What is the annual fee for Mar-a-Lago membership?
Executive summary
Mar‑a‑Lago’s initiation fee has been reported to have risen to $1 million for a small number of memberships, up from $700,000 earlier in the 2024–25 reporting cycle; longstanding reporting also notes annual dues in the roughly $14,000–$20,000 range (see Bloomberg/Guardian/Miami New Times reporting) [1] [2] [3]. News outlets cite club manager Bernd Lembcke and Trump in interviews as the source of the $1 million figure; the club’s official site does not publish prices [1] [4] [5].
1. What the reporting actually says about the price jump
Multiple recent news stories report that Mar‑a‑Lago told interviewers the remaining available memberships will cost $1,000,000 — a rise from a reported $700,000 initiation fee — with the $1m offer timed for an October window ahead of a major election (The Guardian, Miami New Times, Quartz) [1] [2] [6]. Those articles quote the club’s longtime manager Bernd Lembcke and comments made during interviews as the basis for the new $1m figure [1] [2].
2. Annual dues: a narrower, but consistent reporting thread
Journalists have repeatedly reported annual dues separate from initiation fees. Longstanding coverage places annual dues “just under $20,000” or in figures around $14,000–$20,000 depending on the story and vintage; Wikipedia and multiple news pieces summarize annual dues near $20,000, and outlets such as the Palm Beach Post have reported dues “just under $20,000” [3] [2] [7]. Those dues figures are presented as recurring club dues, not the one‑time initiation fee [2] [7].
3. The official club stance and limits of public data
Mar‑a‑Lago’s own membership page markets amenities and contact details but does not publish fees, so most public price signals come from interviews, member disclosures and press reporting rather than official posted rates [4] [5]. Independent price aggregators and commercial write‑ups therefore use news reports and member anecdotes to produce estimates; those secondary sites can vary widely in methodology [5].
4. Historical context: initiation fees have changed repeatedly
Reporting traces initiation‑fee history: reported earlier levels include $25,000 when the club opened as a members’ club in the 1990s, rises to $200,000 during Trump’s presidency, later reports of $700,000, and then the widely reported leap to $1,000,000 for a few memberships [6] [2] [3]. Coverage emphasizes the club’s cap on total memberships (around 500), which explains how scarcity can drive initiation‑fee hikes [6].
5. Competing perspectives: price vs. access and optics
Some outlets frame the price hike as a standard luxury pricing move — scarcity, brand and demand justify higher initiation fees — while other reporting raises political and ethical questions about whether selling expensive memberships to a former president’s private club carries the risk of perceived “selling access” to the club’s owner (The Guardian and Economic Times highlight those concerns) [1] [8]. Bloomberg and others have used the club’s prices to explain broader political behavior, noting the overlap of social club membership and political influence [9] [1].
6. What is not settled in the available reporting
Available sources do not provide a single, club‑published breakdown showing the exact current initiation fee for all applicants or a definitive, up‑to‑the‑day published schedule of annual dues and what those dues cover; the club’s official site omits prices and instead asks interested parties to inquire [4] [5]. There are variations in the reported annual‑dues number across outlets and over time [7] [3].
7. Practical takeaway for your question
If you mean the recurring yearly cost once a member: multiple reputable outlets report annual dues in the roughly $14,000–$20,000 range, commonly cited near $20,000 [7] [3] [2]. If you mean the one‑time initiation fee to join: recent reporting indicates the initiation fee was advertised to climb to $1,000,000 for a limited set of memberships (from a prior $700,000 figure), based on interviews with Mar‑a‑Lago management [1] [2] [6].
Limitations: I rely only on the provided reporting; the club’s own website does not publish prices and therefore does not confirm the exact current billed schedule [4] [5].