How America's most humble president Jimmy Carter shunned the greed of successors to live modestly

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From humble beginnings to the White House and back, the United States' 39th President Jimmy Carter shunned greed to live in a modest $223,000 home, fly commercial and teach Sunday school.

Dubbed the 'un-celebrity president', Carter - who died Sunday aged 100 - grew up in Plains, Georgia. 

The son of a peanut farmer, he returned to his two-bedroom ranch instead of cashing in on political riches following his tenure.

The humble property - whose décor is said to be charming, if dated - is theoretically worth $223,000, according to a Zillow estimate. 

But its links to Carter mean the true value is far higher - although the property will never appear on the open market, as he and wife Rosalynn planned to leave it to the National Parks Service. 

Carter's successors have all made tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars by writing books, giving speeches and doing consulting work after leaving 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue - but Carter said that path never appealed to him.

It wasn't the first time the he had returned to his hometown. He left behind his Naval career after his father, James Earl Carter Sr, died of pancreatic cancer aged 58 in 1953. The decision proved to be a catalyst for his political career.

Then again, following his loss to Ronald Reagan in 1980, he and his beloved wife Rosalynn packed their things and headed back to the town where they fell in love - and lived there until they died.

From humble beginnings to the White House and back, the United States' 39th president shunned greed to live in a modest $223,000 home. He's pictured in his kitchen in 2018

Dubbed the 'un-celebrity president' Carter returned to his two-bedroom ranch rather than cashing in on political riches following his tenure. He and Rosalynn are pictured dining at a friend's house in Plains in 2018

Jimmy and Rosalynn pictured walking through Plains with their bodyguards in August 2018

In a 2018 look into the Carters' day-to-day lives, the Washington Post detailed the 'fairly ordinary' life led by the childhood sweethearts in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Plains.

Jimmy and Rosalynn would often have dinner with neighbors. On one such occasion, they are said to have enjoyed 'salmon and broccoli casserole on paper plates' at their friend Jill Stuckey's house. 

A sharp contrast to his successors, Carter drew his unpretentious nature from his farmhouse youth during the Great Depression, which also solidified his no-frills sensibility and beliefs about racial equality.

Stuart E. Eizenstat, a Carter aide and biographer, told the Washington Post that Carter 'didn't feel suited to grandeur.

'Plains is really part of his DNA. He carried it into the White House, and he carried it out of the White House,' he said.

Even for those who didn't start out rich, including Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, making tens of millions of dollars on the private-sector opportunities has been a rite of passage for most who've served as president. 

Carter taught Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church on the edge of town every fortnight, but had to stop when his health took a turn for the worse. Carter's classes attracted visitors from across the world. He's pictured giving one in 2018

Carter is pictured celebrating Christmas at his home with his family in 1978

Jimmy Carter House, 209 Woodland Drive, Plains, Sumter County, Georgia. When the Democrat returned home his finances were sadly in tatters as his family-owned peanut business had racked up $1million in debt

But for Carter, making money from corporate speaking and joining the boards of big companies - as his predecessor Gerald Ford had done - was not on the cards. 

Instead, he planned to return to the town where he was born and reinvigorate his career as a peanut farmer. 

But when the Democrat got home, his finances were in tatters and the family's peanut business had racked up $1million in debt.

He was forced to sell it and took pen to paper to repair his finances - writing 33 books on a variety of subjects, although not as successfully as some other presidents. On top of his writing revenue, Carter also commanded a $210,700 annual pension -  received by all former presidents. 

But, meeting him, you wouldn't know. Carter is the only president in the modern era to return full-time to the house he lived in before he entered politics. The modest $223,000 home boasts only two bedrooms. 

'He doesn't like big shots, and he doesn't think he's a big shot,' his former White House communications director, Gerald Rafshoon, told the Washington Post. 

After boarding a flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles on June 8 2017, the then 93-year-old walked down the aisle greeting passengers by shaking hands and smiling for pictures 

Carter only flew commercial in his humble post-presidency life - his fans yelled out to him saying: 'You're my favorite president!' and 'I love you Jimmy Carter'

In fact, Carter cost U.S. taxpayers the least amount of money of any former president, according to the General Services Administration.

The total bill for him in the last fiscal year was $496,000, covering pensions, an office, security staff and other expenses.

Meanwhile, Bill Clinton cost $1.27M and George W. Bush cost $1.21M as the two highest expenses to the taxpayer, beating Donald Trump, at $1.04M and Barack Obama at $1.18M. 

Carter told the Washington Post in 2018 that he didn't want to pursue riches and that he just wanted to go home.

'I don't see anything wrong with it, I don't blame other people for doing it,' he said.

'It just never had been my ambition to be rich.'  

While many ex-presidents fly in private jets, sometimes loaned to them by wealthy friends, Carter continued to fly commercial. 

Footage as he boarded a Delta flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles on June 8, 2017, went viral as the then 93-year-old headed down the aisle to shake hands with passengers and smile for selfies. 

The heartwarming video showed the former president enthusiastically greeting passengers as his fans yelled out to him saying: 'You're my favorite president!' and 'I love you Jimmy Carter.' 

Flying commercial was just one of the many ways he led a simple life following his 1977 to 1981 tenure in the White House.

In addition to his humble home-life, Carter taught Sunday school at the Maranatha Baptist Church on the edge of town every two weeks, but had to stop when his health took a turn for the worse.

In this February 8, 1976, photo Carter is seen relaxing in blue jeans outside his home in Plains, Georgia, the town where he met his soulmate Rosalynn

Stuart E. Eizenstat, a Carter aide and biographer, said: 'Plains is really part of [Carter's] DNA. He carried it into the White House, and he carried it out of the White House'

In a 2018 look into the Carters' everyday lives, Jimmy detailed the 'fairly ordinary' life he led in the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Plains, Georgia

Carter walks with his wife, former First Lady, Rosalynn Carter towards their home following dinner at a friend's home on Saturday August 04, 2018 in Plains, GA 

According to locals, lines of worshippers would form around the block the night before to hear his Bible studies.  

'We feel at home here,' Carter said in the 2018 interview. 'The folks in town, when we need it, they take care of us.'

While it remains unclear where the former U.S. president will be buried, Carter told the Washington Post in 2018 that he'd hoped to be laid to rest at his home by a willow tree near a pond he'd helped dig, beside his beloved Rosalynn. 

The hope was to draw tourism to Plains and boost the small town's economy even after his passing.