Donald Trump on Wednesday defended having earned around $1.2 billion from his cryptocurrency activities in 2025, saying “everyone benefits” from his return to power.
• Also read: Trump made around $1.2 billion in cryptocurrencies in 2025
“You know why I make a profit, because the stock market is going up, everyone is making a profit,” the US president told reporters as he prepared to take his first flight aboard a new Air Force One offered by Qatar.
Asked about criticism that he was using his office for personal enrichment, the Republican billionaire said his income was placed in blind trusts – structures used by people in public office to have their private assets managed independently.
“I don’t take care of my personal finances, we have funds that manage my money,” he said. “I made a lot of money before becoming president, they invest my money and I don’t talk to them. »
He also assured that his fortune was due to his previous career, although this income came from activities carried out since his return to the White House.
“I don’t know if I had a better career in politics or in business, but I had a great career in business,” he said.
“So we all benefit from it. I take advantage of it because I have a lot of money and a lot of money,” added Donald Trump.
According to a document made public Tuesday by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), the head of state received nearly $550 million thanks to his ties to the cryptocurrency platform supported by his family, World Liberty Financial (WLF).
The document also reports income of $635 million received under a licensing agreement linked to the cryptocurrency that bears his name, $TRUMP, marketed a few hours before his inauguration, in January 2025.
Donald Trump’s activities in the cryptocurrency sector are the main reason for the almost tripling of his personal wealth, from 2.3 to 6.5 billion dollars between 2024 and 2026 according to Forbes magazine.
The former real estate developer is regularly accused of conflicts of interest, in particular for having invested in the electronic currency industry while he has taken, since his inauguration, several measures to deregulate the sector, causing the price of assets to jump.
The White House said in a statement on Tuesday that Donald Trump had “proudly made the United States the cryptocurrency capital of the world,” vigorously rejecting accusations of conflicts of interest.
“Neither the president nor his family have ever been involved, and will never be involved, in conflicts of interest,” said White House principal deputy spokesperson Anna Kelly in a statement to AFP.
