You need to know these facts about presidential salaries!
Presidential salaries have long been a topic of discussion, and for good reasons. How much money does the person leading the whole nation make? Most of us can swear that the president of this country makes a ton of money, and after all, this would make a lot of sense, right?
By definition, the presidents of the United States are public servants, but they do not do this job for free. They have a substantial salary as long as they are in office, and this has been the case since George Washington.
First, you need to know that the presidential salary was established by Congress, and on a couple of occasions, it was raised. But the question still remains: How much does the job pay? George Washington used to get $25,000 annually, which would be the equivalent of $800,000 in today’s money.
But what is more interesting about presidential salaries is that they come with a couple of quirks, and this is what we want to talk about today. Get ready to discover some surprising facts about how (and why) commanders-in-chief get paid. Spoiler! The real benefits of this “job” go beyond money.
At some point, there was an athlete who earned more than the president
The 1920s were the prime time for baseball, and there was not a more suitable person to embody the whole spirit better than George Herman “Babe” Ruth. He was a memorable character with a larger-than-life persona and some home runs no one was able to compete with during that time.
But probably the thing that made him truly famous, besides his fantastic plays, was that in 1930 he out-earned the President of the United States! We told you that presidential salaries changed over time, but back then the salary was $75,000 annually.
Well, in 1930 the New York Yankees’ star landed a two-year contract of $80,000 per year. This made him the first athlete ever in the entire US history who managed to get paid more than the actual president.
During an interview, Ruth was asked what he thinks about his salary, surprising the ones of the president, and he responded in an amusing manner, saying the following words: “Why not? I had a better year than he did.” You can imagine the shockwaves this response sent all
around the country, considering that it all took place during the Great Depression.
John F. Kennedy donated his salary
When discussing presidential salaries, we can’t miss telling you more about John F. Kennedy and one of the lesser-known facts about him. It was 1961 when he entered the Oval Office, but besides the power he took, he also brought in his considerable personal wealth.
JFK came from an influential family, and we can easily say he was already very rich long before his political career and becoming the president of the USA. During that time the presidential salary was $100,000. This is a big sum, and as you can imagine, it could have changed the lives of many people.
But Kennedy decided that he could do something good with all the presidential salaries he received, and so he directed his government earnings to charitable causes. By the end of his tenure, he had contributed nearly $500,000 to charity.
His donations truly changed things, and the benefits were diverse. For example, the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America, the United Negro College Fund, and the Cuban Families Committee were just some of the organizations that benefited from his donations.
Kennedy’s humanitarian attitude was hardly unprecedented. The 31st president, Herbert Hoover, likewise donated his presidential salary to charity, demonstrating a similar loyalty to public service before personal wealth. In recent years, President Donald Trump has followed the example, donating his presidential profits to various charities.
The reasons presidential salaries are a thing are more surprising than you think
As we already know, George Washington became America’s first president in 1789. The thing is he initially refused to get paid. He refused the $25,000 presidential salary, which was a huge sum at that time.
Why did he do that? Well, when he served in the military, he gained no money from it, and he considered it only fair to continue the tradition. He wanted to make things clear that he was not gaining benefits from public office.
However, those who framed the Constitution were not very keen on this approach. They believed that the president needed to receive some kind of compensation because this would help them keep their integrity. From their point of view, an unpaid president was more susceptible to material temptations, and they saw presidential salaries as the most effective way to combat this.
Even more, the Domestic Emoluments Clause was enacted to strengthen the executive branch’s independence. This clause assures that the president’s income cannot be changed during their tenure, preventing Congress from using salary adjustments to influence presidential policy.
In the end, Washington was convinced to accept the salary, and he accepted that this was something that should happen in order to keep the integrity of the president.
Besides the base salary, there are also some additional financial perks
The presidential salaries have always been substantial, and since 2021, the president has gotten $400,000 per year. But considering that our president has many attributes that take them outside of the office, a $100,000 annual travel budget also exists in order to cover all the travel costs inside the country and outside of it.
But this is not all; some other $19,000 allowance is designated for official entertainment. This means that the president could use this money for various important events, such as the welcoming of foreign dignitaries.
Also, you know very well that the president and their family move into the White House. Since this is their new home, the president gets $100,000 if they want to redecorate the space. The historic residence needs to feel like home, and the state tries to help with that.
But, for example, Barack Obama showed commitment to fiscal responsibility and offered to cover the redecoration expenses himself from his own pocket. Now you might think that these perks are just lavish, but they are there to ensure the president is able to do the best work.
In conclusion, we consider that knowing the history of presidential salaries offers you the chance to reflect on the history of this nation and lets you notice the shifts in economic conditions, societal values, and the ever-changing role of the presidency.
What do you think about presidential salaries? Are they necessary or not? Tell us more about this in the comments! Your opinion matters, and we and the other readers are here to hear all about it.
Do you want to find out more crazy facts about our presidents? This book might be what you are looking for: The New Big Book of U.S. Presidents 2020 Edition: Fascinating Facts About Each and Every President, Including an American History Timeline
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