President Donald Trump has taken in at least $1.4 billion since returning to the White House one year ago, according to a report from The New York Times.
The report points to the Trump family’s cryptocurrency ventures as the biggest driver of that haul, estimating they’ve generated at least $867 million. Critics argue these crypto projects create a channel for wealthy interests to curry favor away from public scrutiny—money that can overlap with, and potentially shape, government decisions.
One example cited: roughly two weeks after a foreign investment firm backed by the United Arab Emirates pledged $2 billion to Trump’s World Liberty Financial—a decentralized finance platform reportedly majority owned by a Trump business entity—the administration approved the country’s access to hundreds of thousands of highly advanced and scarce computer chips.
Beyond crypto, the report says Trump has made at least $90.5 million tied to major technology and media companies through a wave of lawsuit settlements—payments framed as efforts by corporations to avoid conflict with a president who now influences or oversees their industries.
Paramount agreed to pay $16 million to settle a lawsuit related to the editing of an interview with Kamala Harris, and weeks later the Federal Communications Commission approved Paramount’s merger with Skydance. Other settlements followed: Meta agreed to pay $25 million, ABC News agreed to pay $16 million, X agreed to pay $10 million, and YouTube agreed to pay $25.4 million.
The report also notes that even companies Trump did not sue paid substantial sums to Trump-linked projects. Amazon, for instance, paid $28 million for Melania, a documentary about the first lady—an amount the report says exceeds what the company typically pays for similar projects.
Meanwhile, the Trump Organization has reportedly brought in at least $23 million in licensing fees from development deals around the world—projects the report ties to the president’s international relationships. As Trump has strengthened ties with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the company has projects planned or underway in Jeddah, Riyadh, Diriyah, and the Maldives. In Vietnam, the report says the administration agreed to reduce tariffs after Vietnamese officials illegally fast-tracked construction on a $1.5 billion Trump golf complex outside Hanoi.
The report contrasts those gains with the economic pressures many Americans are facing, including a weaker job market, higher prices, and rising inflation. It also highlights polling that suggests public confidence is slipping: one recent poll found 36% of Americans say Trump has the right priorities, down from 45% at the beginning of his term. The piece argues the financial figures—and what they imply about influence and ethics—help explain that shift.
