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Presidents Who Are Worth Less Than Justin Bieber

Today I read this very interesting article, in which The Atlantic calculated the net worth of each U.S. president* and then converted it to 2010 dollars. 

The net worth figures range from less than $1 million to nearly $1 billion, and the list is an interesting conversation piece that lends itself to many questions: How much should a president be worth?  Do richer people make better leaders?  Do they at least have better hair?  Do we even want our presidents to be rich?  Weren't politics way more interesting when we had guys like Lincoln who could be born in a log cabin and end up on the five dollar bill, anyway?

These are all interesting questions, and I have no intention of even beginning to answer them.  That would take hours!  Instead, I have set my sights on a far simpler question: How many presidents were worth less than Justin Bieber?

Before I give you the answer, take a minute to make a guess.  Forty-three men have served as president of our country; how many do you think possessed wealth in excess of what Justin Bieber has attained at his current age (16) and life status (hair comma ridiculous; singing talent comma questionable)?  Conversely, how many presidents have failed to achieve a net worth of Bieberian proportions? 

Please wager a guess while I dutifully insert a graphic with the intention of filling up a little space between this sentence and the answer.

  Hailtobieber

Ready?

According to my calculations, history has given us 27 presidents who were richer than Justin Bieber, and 16 who were not.

Let's break it down, shall we?

First off, I should explain that for the purposes of this blog post, I am using a figure of $5.5 million as Justin Bieber's estimated net worth.  That is the figure provided by celebritynetworth.com, which is a good enough source for me.  However, it may or may not be even remotely accurate, so take it with a presidential grain of salt.

That being said, here is a list of the 16 presidents who lived their lives under the Bieber line.  (Actually, one is still alive, so "lived" does not represent an entirely accurate choice of tense, but there but for the sake of not employing awkward constructions like "presidents who lived and/or are alive" go I.)

The Definitive List of Presidents Who Are Not Worth More Than Justin Bieber
(in Chronological Order)

1. William Henry Harrison (9th president; estimated net worth: $5 million)
2. Millard Fillmore (13th president; ENW: $4 million)
3. Franklin Pierce (14th president; ENW: $2 million)
4. James Buchanan (15th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
5. Abraham Lincoln (16th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
6. Andrew Johnson (17th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
7. Ulysses S. Grant (18th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
8. Rutherford B. Hayes (19th president; ENW: $3 million)
9. James A. Garfield (20th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
10. Benjamin Harrison (23rd president; ENW: $5 million)
11. William McKinley (25th president; ENW: $1 million)
12. William Howard Taft (27th president; ENW: $3 million)
13. Warren G. Harding (29th president; ENW: $1 million)
14. Calvin Coolidge (30th president; ENW: less than $1 million)
15. Harry Truman (33rd president; ENW: less than $1 million)
16. Barack Obama (44th president; ENW: $5 million)

Some observations:
  • The award for "Longest Unbroken Streak of Presidents Being Worth Less Than Justin Bieber" goes to presidents 13-20.  From 1850 to 1881, no president was worth more than Justin Bieber.
  • Justin Bieber's current net worth exceeds those of James Buchanan, Abraham Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Ulysses S. Grant, and James A. Garfield combined.
  • While Obama stands a good chance of crossing the $5.5 million mark in the near-ish future, it is unlikely that Bieber's money-making days have ended.  We will all have to wait and see which man comes out on top when history has run its course.
  • Presidents are, of course, privy to all kinds of things that Justin Bieber is not.  I just can't think of any right now.
*As the article explains: "Because a number of presidents, particularly in the early 19th Century, made and lost huge fortunes in a matter of a few years, the number for each man is based on his net worth at its peak."

Comments

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Raif

This is the most important article ever written.

Millard Fillmore

Haha James Buchanan! You had a haircut just as dumb as the Bieb's, but it didn't even earn you that much. FILLMORE OUT!

NG Underground

I'm curious to know how many of those presidents still had a) name recognition, and b) a career, 10 years after their presidency or height of fame... two things I'm convinced Justin Bieber will no longer posses 10 years from now.

Beth

Do richer people at least have better hair?

You should be able to answer that since you watch "Apprentice" every week.

Justin B.

i was trying to find justin bibers worth and stumbled on your blog. this is such a misleading article from an obvious retard

factoring inflation the first president on your list William Henry Harrison is worth about 100million US dollars in todays terms. truman is worth about 10million in todays terms.


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