Nayib Bukele Net Worth 2025: Is El Salvador's President Rich?

Who is Nayib Bukele?

Nayib Armando Bukele Ortez (born 1981) is the current President of El Salvador, now serving his second term after first taking office in June 2019. A businessman-turned-politician, he previously held positions as mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán (2012–2015) and San Salvador (2015–2018).

Bukele made history by winning the presidency as an outsider, unaffiliated with the country’s traditional right-wing ARENA and left-wing FMLN parties. At 43 years old, his youthful, media-savvy style and bold policies have drawn both praise and criticism.

As a tough reformer, Bukele has leveraged social media to communicate directly with the public. His anti-establishment image and hardline stance on crime have kept him extremely popular, despite widespread criticism for ruling with an iron fist and pushing El Salvador toward dictatorship.

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Nayib Bukele's Net Worth in 2025

As of 2025, Nayib Bukele’s personal net worth is estimated to be in the low millions, somewhere between $2 and $4 million. His last official financial disclosure, filed in mid-2019 when he became president, reported a net worth of $2,548,967.

This figure, based on assets declared on the Salvadoran government’s transparency portal, made him among the wealthiest heads of state in Latin America at the time, ranking third in the region. Since then, no new public disclosures of his wealth have been made, making precise updated data unavailable.

External estimates, such as Celebrity Net Worth, still place his fortune at around $2 million, suggesting little change. Notably, most of his assets come from businesses he built before entering politics, rather than his $5,181 per month (~$62,000 per year) presidential salary.

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Nayib Bukele’s Political Career and Achievements

Bukele’s political career has been defined by gradual ascent, outsider appeal, and dominant electoral victories. Starting as a mayor under the FMLN, he later broke away, formed Nuevas Ideas, and became El Salvador’s most powerful leader.

Here are some highlights of Bukele's political career so far:

• Mayoral Wins: He was elected mayor of Nuevo Cuscatlán in 2012 and later won the mayorship of San Salvador in 2015 with strong public support.
• Break from FMLN: After being expelled from the FMLN in 2017, he created Nuevas Ideas, advertising himself as an anti-establishment leader.
• Historic Election Victory: His 2019 win with 53% of the vote ended nearly 30 years of two-party rule, marking a major political shift in El Salvador.
• Public Security Gains: His anti-gang crackdown drastically reduced El Salvador’s homicide rate from 38 per 100,000 people in 2019 to just 1.9 per 100,000 in 2024.
• Mass Arrests and Crackdowns: Over 85,000 suspected gang members were imprisoned under emergency measures, sparking both public support and human rights concerns.
• Bitcoin Adoption: El Salvador became the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender in 2021, integrating it alongside the US dollar.
• Landslide Re-election: In 2024, he secured a second term with 85% of the vote after a court ruling allowed consecutive terms, cementing his dominance.

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How Did Nayib Bukele Build His Wealth?

Nayib Bukele built his wealth primarily through private business ventures, strategic investments, and asset acquisitions before and during his presidency.

Unlike many politicians who inherit fortunes or profit from corruption, he accumulated his money through family-run enterprises in marketing and commerce, as well as owning the Yamaha Motors franchise in El Salvador and an advertising company.

Beyond operating businesses, Bukele benefitted from at least one major capital deal. In 2013, while serving as a mayor, he received $1.9 million from Alba Petróleos, a Venezuelan-backed oil consortium, in exchange for shares and investment in one of his companies.

Bukele has also diversified his assets, owning a coffee farm and launching his own brand, “Bean of Fire,” in 2024 to support local businesses. Meanwhile, reports have raised questions about his family's real estate acquisitions, revealing they obtained 34 properties worth $9 million during his presidency.

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How Many Bitcoins Did Nayib Bukele Buy?

As of 2025, El Salvador, under Nayib Bukele’s direction, has accumulated over 6,100 Bitcoin, making him a de facto Bitcoin fund manager for the country. He began purchasing Bitcoin in September 2021 when it was adopted as legal tender, starting with 200 BTC to kickstart the national reserve.

Over the next year, Bukele continued to “buy the dip,” acquiring more Bitcoin whenever prices fell. By mid-2022, as Bitcoin’s value plunged, El Salvador faced an unrealized loss of $56 million, drawing criticism from the IMF and credit agencies.

Despite early setbacks, he held firm, and by late 2023, El Salvador had broken even as Bitcoin’s price rebounded. By early 2025, the country’s Bitcoin holdings were valued at roughly $550 million, fluctuating with market prices.

In late 2024, Bukele signed a $1.4 billion IMF loan deal, agreeing to limit forced Bitcoin adoption and curb major new purchases. However, in March 2025, his government continued adding Bitcoins to its “Strategic Reserve,” pushing the total past 6,112 BTC while staying within IMF constraints.

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Final Thoughts

Nayib Bukele is a unique figure on the world stage: a millennial president with a relatively modest personal fortune, yet he governs like a man with nothing to lose.

His net worth of around $2-4 million is not what defines his influence; rather, it is how he has leveraged his position to reshape El Salvador’s financial and political trajectory.

By 2025, he has achieved what many thought impossible; transforming a crime-ridden nation into one of the region’s safest while building a Bitcoin reserve that could either fortify the economy or expose it to new risks.

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FAQs

Who is Nayib Bukele’s Wife?

Nayib Bukele is married to Gabriela Rodríguez de Bukele, a psychologist and First Lady of El Salvador, known for her work in early childhood development. The couple has two daughters, Layla (born in 2019) and Aminah (born in 2023).

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How Active is Nayib Bukele on Twitter?

Bukele is highly active on X (formerly Twitter), where he directly communicates policy updates, national security measures, and his views without relying on traditional media.

His official handle is @nayibbukele, where he often posts in a candid and informal style, sometimes responding to critics and sharing memes.

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What is Nayib Bukele’s Ethnicity and Religion?

Nayib Bukele is of Palestinian descent and does not formally follow any religion but has stated that he believes in God and Jesus Christ.

His paternal grandparents immigrated from Jerusalem and Bethlehem to El Salvador in 1921, his father converted to Islam and became an imam, while his mother is Catholic.

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How Tall is Nayib Bukele?

Nayib Bukele is estimated to be around 5 feet 8 inches (173 cm) tall. While no official records confirm this, his confident presence and strong public image often make him appear taller in media and official appearances.