An alternative to "elderly millionaires"
Details emerged on Twitter on June 14, sharing information from tax filings made by Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis at the end of 2021. They reveal that he has a net worth of $318,987 and that he still owes over $21,000 in student loans.
While some might have expected that the 43-year-old governor - a graduate of Harvard and Yale - to be far wealthier, online responses to the social media post suggest that it could have positive effects in making him seem more relatable to the citizens of Florida.
More likeable and honest?
One Twitter user responded to say "that makes him more likeable". Another commenter on Twitter felt that the governor's relatively low net worth compared to other senior politicians would "add to his already growing appeal". He continued:
"...millions of voters are weary of choosing among elderly millionaires".
One other Twitter user claimed "That's what an honest political leader looks like", urging that the original poster should post similar data for President Biden and his family.
Voters tired of rich politicians?
Floridians are growing tired of the record-high prices for gasoline, inflated cost of living and unaffordable housing and it's for these reasons that DeSantis may appear to be a little more relatable and likeable for voters, knowing that he's not independently wealthy. His own success or failure could have significant effects in regard to his future financial stability and that of his family.
The same cannot be said for the current president or for his predecessor, and their families. In the course of his presidency, Donald Trump's business enterprises made around $2.4 billion.
The DeSantis organization is extremely rich
While the governor's own finances aren't stretched as thinly as the average Floridian, he's not what most would consider to be rich. The same is certainly not true when it comes to his campaign organization however.
It was revealed on June 14 that the Governor added over $10 million to his campaign fund in May alone, bringing its total above $124 million. This funding dwarfs the war-chests of his Democratic challengers for the gubernatorial election and is on a similar scale to that raised to-date by the Trump-led Save America Political Action Campaign.
In that sense then, DeSantis is extremely well-off financially. If the size of his campaign budget is an indicator of his potential future success as a politician, all of a sudden his future starts to seem very bright indeed.
Are you surprised by the governor's relatively low net worth? Do you believe that it makes him seem more relatable and honest or does it have a different effect for you? Let me know in the comments section below.
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