WASHINGTON — Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump filed financial documents with federal campaign regulators Wednesday and set his personal fortune at more than $10 billion with an annual income of more than $362 million.
Members of his staff had said that Trump would release the financial documents themselves, but they issued only a statement that announced the filing and included a few financial details. It provided little information about how he calculated his net worth.
The $10 billion figure — up nearly 15 percent since the previous year, by Trump’s calculation — would make him the wealthiest person ever to run for president, far surpassing previous magnates such as Ross Perot, business heirs such as Steve Forbes or private-equity investors such as Mitt Romney, the 2012 GOP nominee.
Among the sources of Trump’s income has been $214 million in payments from NBC related to 14 seasons of the business reality-TV show “The Apprentice.” NBC recently cut its ties with Trump after his controversial remarks about Mexican immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally.
Trump is relying almost exclusively on his personal wealth to fund his White House bid. His fortune could help maintain his status as a major player in the Republican presidential primary, much to the dismay of GOP officials who worry that his hardline immigration statements could alienate Latino voters.
Filing a personal financial disclosure with the Federal Election Commission is one of the requirements, set by the hosts, to participate in next month’s GOP debate on Fox News.
Trump’s statement Wednesday noted that a hypothetical Trump building worth $1.5 billion would be reported as simply worth in excess of $50 million on the federal forms, which offer broad ranges for asset values.
Trump valued his personal brand and marketing deals at $3.3 billion when he announced his candidacy. Forbes Magazine, however, valued his brand at just $125 million. And that was before Trump’s comments about Mexican immigrants cost him business partnerships with companies such as Macy’s and Univision.
