Donald Trump has pocketed more than $1bn from his cryptocurrency ventures since returning to the White House – a fortune that has left hundreds of Americans accusing him of “obviously a grift”. A 927-page disclosure released by the US Office of Government Ethics on Tuesday laid bare the scale of the president’s earnings: over $2.2bn last year alone, from real estate, golf resorts, branded merchandise, court settlements and, most strikingly, digital assets. Trump’s World Liberty Financial, a joint venture with his Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, brought in more than $500m from sales of “governance tokens”, while his firm CIC Digital LLC generated over $600m from Trump‑branded meme coins launched days before his second inauguration.
The disclosure prompted a Guardian call for views on Trump’s expanding fortune, and more than 400 Americans responded with outrage, disgust and despair. Gregg Savajian, a 72‑year‑old veteran living in Washington state, said: “It’s an insult to working‑class Americans, obviously a grift.” He added that he was “terrified of our future” as a country. Kathe Rhoades, a retired technical writer, put it bluntly: “Trump cares about two things, and two things only: himself and money.”
“Trump earned over $1bn from crypto since returning to office, sparking outrage among hundreds of Americans.”
Democratic politicians seized on the figures. Elizabeth Warren, the top Democrat on the Senate banking committee, said the numbers showed why Congress needed to act, calling for legislation to “prevent the president, vice‑president, senior administration officials, members of Congress, and their families from profiting off the crypto industry”. Juliana Stratton, Illinois lieutenant governor and a Democratic Senate candidate, wrote on social media that Trump’s “infinite greed is disgusting”, adding: “Donald Trump uses the office of the president to make billions while American families struggle to afford their basic needs.” Gavin Newsom, California’s governor, said the disclosures “showed exactly” how Trump played his crypto cards, noting many investors had lost out. “He got richer,” said Newsom. “His crypto supporters got rug‑pulled.” Minnesota governor Tim Walz, the 2024 Democratic vice‑presidential nominee, called Trump “the most corrupt president in American history”.
Trump brushed off the scrutiny. “I’ve always made money. I’m a business person. I’m a really good business person,” he told CNBC, adding that his son Eric handles his business matters and “I don’t talk to him about things such as this.” A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelly, said: “Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged – or will ever engage – in conflicts of interest.” The disclosure did not immediately trigger formal ethics inquiries, but the stream of billion‑dollar earnings from the presidency has reopened a debate over whether the nation’s highest office is being used for personal enrichment.