Has Trump no shame about all the money he has made since being in office? | Francine Prose
By now we know that charity, generosity and compassion are virtues that the US president doesn’t seem to have even in trace amounts Many years ago, in the crowded corridor of a Manhattan hotel, I was surprised to find myself standing face-to-face with Imelda Marcos, then the first lady of the Philippines. At that time, she was said to possess 3,000 pairs of shoes. I desperately longed to ask the…
In 2024, Donald Trump amassed over $2 billion in earnings. The majority of his wealth comes from cryptocurrency investments, merchandise sales featuring his name, and leasing income from his real estate properties. Legal settlements contributed another $117 million to his fortune. According to Yahoo Finance, Trump's net worth ranges between $6.4 billion and $6.5 billion, depending on market fluctuations.
Given the astronomical sum, one could ask why anyone would require such a vast fortune. The answer appears to be the pursuit of further acquisition and accumulation, driven by greed, which is considered one of the seven deadly sins. The unending quest for wealth, power, and success has become an end in itself, rather than contributing to a comfortable or pleasurable life.
Some speculate that Trump believes amassing endless wealth could grant him immortality. It is difficult to differentiate between the money Trump earned legitimately and that gained through loopholes and dubious deals. Recent lessons have shown the volatility of such wealth, especially in the crypto market, which can collapse, leaving the wealthy untouched while others suffer.
The president's lack of empathy for struggling Americans is evident, as he shows no signs of following the example set by philanthropic billionaires like Melinda Gates and Mackenzie Scott. The disparity between Trump's fortune and the struggles of everyday Americans is hard to reconcile. The only explanation for Trump's support is that his wealth is seen as an aspirational aspect of the American dream, despite the evidence suggesting that it is unattainable for most.
The widening income gap between ordinary families and billionaires, such as Trump, is a disheartening reality. In a tradition of reading Charles Dickens's A Christmas Carol, students and colleagues at the college where Francine Prose teaches are reminded of the importance of empathy and the dangers of greed, as Ebenezer Scrooge's transformation serves as a cautionary tale.
Written by urgent.news from Guardian Business's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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