Adolf Hitler came from a background of comparative poverty. Between serving in the German army and attempting to make a name for himself as an artist in Vienna, he often struggled to make ends meet. It was during this period that Hitler, frustrated by his situation, began to establish scapegoats in his mind on whom he laid the blame for what he saw as shortcomings in the German state, according to historian Ian Kershaw (via The New York Times). Thereafter, his hatred of Germany's Jewish population and of neighboring nations became central to his worldview, forming the central thread of his book, "Mein Kampf," or "My Struggle."
Published in two volumes in 1925 and 1926, when Hitler was already forcing his way to power with the National Socialist (Nazi) Party, the book eventually became a major money maker, funding his political machinations as well as generating personal wealth for the Nazi leader. When the Nazis came to power, a copy was given to every newlywed couple, amplifying sales and providing him with the equivalent of around $12 million a year. He reportedly also made a great deal of money in royalties from his official governmental portraits.
Hitler and the Nazis were also buoyed by donations from wealthy benefactors, as well as his salary for his political positions. But even as he came to power, Hitler refused to pay taxes. With the passing of the Enabling Act in 1933, Hitler consolidated the roles of Chancellor and President, cementing his position as an all-powerful dictator who could do as he pleased with Germany's finances. The following year, Hitler made himself tax-exempt.
