Presidents Day trivia: Who were the 10 richest US presidents?

ByChelsea Sheasley, ContributorFebruary 20, 2012

Forty-three Americans have called the White House home (it wasn't completed in time for George Washington). Just as their political fortunes waxed and waned, so did their financial fortunes.Ron Edmonds/AP/File

Presidents Day officially is still linked to President Washington's birthday, but in many ways it has come to be seen as a celebration of Lincoln and all the Americans who have occupied the White House. Myth has it that they were self-made men, but the reality is that most were well-to-do and many were quite wealthy. If elected, Mitt Romney, who earned nearly $22 million in 2010 and has said his net worth is about $200 million, would be among the three wealthiest presidents. But even he would not be the richest commander in chief, according to an analysis of peak presidential wealth by 24/7 Wall Street, a news and analysis website. You may be surprised who ranks among the Top 10 – and who doesn't:

10.
John Tyler ($51 million)

Forty-three presidents have called the White House home (it was not built in time for George Washington to live there). Which president was the wealthiest?

When it comes to Presidents Day, John Tyler is not top of mind for most Americans. Originally elected as vice president in 1841, Tyler reached the presidency after William Henry Harrison’s surprise death only a month after his inauguration. Dubbed “His Accidency,” Tyler came to office with some sizable assets. His father, who had served as a state and federal judge and governor of Virginia, bequeathed to him a 1,000 acre tobacco plantation. His first wife, Letitia Christian, also brought wealth to the marriage.

Tyler was the first man to gain the presidency because of the death of a sitting president and his example set the precedent that has governed ever since. He moved into the White House immediately, had the oath of office administered to him, and took the reins of government with full presidential powers. Once in power, he didn't have an easy time of it, vetoing several proposals pushed by his party. The party expelled him, most of his cabinet resigned, and he was opposed by both parties on domestic issues. But he did push ahead with the annexation of the Republic of Texas, considered his landmark achievement, which would paved the way much later for a Texas resident and Top 10 wealthy president to occupy the White House.