What business deals involving the Trump family occurred while he was president and how much did they generate?
Executive summary
Multiple news investigations and congressional Democrats’ reports say the Trump family continued active dealmaking during Donald Trump’s presidency, especially in real estate, licensing and a high-profile cryptocurrency venture that attracted a reported $2 billion investment from Gulf actors; estimates of direct family receipts range from tens of millions to hundreds of millions, with congressional Democrats putting crypto-related holdings as high as $11.6 billion and $800 million in sales in H1 2025 [1] [2] [3] [4]. Reporting from The New York Times, The Guardian and others documents repeated Middle East licensing, planned towers and golf developments tied to Saudi, Qatari and Emirati partners while Trump remained in office [5] [6] [7].
1. What deals are repeatedly flagged by reporters — the Middle East real‑estate and licensing boom
Investigations show the Trump Organization and allied partners announced multiple Gulf projects after Trump returned to the White House: Trump‑branded towers and resorts in Saudi Arabia (including projects in Jeddah and Riyadh), a Qatar golf resort, Dubai towers and a golf course in Oman, often tied to firms with government links; The New York Times and The Guardian say Dar Global and other Gulf partners have pushed at least several Trump‑branded developments since 2025 [6] [5] [7].
2. How much cash these Gulf deals produced — reported ranges and specific figures
Different outlets give different figures. Forbes and other coverage put last‑year Saudi‑linked family receipts at roughly $50 million from Saudi‑linked deals [3]. Leaked or aggregated reporting also lists planned project values (for example a reported $531 million Trump Tower in Jeddah, per regional reporting) but available sources do not produce a single, consolidated accounting of total sums received by the family from every Gulf project [8] [3]. In short: some deals produced multi‑million dollar revenues to the family, while project values run into the hundreds of millions, but comprehensive totals are not detailed in the sources provided [3] [8].
3. The crypto story: a multi‑billion narrative and a $2 billion Gulf infusion
Reporting highlights World Liberty Financial, a Trump family‑linked crypto platform co‑founded by Trump family members and partners; PBS and other outlets report a $2 billion infusion connected to the UAE that was expected to generate “tens of millions of dollars per year” for the family, and congressional Democrats’ staff report asserts crypto holdings as large as $11.6 billion and $800 million of crypto sales income in H1 2025 alone [1] [2] [9]. These are very different scales: independent outlets cite “tens of millions” yearly from the $2 billion transaction, while the House Judiciary Democrats’ staff report advances far larger aggregate figures for holdings and short‑term sales [1] [2].
4. Other revenue lines while he was president: media deals, settlements and merchandise
Reporting cites additional, non‑real‑estate income: an Amazon documentary deal, settlements with tech platforms, and licensing revenue from branded products. One outlet reported the family made nearly $80 million since the election from a documentary and legal settlements; mandatory disclosures cited by PBS show millions in revenue from branded books, watches, sneakers and fragrances [4] [9]. These are explicit revenue items but not presented as part of a single calculated total in the available sources [4] [9].
5. Competing interpretations and why totals diverge
Sources disagree on scale and interpretation. Mainstream news outlets (NYT, Guardian, PBS) document deal activity and report specific transactions or estimated flows [5] [6] [1]. The House Judiciary Democrats’ staff report frames the picture as systemic, offering high‑end aggregate figures for crypto holdings and income [2]. Independent business outlets (Forbes, regional press) report project values and estimated family receipts like the $50 million Saudi number; some investigative outlets emphasize risks of “pay‑to‑play” and conflicts of interest [3] [5]. Those differences reflect different methods: transaction‑level reporting vs. staff aggregation and political briefing.
6. What the sources do not settle — limits and unanswered accounting questions
Available reporting documents many headline transactions and provides disparate estimates, but no source here produces a fully reconciled ledger of all Trump‑family receipts during the presidency. Neither the investigative pieces nor the congressional staff report in these search results supply a single, auditable total of realized income across real estate, licensing, crypto, media and settlement streams; thus precise overall sums remain contested and incompletely reported in the sources provided [6] [2] [5].
7. Context and implications journalists emphasize
Observers and watchdogs quoted in the coverage warn that the deals risk conflicts of interest and “pay‑to‑play” dynamics because many counterparties are Gulf sovereign actors with overlapping state and family interests; critics and congressional Democrats argue that policy decisions and access correlate with financial flows, while supporters say the president is not personally running the family business and that private revenue is lawful [5] [2] [9]. Both stances appear across the sources, so readers should weigh documented transactions against partisan frames in the reporting [5] [2] [9].
Limitations: this summary uses only the supplied sources and cites them inline; available sources do not present a single reconciled total of all deals and earnings by the Trump family while he was president [6] [2].