Justin Trudeau’s Net Worth 2025: Political Career and Controversies

Justin Trudeau is a Canadian politician and teacher with a net worth of about $5 million. He is known as the oldest son of former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, which had a big impact on his decision to get involved in Canadian politics.

Before his political career, Trudeau worked as a teacher in Vancouver, teaching math and French. His public image grew a lot in 2000 when he gave an emotional eulogy at his father’s funeral.

Trudeau was elected to Parliament in 2008, representing the Montreal area of Papineau. He gradually increased his influence in the Liberal Party, eventually becoming its leader in 2013. In 2015, he led the Liberals to a majority government win, becoming the 23rd Prime Minister of Canada.

During his first years in office, Trudeau introduced progressive policies, including the legalization of cannabis, a carbon pricing plan, and the acceptance of Syrian refugees.

His time in office faced tough situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic, trade problems with the Trump administration, and the detention of Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou.

However, Trudeau’s time as Prime Minister has had some controversies, including the SNC-Lavalin affair, the WE Charity scandal, and past blackface incidents.

After winning a smaller minority government in 2019 and again in 2021, he continued to lead with a supply-and-confidence agreement with the New Democratic Party. On January 6, 2025, Trudeau announced his resignation as the leader of the Liberal Party, which also meant his resignation as Prime Minister.

Salary and Benefits

As a Member of Parliament for Papineau, Justin Trudeau receives a base salary of $178,900 CAD, which is around $140,000 USD. On top of that, he earns another $178,900 CAD as the Prime Minister of Canada.

This brings his total salary to $357,800 CAD, or about $270,000 USD. In addition, he gets an annual car allowance of $2,000, which may not be enough to cover the costs of maintaining his 1960 Mercedes-Benz 300SL.

During their time together, Justin, his wife Sophie Trudeau, and their three children lived in a 22-bedroom mansion funded by public money.

They decided not to live in the usual Prime Minister’s residence at 24 Sussex Drive, as it is said to need over $10 million in major repairs. Trudeau had previously lived in that house when his father Pierre was Prime Minister. Justin and Sophie announced their separation in August 2023.

From 1999 to 2002, Trudeau worked at Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School, where he earned an annual salary of $44,000 CAD.

Trudeau switched from teaching to politics in 2008, winning a seat in the Canadian Parliament for Papineau. At that point, his salary rose to $150,000 CAD per year.

Speaking Fees

During years when he was not in a political role, Justin Trudeau took part in public speaking. For example, in 2007, he reported earning $467,000 from speaking engagements.

Early Life and Education

Justin Trudeau was born on December 25, 1971, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to Pierre Trudeau, who was Prime Minister, and his wife, Margaret. He has two younger brothers, Sacha and Michel. Sadly, Michel passed away in 1998 due to an avalanche. Trudeau has both Scottish and French-Canadian heritage.

When Justin was five years old, his parents separated, and their divorce was finalized in 1984. They arranged joint custody and remained on good terms.

Through his mother’s second marriage to Fried Kemper, Trudeau gained two half-siblings, Kyle and Alicia. He also has a half-sister named Sarah from his father’s relationship with Deborah Coyne.

As a child, Trudeau attended Rockcliffe Park Public School, then moved to the private Lycée Claudel d’Ottawa and Collège Jean-de-Brébeuf. For his higher education, he first enrolled at McGill University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in literature. He then went on to the University of British Columbia, where he completed a degree in education.

Trudeau also studied engineering at the École Polytechnique de Montréal, but he did not finish the program. Later, he started a master’s degree at McGill but decided to leave and focus on his political career.

Career Beginnings in Education

Trudeau began his career in education as a substitute teacher in different schools in Vancouver. He later became a full-time teacher of mathematics and French at West Point Grey Academy.

Rise to Recognition

Trudeau became widely recognized in 2000 when he gave a heartfelt eulogy at his father’s state funeral. That same year, he and his family launched the Kokanee Glacier Alpine Campaign to raise awareness about safety in winter sports.

