, and in 2023, their net worth was about $10 million.

This increase is largely due to rising property values, particularly their two homes in Delaware, rather than any illegal activity. Biden and his wife earned over $15 million in the two years following his vice presidency, mostly from speaking engagements and book deals.

For Harris, her net worth was estimated at $6 million in 2019 and around $8 million in 2024. This increase is mainly due to an increase in the value of her property, particularly her Los Angeles home. Harris and her husband, Doug Emhoff, owned three homes totaling $5.8 million in 2019, and after she became vice president, her net worth grew in part due to Emhoff’s successful legal career.

Verdict: No evidence. There is no evidence to support the claim that Biden or Harris’ net worth has increased significantly since 2019.