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Americans disgusted at Trump earning $1bn from crypto as president: ‘Obviously a grift’

Reported by Theguardian
Jul 3, 2026· 3 min read
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Key Takeaways
  • • Donald Trump earned more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency businesses since returning to the White House, according to a 927-page financial disclosure document released by the US Office of Government Ethics in July 2026.
  • • Trump's crypto income derives primarily from World Liberty Financial and CIC Digital LLC, which sell "governance tokens" and "memecoins" branded with the president's likeness, generating approximately $1.1 billion in combined revenues.
  • • Total reported income for Trump exceeded $2.2 billion in the disclosed period, encompassing real estate, golf courses, royalty agreements, Trump-branded consumer products, and substantial court settlement proceeds alongside crypto earnings.
  • • Public response to the disclosures reflects widespread concern about potential conflicts of interest, with over 400 Americans surveyed by The Guardian expressing outrage and characterizing the ventures as a "grift" or abuse of presidential office.
  • • The White House rejected conflict-of-interest allegations through a spokesperson statement, while Trump himself minimized concerns on CNBC, emphasizing his business acumen and noting his son Eric manages family business operations.
Summary
Donald Trump has accumulated more than $1 billion in income from cryptocurrency-related businesses during his second presidential term, according to financial disclosures released on Tuesday by the US Office of Government Ethics. The primary crypto revenue sources are World Liberty Financial and CIC Digital LLC, enterprises that generate income by selling governance tokens and memecoins bearing the president's name and likeness. These figures are part of Trump's broader financial portfolio, which totaled over $2.2 billion in reported income for the disclosed period.

The scale of Trump's crypto earnings is significant within the context of his stated policy objectives. In early 2025, Trump publicly announced an administration goal to position the United States as the "crypto capital of the world," a strategic positioning that creates potential optics concerns given his direct financial interest in digital asset ventures. The governance tokens and souvenir memecoins sold through his crypto entities represent a novel revenue model for a sitting president, prompting critics to raise questions about whether such activities constitute an improper monetization of executive office.

Beyond cryptocurrency, Trump's $2.2 billion income reflects diversified asset holdings and business interests spanning real estate, golf operations, trademark licensing agreements for consumer products including branded cologne, and court settlement payments totaling tens of millions of dollars. This financial complexity underscores the scale of potential conflicts that could arise from a sitting president maintaining active business interests.

Public reaction to the disclosures has been notably negative. The Guardian solicited responses from over 400 Americans regarding Trump's crypto earnings, with respondents overwhelmingly expressing disgust, outrage, and concern. Gregg Savajian, a 72-year-old Washington state veteran, characterized the arrangement as "an insult to working-class Americans" and "obviously a grift." These sentiments reflect broader anxiety about the propriety of presidential business operations during an active term.

The White House and Trump have contested these characterizations. A White House spokesperson stated that "neither the president nor his family has ever engaged – or will ever engage – in conflicts of interest." Trump himself, when questioned about the earnings on CNBC, stated: "I've always made money. I'm a business person. I'm a really good business person," and noted that his son Eric oversees business operations, suggesting distance between the president's official duties and family financial management.

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Sources

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AlphaMaven summarised this story from the reporting below. Each link opens the original article.

Theguardian Americans disgusted at Trump earning $1bn from crypto as president: ‘Obviously a grift’