U.S. President Facts That Will Make You See Them Differently

James Monroe left the presidency drowning in debt from years of personal spending on public hospitality. He believed presidents should entertain lavishly — and he paid for a lot of it out of pocket. By the time he retired, he was practically broke.

It got so bad he actually asked Congress for financial assistance, something no president had done before. Monroe spent years trying to settle his finances, proving that even presidents aren’t safe from money trouble when they overspend on parties.