Trump snapped up more than $100 million in bonds while in office
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The U.S. president has purchased hundreds of bonds issued by companies, local governments and school boards.
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investment
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August 20, 2025
12:57 PM
CNBC
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United States President Donald Trump participates in a Multilateral Meeting with European Leaders in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, US
Picture date: Monday August 18, 2025.Aaron Schwartz - Pa Images | Pa Images | Getty ImagesU.S
President Donald Trump has been on a multimillion-dollar bond-buying spree since taking office, in debt issued by local authorities, gas districts and major American corporations.Across 33 pages of filings to the U.S
Office of Government Ethics (OGE), dated Aug. 12, the president outlined 690 transactions that have taken place since he took office
The documents were made public on Tuesday.According to CNBC calculations, the purchases had a total value of at least $100 million, assuming the lower value end listed for each disclosed transaction.By law, the U.S. president, vice president and other select officials must periodically declare "reportable transactions" to the OGE
The precise value of these dealings does not have to be reported.The extensive lists filed earlier this month show that, over the course of this year, Trump has bought bonds sold by various entities, including local U.S. governments, as well as gas districts, water supply districts, hospital authorities and school boards.Trump also bought debt issued by an array of big-name companies
The documents point to purchases of between $500,000 and $1,000,000 worth of bonds issued by T-Mobile U.S., United Health and Depot each in early February
Later that month, he cured debt issued by Facebook and Instagram parent Meta, worth between $250,000 and $500,000.The White House did not immediately respond to a CNBC request for .Companies, governments and other groups issue bonds to raise capital to carry out jects, fuel growth, refinance existing debt or to bolster financial stability
Investors who purchase the bonds receive interest payments — either fixed or variable — over an agreed period, along with the return of the full loan amount at the end of that period.Some of the companies whose debt is now owned by Trump have been directly impacted by his policies or dealings.The White House leader has a net worth of $5.5 billion, according to Forbes
In 2020 — the last year of his first presidential term — Trump was worth $2.1 billion, according to the magazine
Forbes has labeled the years between his two terms "the most lucrative post-presidency in American history" thanks to a series of ventures marketed to his supporters.Trump's political rivals have previously accused him of various conflicts of interest during his tenure as president
Under federal law, the president and vice president are exempt from some regulation relating to conflicts of interest among federal officials — but according to non-fit watchdog CREW, every modern president prior to Trump has opted to divest their interests before taking office.
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