Trump Earns $2.2 Billion Annually, Two-Thirds from Cryptocurrency, Averaging 87 Stock Trades Daily

Original | Odaily Planet Daily ( @OdailyChina )

Author | Wenser ( @wenser2010 )

How much can the President of the United States earn in a year?

Before Trump, this figure was typically $400,000, which is the statutory basic annual salary of the president; in addition, there is an extra $50,000 annual allowance, a $100,000 tax-exempt travel allowance, and a $19,000 entertainment expense subsidy. The perks of power also include the presidential limousine, Marine One helicopter, Air Force One, and free residence at the White House.

However, "typically" has never been able to describe Trump------recently, according to the annual financial disclosure documents released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump's personal income in 2025 exceeded $2.2 billion, setting a record for the highest annual income during a presidential term in the United States.

This 927-page document clearly outlines the business empire centered around Trump.

Trump's "Monetization Manual": $1.4 Billion from Cryptocurrency, Holding Over $100 Million in BTC and ETH

For Trump, who has served as president twice, the basic annual salary of $400,000 is no longer significant; he has twice refused the presidential salary.

Instead, he has ventured into the business world through his "brand image" and "family business," carving out paths to wealth beyond his real estate background.

Trump's "Income Curve": Personal Wealth Increased 2.8 Times in Two Years, Cryptocurrency Becomes a Gold Mine

According to Forbes billionaire list data, in 2024, Trump's personal net worth was still $2.3 billion; at that time, his annual income was around $600 million, while he was burdened with massive debts------one was a $500 million fine owed to New York State for fraud; the other was $88 million owed to "sexual assault victim" Carroll due to a sexual assault scandal and defamation.

As of 2026, Trump's current personal net worth is $6.5 billion. In 2025, Trump's personal annual income was $2.2 billion, of which the "new family business" in cryptocurrency generated $1.4 billion, accounting for about 64%; income from the "family's old business" in real estate was $575 million, accounting for about 26%; the remaining 10% of income mainly came from litigation settlements ($86.5 million), brand licensing fees ($68.6 million), and other income from stock investments ($79.3 million).

Trump's "Cryptocurrency Details": I Was Unaware and Did Not Avoid It

In a recent media interview, the "great president" expressed that he was unaware of his "cryptocurrency earnings," stating: "I have always been making money; I am a businessman, and a very good one. I made money, and it is quite a considerable amount..... I let others manage this money. I haven't even spoken to them------I don't even know who they are...... My son Eric (Trump's second son) is responsible for this aspect. I haven't discussed these matters with him...... Not knowing these things is not illegal...... There is no law requiring that every decision that may relate to you must be avoided while managing the country. It is simply unrealistic."

For some reason, this kind of "Huh? I made money again?" Versailles-style bragging from Trump is not surprising.

According to the latest personal financial disclosure documents, Trump's personal assets include over $100 million in BTC and ETH, as well as a few altcoins like LINK, AAVE, ENA, MOVE, ONDO; Trump also earned nearly $800 million from the cryptocurrency project World Liberty Financial, co-founded with his son (including $527 million from token sales and $263 million from equity transfers, including income from the stablecoin company Stablecoin Holdco LLC and WLFI); he earned about $635 million from selling TRUMP Meme coins and over $80 million from legal settlements with media companies.

Reuters previously estimated that since Trump returned to the presidency in January 2025, the Trump family's cryptocurrency business has generated at least $2.3 billion in profits from investors.

Where Does Income in the Cryptocurrency World Come From?

Taking the "Presidential Meme Coin" as an example, TRUMP led to approximately 1 million people incurring investment losses.

Every income Trump earns in the cannibalistic cryptocurrency market is backed by the blood money of retail investors and institutions.

Trump's "Personal American Dream": I Am a Stock God

Beyond cryptocurrency, income from the stock market is also a significant part of Trump's wealth narrative.

According to financial document information, in 2025, Trump reported over 22,000 stock trades, averaging 87 trades per day, making him a definite "high-frequency trader." As Trump mentioned earlier, the White House explained that "these trades are executed by a professional investment team from the Trump trust account, not directly operated by Trump himself."

Looking closely at Trump's stock holdings, they are quite intriguing.

