Before
Bill Clinton left office,
Congress raised the presidential salary to $400,000, twice what it had been before. Of course, none of the candidates running to replace him really
needed that extra money, especially not
George W. Bush.
President Bush's fortune is estimated at around $20 million, including around $15 million from his stake in the Texas Rangers (where he made $200,000 a year as GM). Add the dividends and interest payments to the salary, and the Bushes make around $2 million a year, which isn't really a lot considering that Dick Cheney pulls in about ten times as much.
There's also the political fundraising on the side. Bush recently raised $2 million for his 2004 campaign during one weekend in Miami, Florida, more than some candidates have been able to raise in months. While this isn't really Bush's money, it proves that the president's capability to amass greenbacks is mighty indeed.
Since the president gets a $50,000 per annum expense account, a free house, and all the free bodyguards, motorcades, and air travel he wants, that $400,000 salary can easily stay in the bank. In fact, John F. Kennedy refused to accept his presidential salary: apparently, the family stash on Martha's Vineyard was more than enough for him.