U.S. President Donald Trump earned $1.4 billion (about 2.1672 trillion won) last year through a cryptocurrency company he runs with his family and meme coin-related businesses.
Presidential Personal Income Surges Amid Deregulation
According to a report by the Financial Times (FT) on Monday citing data from the U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE), World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company owned by Trump's family, generated $526.8 million (about 815.5 billion won) in income for him last year through token sales.
Trump currently holds 15.75 billion tokens in the company, and despite the recent price decline, the value of this stake is estimated at about $900 million (about 1.3932 trillion won).
The company was reportedly established last year by Trump's eldest son Donald Trump Jr. and second son Eric Trump, together with the sons of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff. The FT previously reported in October last year that the business had generated more than $1 billion (about 1.548 trillion won) in pre-tax profit within one year of its launch.
In addition, Trump reported receiving $636 million in royalties through his meme coin "$TRUMP," and also reported $197 million in profit from selling his stake in stablecoin holding company Holdco.
This financial disclosure coincides with a period in which the Trump administration, since taking power, has successively lifted cryptocurrency regulations established under the Biden administration and ended a series of lawsuits against major cryptocurrency companies. As a result, criticism that the president is simultaneously profiting from his personal business while serving as a policy decision-maker is expected to grow again.
In response, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, "The president and his family have never been, are not, and never will be involved in conflicts of interest."
The Trump Group also pushed back in a separate statement, saying it "demonstrates a very healthy financial condition based on world-class assets, ample liquidity, and a conservative financial structure."
Diverse Income and Donations Beyond Coins
The data also confirmed that he earned $635 million (about 983 billion won) through a licensing agreement for the commemorative coin brand "Celebration Coin."
In addition, the list includes $4.7 million (about 7.3 billion won) in Trump watch royalties, $1.9 million (about 2.9 billion won) in royalties from his book "Save America," $591,000 (about 910 million won) in sales revenue from the photo book "Letters to Trump," $208,000 (about 320 million won) in sales revenue from the Lee Greenwood Bible, $67,000 (about 104 million won) in sneaker and perfume sales revenue, and $36,000 (about 56 million won) in other sales revenue related to the "45" brand.
Donations and gifts received from companies and individuals are also drawing attention. Meta provided $24.5 million (about 37.9 billion won) to the Trump commemorative library construction project, and Alphabet contributed $22 million (about 34.1 billion won) to the fund for the new White House East Wing construction. CBS and ABC each contributed $16 million (about 24.8 billion won), joining the fund creation, and an $8 million (about 12.4 billion won) settlement in a lawsuit with X (formerly Twitter), owned by Elon Musk, was also paid separately.
He was also found to have received 10 World Cup tickets worth $15,000 (about 23 million won) from International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) President Gianni Infantino, and to have been given a sculpture called "Defiance Monument" worth $250,000 (about 390 million won) from Republican businessman Anthony Constantino.
The income details of First Lady Melania Trump were also included. She was tallied to have earned $6 million (about 9.3 billion won) from selling non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and $10.7 million (about 16.6 billion won) from the documentary "Melania," whose rights were acquired by Amazon.
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