Bernie Sanders has made more than $1.75 million from book royalties since 2016 — here's what we know about his wealth and assets

• Bernie Sanders, the Democratic senator from Vermont and newest presidential hopeful, made at least $1 million in both 2016 and 2017.
• One estimate puts his total net worth as high as $2 million.
• The 77-year-old lawmaker, who makes a $174,000 salary as senator, earned more than $1 million in '16 and '17, primarily due to royalties from his books.
• Sanders has two homes in Vermont and a townhouse in Washington, DC.

Bernie Sanders, a self-declared Democratic socialist known for his harsh criticism of income inequality in the US, has joined the crowd of 2020 presidential candidates.

The Vermont senator is worth as much as $2 million, according to financial website The Street, although his exact wealth is unknown.

Sanders earns a $174,000 yearly salary as senator, and in 2015 his total reported assets were less than $750,000. But he's earned more than $1 million in 2016 and 2017 respectively, primarily due to royalties from his books, financial disclosure documents show.

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The 77-year-old senator has historically been known as one of the least wealthy members of Congress. 

Business Insider reached out to the senator's office for comment on his net worth but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Here's what we know about Sanders' wealth and assets.

Bernie Sanders, the Democratic Vermont senator running for president for a second time in 2020, is worth as much as $2 million, according to one estimate.

Source: The Street

Sanders makes $174,000 a year from his senator's salary, and in 2015, his total reported assets amounted to less than $750,000.

Source: Congressional Research Service, Politico

However, the senator's income has seen a jump in the past couple of years.

Source: Newsweek, US Senate Financial Disclosures