Trump to donate salary at end of year

US President Donald Trump did not donate his February paycheck to a charitable institution because he plans to donate his entire salary at the end of the year, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at his press briefing on Monday. (Photo: Michael Vadon/Flickr)

WASHINGTON—US President Donald Trump did not donate his February paycheck to a charitable institution because he plans to donate his entire salary at the end of the year, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said at his press briefing on Monday.

Trump’s presidential salary of USD 400,000 is roughly 0.01 percent of his net worth, which Forbes estimates to be some USD 4.5 billion. It would be the equivalent of the average American donating USD 30, when calculated based on average US net worth figures published by Credit Suisse in 2014.

“The president’s intention right now is to donate his salary at the end of the year and he has kindly asked that you all [White House Press Corps] determine where that goes,” Spicer stated.

The multi-billionaire will be the third US president to have foregone his salary. Former President John F. Kennedy donated his salary to charity and Herbert Hoover reportedly donated half his salary to charity and the other half to boosting staff compensation, according to the Intendent Journal Review.

In September of 2015, Trump promised he would not take a salary if elected President.