Former president Jimmy Carter, who died on Dec. 29 at the age of 100, was renowned for his extensive humanitarian work both during and after his presidency, so his net worth may not be the first thing that springs to mind when it comes to his legacy.
Nonetheless, he left behind a sizable fortune. Keep reading for the details.
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Jimmy Carter was born on Oct. 1, 1924, in Plains, Georgia. His father was a farmer and businessman and his mother was a registered nurse. Following his schooling, Carter joined the United States Naval Academy, through which he received a B.S. degree in 1946 (the same year he married Rosalynn Smith). During his time in the Navy, he became a submariner and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
In 1953, following his father’s passing, Carter resigned from his naval commission to return to his family in Georgia and take over the family farms. He and his wife also operated Carter’s Warehouse, a general-purpose seed-and-farm-supply company. Carter subsequently became well-known for running a successful peanut farm.
During his time back in Georgia, Carter became a leader in his community, serving on county boards that supervised education, the hospital authority and the library. By 1962, he ran for and won a seat in the Georgia Senate. In 1966, he lost his first attempt at running for the governorship of Georgia; however, he won his next gubernatorial campaign and became the 76th governor of Georgia on Jan. 12, 1971. In the 1974 congressional and gubernatorial elections, he was the Democratic National Committee campaign chairman.
That same year, he announced his candidacy for United States President. He earned the Democratic nomination and the eventual presidential election on Nov. 2, 1976. Carter served as president from Jan. 20, 1977, to Jan. 20, 1981.
What is Jimmy Carter's net worth?
According to Celebrity Net Worth, Jimmy Carter's net worth was $10 million at the time of his death in 2024. Carter earned this money through his work as a writer/novelist/author, politician/statesman, military officer as well as a farmer. Carter has a modest net worth when compared to other former presidents (Bill Clinton's net worth is an estimated $120 million, for instance)—but he was still worth well more than the average American.
During his time as president, Jimmy Carter was a champion of human rights around the world and at home. On his second day as president, he pardoned all Vietnam War draft evaders with Proclamation 4483. Some of his foreign policy accomplishments included the Panama Canal treaties, the Camp David Accords, the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, the SALT II treaty with the Soviet Union and the establishment of U.S. diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China. Domestically, Carter is credited with (or faulted for, depending on who you ask) deregulation in energy, transportation, communications and finance industries; as well as major environmental protection legislation, including the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act.
Carter’s administration established the U.S. Department of Energy and the Department of Education. Through the Department of Energy, his administration spearheaded a comprehensive energy program with a national energy policy that included conservation, price control and an emphasis on new technology. Through the Department of Education, his administration worked on major educational programs.
Carter is now praised for championing many progressive policies that are seen as ahead of his time. He was the first president to put solar panels on the White House in 1979 (however, by 1986, the panels were dismantled by the Ronald Reagan administration). The Reagan administration also gutted the research and development budgets for renewable energy at the then-fledgling U.S. Department of Energy and reversed progressive energy policies, such as eliminating the tax breaks for the deployment of wind turbines and solar technologies. This move recommitted the country to be dependent on cheap yet polluting fossil fuels, most often imported from foreign suppliers.
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Why did Jimmy Carter fight for human rights?
As soon as Jimmy Carter announced his campaign for the United States presidency, he promised substantial changes in the country’s former policies. He intended to ground his diplomacy in morality and the pursuit of human rights. In his inaugural address, he stated, “Because we are free, we can never be indifferent to the fate of freedom elsewhere. Our moral sense dictates a clear-cut preference for those societies which share with us an abiding respect for individual human rights.”
This emphasis on human rights stemmed from Carter’s own strong sense of morality, which he hoped to infuse into U.S. policy. Carter was also known for his famous quote, “America did not invent human rights. In a very real sense, human rights invented America."
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Jimmy Carter and wife Rosalynn Carter were avid volunteers and advocates of Habitat for Humanity. However, they did not found the nonprofit. Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976. The Carters are credited with greatly helping to increase the awareness, support and reach of Habitat for Humanity International through their involvement and support. Habitat for Humanity partnered with the two philanthropists to form The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project.How did Jimmy Carter make his money?
When Jimmy Carter was elected to the presidency in 1976, he put his peanut farm and businesses into a blind trust, which allowed for a law firm in Atlanta to take full administration during his years in the White House. The Carters did this to avoid any possibility of conflicts of interest with their business affairs while in office, which would allow the Carter administration to make decisions without bias. Unfortunately, when the Carters left the White House in 1981 following the election loss, they found out that due to years of drought and changes in warehouse management, they were in more than $1 million of debt.
As a result, the Carters were forced to sell their business. Through this sale and also authoring books and taking paid speaking engagements, the former president was able to build back his finances over the years. (Carter authored more than 30 books during his life, on a variety of topics.)
Back when he was president, Carter earned $200,000 a year as a salary—the standard at the time (presidents currently earn $400,000 a year). In addition, as a former President, Carter earned a pension of $207,800 a year, plus $150,000 a year for staff like his Secret Service protection.
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