By Coral Gables Gazette staff

What can the personal finances of American presidents reveal about power, leadership, and the American dream? Author and wealth manager Megan Gorman explores that question in her bestselling book All the Presidents’ Money, and will discuss her findings Wednesday evening at Books & Books in Coral Gables in a public conversation with WLRN senior economics editor Tom Hudson presented by Books & Books and Vizcaya Museum & Gardens.

The free public event, scheduled for 7 p.m., brings to Coral Gables a work that explores the personal financial histories of U.S. presidents—from George Washington to Joe Biden—offering insight into how those who held the nation’s highest office managed their wealth, confronted financial uncertainty, and navigated the economic realities of their time.

Through rigorous research and narrative storytelling, Gorman reveals that presidential power has never guaranteed financial stability. Some presidents built substantial fortunes, while others struggled with debt, failed investments or persistent financial anxiety. In tracing those stories, the book offers a more human portrait of figures often viewed primarily through the lens of political authority.

Humanizing the presidency through financial reality

Presidents are often remembered for their political achievements, wars, and policies, but their personal financial lives remain largely unexplored in public discourse. Gorman’s work reframes presidential history by focusing on economic decision-making, risk, and opportunity—factors that shaped both their personal fortunes and their perspectives on governance.

Her research uncovers unexpected contrasts. Herbert Hoover, for example, entered the presidency as one of the wealthiest men ever to hold the office, having amassed significant wealth through mining engineering and international business. In contrast, Harry Truman faced ongoing financial stress and relied heavily on income from his memoirs after leaving office. Thomas Jefferson, despite his intellectual stature and political influence, struggled throughout his life with debt tied to land ownership and agricultural ventures.

These financial experiences, Gorman argues, offer insight into broader questions of leadership and character. They reveal how presidents responded to risk, adversity, and opportunity—traits that often shaped both their personal lives and public decisions.

By presenting presidents as individuals subject to the same economic pressures faced by ordinary Americans, the book challenges assumptions about wealth, success, and power.

A contemporary voice in financial scholarship

Gorman brings a distinctive perspective to presidential history. As the founder and managing partner of Chequers Financial Management, a San Francisco-based wealth advisory firm, she specializes in tax planning and financial strategy for high-net-worth individuals. Her professional experience has earned her recognition on Forbes’ lists of America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors and Best-in-State advisors.

Her career has included leadership roles at major financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs’ Ayco division and BNY Mellon Wealth Management. In addition to advising clients, she contributes regularly to Forbes and has been cited in major media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and The Washington Post.

This background allows Gorman to interpret historical financial records with a level of technical precision rarely applied to presidential biography. She approaches financial decisions not simply as historical anecdotes but as strategic choices shaped by economic conditions, personal temperament, and available opportunities.

The result is a work that bridges disciplines—combining history, economics, and behavioral finance into a single narrative framework.

A conversation shaped by economic insight

Gorman will be joined in conversation by Tom Hudson, senior economics editor and special correspondent for WLRN. Hudson has spent decades reporting on business, markets, and economic policy, covering financial institutions and economic trends both nationally and in South Florida.

His experience as host of WLRN’s The Sunshine Economy and former co-anchor of PBS’s Nightly Business Report positions him to explore the broader implications of Gorman’s research. Their conversation is expected to examine not only the financial histories of individual presidents but also the evolving relationship between wealth and political leadership.

The discussion comes at a moment when questions about wealth, inequality, and economic opportunity remain central to American public life. By placing these issues within a historical framework, the program offers audiences an opportunity to consider how economic realities have shaped leadership across generations.

Books & Books continues Coral Gables’ literary tradition

The event reflects the continuing role of Books & Books as one of Coral Gables’ most important cultural institutions. Since its founding in 1982, the independent bookstore has hosted thousands of authors, fostering literary engagement and intellectual exchange within the community.

Its author events regularly bring nationally recognized writers to Coral Gables, reinforcing the city’s identity as a center for cultural and intellectual life. These programs create opportunities for direct dialogue between authors and readers, allowing audiences to engage with ideas beyond the printed page.

Gorman’s appearance continues that tradition, offering Coral Gables residents access to a work that connects financial history with contemporary questions of leadership and economic identity.

Exploring leadership through a financial lens

By focusing on the financial lives of presidents, Gorman’s work invites audiences to reconsider familiar historical figures in a new light. It suggests that leadership is shaped not only by political ideology and public action, but also by private economic experience.

These stories reveal presidents as individuals navigating uncertainty, risk, and opportunity—circumstances that remain deeply relevant today.

Gorman’s appearance offers Coral Gables audiences an opportunity to explore these themes directly, engaging with a work that bridges history, finance, and biography.

The event will take place Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m at Books & Books in Coral Gables. Admission is free, and books will be available for purchase.