At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Swiss, President Trump bragged about making America both great and wealthy again. Speaking to economists, he falsely claimed that due to his policies and tariffs, $18 trillion has been invested in the United States, when in fact, American consumers are bearing the costs of his tariff wars. Meanwhile, President Trump seems to be advancing his 'Make Trump Richer' agenda. According to an NYT report, the real estate mogul earned approximately $1.4 billion (about 12.8 billion Rupees) since taking office.
Since returning to the White House in January 2025, Trump’s wealth has increased by at least $1,408,500,000, despite renewed investigations into his business interests. He has faced accusations of exploiting the presidency. This figure, derived from analyses by several news organizations, highlights substantial gains even as the full extent of his profits remains unspecified due to some business transactions not being publicly disclosed.
Considering Trump's earnings in context, average household income in the USA stands at about $83,000 (₹76,70,860), which has been declining. Trump's one-year wealth acquisition is 16,720 times that of an average American home.
Surge in Trump's Real Estate Projects
President Trump earned approximately $23 million by licensing the ‘Trump’ brand for 20 different foreign projects, including a luxury hotel in Oman, a golf course in Saudi Arabia, and an office tower in Maharashtra. 'Trump World Center' in Pune is anticipated to bring in over $289 million, marking India's first Trump-branded commercial real estate project. Ironically, months earlier, Trump criticized India’s ‘poor economy’ when relations strained due to his tariff and trade antics.
Source: aajtak
Trump has been unilaterally imposing tariffs like a weapon, benefiting certain countries.
An example is Vietnam, heavily reliant on the US for exports, faced a 46% tariff last year. Yet, when Vietnam approved a $1.5 billion golf complex by Trump Organization in Hanoi, the tariff reduced to 20%. Reports mention that to expedite Trump’s project, the government overlooked regulatory norms.
In October, a viral video featured Indonesia’s President Prabowo Subianto asking Trump, via a hot mic incident, if they could meet his son Eric, overseeing the family business. While the details of their discussion were vague, it hinted at a potential business deal.
Last March, Indonesia saw its first Trump-branded golf club. More properties in Indonesia and a resort in Bali are listed on Trump Organization’s website.
Lucrative Crypto Ventures
Besides real estate, cryptocurrency ventures have been Trump's major earnings source over the past year. He amassed at least $867 million (₹80 billion) through ventures linked to family-operated World Liberty Financial and a meme coin.
In 2025, a UAE firm invested $2 billion in Trump’s World Liberty Financial, occurring weeks before Trump endorsed selling semiconductors to UAE.
Trump 2.0 prioritizes personal ventures over geopolitical alliances. During his first term, he accused Pakistan of ‘lying’ and ‘deceit’ in the name of anti-terror operations. Now, he’s engaged in a 17,000 crore Rupee crypto deal with Pakistan.
Trump and his sons hold shares over $5 billion within World Liberty Financial, making crypto a significant source of their riches.
Fortunes from Filmmaking and Legal Settlements
Moreover, Trump and his wife Melania ventured into filmmaking, earning $28 million from Amazon for the rights to their forthcoming documentary ‘Melania.’
Additionally, settlements from tech and media companies like X, Meta, YouTube, and Paramount brought $90.5 million. YouTube paid $24.5 million settling a suspension lawsuit; Paramount paid $16 million over a purportedly misedited interview with Kamala Harris.
Glamorous gifts also poured in, such as a $400 million ‘Palace on Wheels’ jet from Qatar, which Trump intends to use as Air Force One and hinted at retaining post-presidency. Interestingly, Qatar’s lavish gift coincided with Trump Organization’s agreement to develop a luxury golf resort in Doha.
All this unfolds amidst Americans battling a stagnant economy and soaring food prices. Yet, Trump seems more focused on hoarding billions in his second term, befitting his businessman nature.
