‘Excuse Me!’ Trump snaps at reporter over $3 billion rise in net worth since returning to office

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump bristled on Sunday, November 8, when CBS correspondent Ross Douthat questioned him about a reported $3 billion increase in his net worth since he returned to office in 2024.

During an interview on 60 Minutes, Trump interrupted the reporter and challenged his comparison before saying that he paid almost no attention to his personal wealth. The president also credited his son with overseeing his finances, as scrutiny of his business interests and earnings during his second term continued.

Trump interrupts reporter over $3 billion increase in net worth

The exchange began when Douthat referred to a Forbes report on the increase in Trump's wealth and asked how his net worth had risen by $3 billion.

“There’s a Forbes story that said that your net worth, maybe it’s changed with the stock market recently, but your net worth went up by $3 billion,” Douthat said. Trump immediately pushed back, responding that “well, so did everyone’s.”

When Douthat pointed out that his own net worth had not increased by the same amount, Trump replied that “well, you should have had stock.” The reporter repeated that he should have owned stock before asking Trump directly how his wealth had increased.

Trump interrupted the exchange again, saying that “you should have had stock. Excuse me, So, I devote, I devote”

When asked to explain the reported increase, Trump said that he spent little time thinking about his finances and did not know how much his wealth had grown. He also said his son managed the money.

“I devote almost no time to my net worth. I don’t care. I make, I have a lot of money, far more than I ever thought I’d have. And I guess it’s gone up. I don’t even know. I have a son who’s a very straight, good guy. He watches over money. I don’t even talk to him about it. He watches. He gives, they gave my money, I have a lot of cash, I’ve had a lot of cash long before I came in here. I don’t take a salary, you know?” Trump said.

Trump's business ventures and overseas deals face scrutiny

The interview was not the first time Trump had faced questions about the growth of his personal wealth. In July, a reporter questioned him at Joint Base Andrews about the $1.4 billion he reportedly earned from his family's cryptocurrency venture in 2025.

The reporter asked what message the earnings sent to Americans struggling financially, citing Trump's financial disclosure. Trump responded by saying that he did not directly manage his personal finances and that funds handled his money.

Forbes senior editor Dan Alexander has also examined the president's business activities in a series of posts on X. Alexander, author of 'White House, Inc: How Donald Trump Turned The Presidency Into a Business', traced the growth of Trump's wealth to several ventures, including Trump Media and Technology Group, cryptocurrency investments, and overseas licensing arrangements.

Alexander wrote that Trump Media's entry into public markets in March 2024 increased the president's net worth by $1.88 billion between March and the fall of that year. He also cited the Trump family's World Liberty Financial cryptocurrency venture, which attracted investments from foreign investors, including entities linked to Abu Dhabi.