Trump Family Net Worth Soars 60% to $6.3 Billion Amid Crypto Deals

A new report from the Associated Press details a rapid expansion of the Trump family's business dealings, particularly in cryptocurrency and overseas markets, leading to a 60 percent increase in President Donald Trump's estimated net worth to $6.3 billion since he returned to office. The ventures, led by his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, have raised questions from ethics experts about potential conflicts of interest between the presidency and the family's financial gains.

“I don’t think there’s any line right now between policy decisions and political calculations and the interest of the Trump family,” Julian Zelizer, a presidential historian at Princeton University, told the AP.

The family's business has undertaken eight new overseas projects in the second term, a sharp contrast to zero during Trump's first term. Simultaneously, their ventures into cryptocurrency, including World Liberty Financial and American Bitcoin, have generated billions. These dealings often coincide with favorable policy decisions for the partners and investors involved, including a pardon for Binance's founder and access to advanced U.S. technology for the UAE.

The expansion raises questions about the potential for future presidents to profit from their time in office. While the White House and the Trump Organization maintain that they are in full compliance with all ethics laws, the scale and timing of these deals are drawing scrutiny.

The $2 Billion Crypto Ventures

The family's foray into cryptocurrency has been particularly lucrative. The Trumps sold nearly half of their World Liberty Financial crypto business for $500 million to a company linked to the UAE government. A separate UAE government fund then invested $2 billion in the crypto exchange Binance using a stablecoin issued by World Liberty. Shortly after, the Trump administration granted the UAE access to advanced U.S. computer chips, and President Trump pardoned Binance's founder, Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to anti-money-laundering violations.

World Liberty has also raised $2 billion through the sale of "governance tokens," with a significant portion of the proceeds going to the Trump family. One major investor was cryptocurrency billionaire Justin Sun, who purchased $75 million worth of the tokens. Souvenir "meme" coins stamped with Trump's face have generated an additional $320 million, with Sun being a prominent buyer. Another family venture, American Bitcoin, went public, giving Donald Jr. and Eric an estimated $1 billion in paper wealth after their father announced a new national bitcoin reserve, which caused the cryptocurrency's price to soar.

The White House has denied any quid pro quo, stating that Zhao was unfairly punished by the previous administration. World Liberty also dismissed any connection between the UAE deal and the chip policy.

Overseas Deals and Influence

The Trump Organization is undergoing its most rapid overseas expansion in its history, with eight new deals in a little over a year of Trump's second term. These include a golf club and villa project in Qatar developed with a government-owned company, a resort in Vietnam, and a "Trump Plaza" in Saudi Arabia built by a developer with close ties to the royal family. These deals have coincided with policy decisions favorable to these countries, such as granting Qatar access to advanced U.S. technology and providing tariff relief for Vietnam. The Trump Organization has stated that it has not done business directly with foreign governments, noting its Qatari partner is a "collaboration" and the Saudi developer is a private entity.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice.