Trump earned more than $1 billion through family crypto ventures, financial disclosure shows

• Trump reported over $1 billion in cryptocurrency-related income in 2025.
• Most earnings came from World Liberty Financial and the $TRUMP meme coin.
• The White House denied any conflict of interest involving the president or his family.
• Trump also earned millions from golf clubs, real estate, and branded products.
• Ethics experts say the president's crypto activities raise serious questions.

President Donald Trump and his family earned more than $1 billion from cryptocurrency-related business activities during 2025, according to a mandatory financial disclosure filed with the US Office of Government Ethics. The 927-page filing shows that digital assets have become the largest source of income for the president, far surpassing earnings from his traditional real estate business.

The disclosure states that Trump received approximately $635 million in royalties linked to the $TRUMP meme coin, a cryptocurrency launched just days before he returned to the White House. Although the token attracted massive attention after its launch, its market value has since dropped sharply.

The filing also shows that Trump earned more than $500 million through World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency company founded in 2024 by his sons and the son of Trump's Middle East special envoy, Steve Witkoff. The crypto firm's initial token sale reportedly generated around $550 million.

The president's cryptocurrency ventures helped significantly increase his personal wealth. According to Forbes, Trump's estimated net worth has grown from $2.3 billion in 2024 to about $6 billion, while Bloomberg's Billionaires Index estimates it at approximately $7.6 billion.

The White House rejected criticism that Trump's financial interests create ethical concerns while serving as president.

White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said, "Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged -- or will ever engage -- in conflicts of interest," as reported by AFP.

Kelly also defended the administration's policies supporting digital assets.

She added, "All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people -- and any so-called 'reporters' pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade," as reported by AFP.

The White House has repeatedly stated that Trump's businesses are managed through a trust controlled by his sons. Officials also point out that the president has previously argued he is not subject to federal conflict-of-interest laws that apply to many other government officials.

Trump's relationship with cryptocurrency has changed dramatically over the past few years. In 2021, he criticized Bitcoin, calling it a "scam" and a "disaster waiting to happen." During his 2024 presidential campaign, however, he promised to make the United States the "crypto capital of the planet."

After returning to office, Trump signed an executive order supporting the responsible growth of the cryptocurrency industry. His administration has also taken steps to reduce regulatory pressure on digital asset companies. The Securities and Exchange Commission, under Chairman Paul Atkins, has shifted away from the tougher enforcement approach used by the previous administration.

Last year, Trump also signed the GENIUS Act, legislation aimed at strengthening America's leadership in digital assets and cryptocurrency innovation.

Ethics experts, however, argue that Trump's financial interests in the crypto industry create serious questions because his administration is directly responsible for shaping policies that affect the value of digital assets.

Richard Painter, who served as the chief White House ethics lawyer under former President George W. Bush, criticized the situation.

He said, "Of course it's a conflict of interest." As reported by the BBC.

Painter also described the president's crypto earnings as "extraordinary," according to the BBC.

Financial experts have also noted that Trump's approach differs from previous presidents.

Will Walker-Arnott, Director of Private Clients at Raymond James Financial Group, said, "His approach, I suppose, is in contrast to previous presidents in terms of money making," as reported by the BBC.

He added, "Jimmy Carter put his peanut farm into a blind trust and George W Bush sold his interest in the Texas Rangers before becoming president, but Trump seems to be operating in a very different manner and seems to be making a lot of money through this family crypto company," as reported by the BBC.

Beyond cryptocurrency, Trump's financial disclosure shows substantial earnings from his long-established business empire.

His Mar-a-Lago club generated approximately $77 million, while his Trump National Doral golf resort in Florida produced around $122 million in income. Other golf properties in Bedminster, New Jersey, Jupiter, Florida, and Turnberry, Scotland, each generated more than $30 million.

The filing also lists millions of dollars in income from licensing Trump-branded merchandise. These include watches, Bibles, sneakers, fragrances, guitars, and other products. Trump reportedly earned about $4.7 million from Trump-branded watches alone.

First Lady Melania Trump also reported significant earnings. According to the disclosure, she received more than $10 million through a licensing agreement connected to a documentary about her. She also earned more than $500,000 from sales of her book, Melania, and approximately $6 million from the sale of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The disclosure also lists about $86.5 million in legal settlements received by Trump from lawsuits involving ABC, CBS, Meta, YouTube, and X. The White House has said that much of this money is intended to support Trump's future presidential library or nonprofit projects related to public parks in Washington, D.C.

The financial filing is significantly larger than those submitted by previous presidents. At 927 pages, it is one of the most detailed presidential financial disclosures ever released. By comparison, former President Joe Biden's final annual financial disclosure was only 11 pages long.

Meanwhile, critics continue to question whether a sitting president should personally benefit from industries that are directly affected by federal policies. The White House maintains that all of Trump's actions are focused on serving the interests of the American people, while opponents argue that his expanding crypto business creates unprecedented ethical challenges.