DeSantis bank accounts rise: net worth tops $1.77 million

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ net worth increased by more than 50% last year as he embarked on a presidential run and boosted his bank account with book sales.

DeSantis had a net worth of $1.77 million as of the end of the year, up from $1.17 million a year earlier, according to a financial disclosure report posted Friday on the Florida Commission on Ethics website.

DeSantis’ finances received a jolt from his book, “The Courage to Be Free: Florida’s Blueprint for America’s Revival.” DeSantis received $625,500 last year from HarperCollins Publishers LLC.

He also received $160,000 last year from Premiere Collectibles Books, which offers signed copies of the book or in a “deluxe collector set.”

The book debuted as a best seller on The New York Times and Amazon lists when released in February 2023.

State elected officials each year must file financial disclosure forms by July 1 that list income, assets and liabilities. Generally, the forms show financial information from the end of the previous year.

Before the book deal, DeSantis posted a net worth of $318,986 in 2021.

In addition to income from the book, DeSantis’ new report shows increases in checking and savings accounts.

As he and his family live in the governor’s mansion, DeSantis did not report real estate holdings in 2023.