After this, Trudeau gained more attention in the media. Between 2002 and 2003, he was a panelist on the CBC Radio program “Canada Reads.” In 2007, he played his cousin Talbot Mercer Papineau in the two-part CBC Television miniseries “The Great War.”

Political Career, 2000-2011

After his father’s death, Trudeau became more involved with the Liberal Party of Canada. He attended leadership conventions and was chosen to lead a task force focused on attracting young people to politics in 2006.

The following year, he won the Liberal Party’s nomination in Papineau and later won the election against Vivian Barbot. When the Conservative Party formed a minority government in 2008, Trudeau became a member of the Official Opposition in Parliament, where he supported multiculturalism and youth rights.

He was reelected in Papineau in the 2011 federal election.

Liberal Party Leader

At the end of 2012, Trudeau announced his plan to run for the leadership of the Liberal Party. He won the leadership in 2013, defeating Marc Garneau, Martha Hall Findlay, and Joyce Murray. In 2015, after Canada’s longest official campaign in over a century, Trudeau led the Liberal Party to a major win in the federal election. Justin announced his resignation as the leader of the Liberal Party in January 2025.

Prime Minister of Canada

After a big win in 2015, Trudeau became Prime Minister at the age of 43, making him the second-youngest person ever to hold that position in Canadian history, following Joe Clark.

His first goals as Prime Minister included lowering taxes for middle-income earners and raising taxes for high-income people.

During his first term, Trudeau introduced several important policies, such as passing the Cannabis Act to make recreational marijuana legal, creating the Independent Advisory Board for Senate Appointments, setting up a federal carbon tax, negotiating important trade deals, and signing the Paris Agreement to fight climate change.

In the 2019 and 2021 elections, Trudeau led the Liberal Party to form minority governments.

During this time, he also handled the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and banned assault-style firearms. In 2022, he used the Emergencies Act in response to the Freedom Convoy protests against COVID-19 safety measures.

In January 2025, Trudeau announced his resignation as leader of the Liberal Party, which meant he was stepping down as Prime Minister.

Controversies

Trudeau’s time in office has not been without controversy. In early 2017, ethics commissioner Mary Dawson started an investigation into a family vacation to the private island of Imam Aga Khan IV in the Bahamas. It was found that the trip broke the Conflict of Interest Act.

In 2019, Trudeau and his government got involved in the SNC-Lavalin affair. Allegations came out that the government tried to influence Attorney General Jody Wilson-Raybould about the prosecution of SNC-Lavalin, leading to an ethics investigation.

In the same year, Trudeau faced criticism when old photos and videos showing him in brownface and blackface were released, which led him to publicly apologize.

Personal Life

In 2005, Trudeau married television personality Sophie Grégoire, who had been a classmate and childhood friend of his late brother Michel. The couple has three children: Xavier, Ella-Grace, and Hadrien. At first, they lived in the Côte-des-Neiges area of Montreal before moving to a rented home in Rockcliffe Park, Ottawa.

In 2014, their home was broken into by an intruder. After Trudeau’s election victory in 2015, he and his family moved to Rideau Cottage, which is located on the grounds of Rideau Hall. On August 1, 2023, Justin and Sophie announced their separation after being married for 18 years.

Justin Trudeau’s career has been marked by significant achievements in both politics and public service. As Prime Minister of Canada, he led transformative initiatives that reshaped the country, such as the legalization of cannabis and addressing climate change.

Despite facing controversies, Trudeau’s leadership has left a lasting impact on Canadian society.

With a strong legacy of progressive policies and global recognition, his influence continues to shape Canada’s future. His dedication to public service and commitment to his country’s well-being highlight his devotion to making positive change. Trudeau’s journey is a testament to resilience, leadership, and public service excellence.

[Updated: 03/31/2025]