Critic of ‘millionaires and billionaires’ Bernie Sanders now a millionaire after White House run, tax returns show
- ‘It comes from a book I wrote ... If anyone thinks that I should apologise for writing a bestselling book, I’m sorry, I’m not going to do it,’ Sanders said
US Democratic presidential contender Bernie Sanders released 10 years of tax returns on Monday, providing details of his growing status as a millionaire fuelled by a sharp jump in income from book royalties since his losing 2016 White House run.
Sanders, a US senator who routinely rails against the “millionaires and billionaires” he says have rigged the system to protect their wealth and power, had an adjusted gross income of US$561,293 in 2018, US$1,131,925 in 2017 and US$1,062,626 in 2016, the returns showed.
He augmented his Senate salary with book royalties in each of those years, particularly in 2016 and 2017 when he made more than US$800,000 each year in royalties. Sanders has published three books since the start of his first White House run, including bestsellers Our Revolution and Where We Go From Here.
In 2014, the year before he launched his first presidential campaign, Sanders had an adjusted gross income of US$205,271.
Sanders had faced mounting pressure to release his taxes, with critics saying the democratic socialist’s millionaire status undercut his populist economic message. He has made no apologies for his financial well-being.