• In terms of specific stocks, Trump's eight stock accounts hold over 4,000 stocks, primarily concentrated in major U.S. companies like Google (Alphabet), Apple, Broadcom, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia, Tesla, Amazon, with holdings ranging from $5 million to $25 million. Additionally, S&P 500 ETFs and technology sector ETFs are also included.
• In terms of trading operations, Trump's stock investments are not of the "value investment style" but resemble that of a "swing trader." Over the past year, Trump's stock account bought and sold Microsoft shares 84 times; Google shares were traded even more, reaching 97 times. Strangely, on August 18 of last year, Trump's stock account almost simultaneously bought the aforementioned eight tech stocks, along with popular stocks spanning payments, technology, investment banking, insurance, and healthcare, such as Visa, Mastercard, JPMorgan Chase, UnitedHealth, and Eli Lilly.
• In terms of long-held assets, Trump's account bought gold ETFs and silver ETFs five times in a year, never selling any; U.S. Treasury bonds and a Vanguard fund tracking dividend growth are also included.

Let’s think about what was happening in the "outside world" when these trades occurred.

Last year, Trump's account engaged in intensive trading around the time of major U.S. policy announcements: In April last year, Trump announced tariffs on global trade partners, triggering a "global tariff war," with U.S.-China tariffs soaring over 100%; during that time, Trump's account executed hundreds of stock trades over several consecutive days; a few days later, Trump staged his first "TACO drama," first stating, "Now is a good time to buy," then announcing a delay in tariff increases, causing a significant rebound in U.S. stocks; also, from late August to October last year, Trump's account bought at least $82 million worth of corporate and municipal bonds, involving multiple industries, many of which clearly benefited from U.S. policy adjustments.

Just yesterday, the U.S. launched another strike against Iran, causing oil prices to rise and U.S. stocks to fall, with a suspicious insider address betting on "long oil, short Nasdaq," with a position size of up to $21 million, floating profits exceeding $500,000, leading one to ponder.

All signs indicate that behind "TACO" lies insider trading and covert collusion.

"TACO" Conspiracy Theory: Insider Trading and Token Gestures

Trump's business dealings and the conflicts of interest with U.S. national interests have always been a public focus and a core controversy. Many Democratic senators have previously raised objections, calling for relevant departments to take action and initiate investigations, but due to Trump's presidential status, most controversies ultimately fizzled out or were temporarily shelved.

However, looking back now, many of Trump's unusual behaviors may actually be profit-driven.

In January 2025, just days before Trump officially took office, an investment company linked to the UAE government acquired 49% of WLFI for $500 million; shortly thereafter, despite strong opposition from some U.S. national security officials, the Trump administration reached an agreement with the UAE on a computer chip export deal related to artificial intelligence.

Additionally, his family business, the Trump Organization, has also earned millions to tens of millions of dollars from real estate projects in countries like Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Romania, and Vietnam, which subsequently received policy or political concessions from the U.S. in trade, military, and technology.

This also involves the "real estate business" that helped the Trump family rise and the brand stronghold built on Trump's powerful celebrity aura.

Brand Value: Named After President Trump

Looking through Trump's personal financial report, one striking section includes numerous companies starting with "DT Marks"------DT Marks Dubai, DT Marks Doha, DT Marks Abu Dhabi, DT Marks Hyderabad, DT Marks Gurugram...... It seems that the real estate business around the world is related to the Trump family.

However, in reality, these companies are merely "shell companies"------most have no actual assets, and their "valuation" is hard to ascertain; their only value lies in "bearing the TRUMP name and enjoying the brand premium of Trump." In other words, Trump, through "surname authorization," leveraged 20 "DT Marks" companies to rake in nearly $60 million in just 2025, with DT Marks Dubai generating $10.36 million and DT Marks Abu Dhabi generating $9.24 million.

Unlike Obama, who sold memoirs, gave global speeches, and took photos with entrepreneurs after leaving office, Trump has maximized the commercial value of the "president" along with the "Trump" surname.

The Bidirectional Approach of the Political and Business Era with the Businessman President

For 250 years, compared to the political power represented by the identity of the "President of the United States," the earning capacity of presidents has never attracted widespread attention.

When Biden left office, his net worth was about $10 million; by the end of 2025, Obama's personal net worth was only about $70 million; the Obamas' total income in 2013 was only $481,100, as their "book sales were poor," which was nearly $130,000 less than in 2012, and they had to bear a personal income tax of as high as 20.4%.

From Washington to Trump, 47 presidents have only seen their salaries increase five times, specifically------Washington's presidential term salary of $25,000 (reportedly all donated to the nation); in 1873, former President Grant's salary increased to $50,000; 36 years later, former President Taft's annual income reached $75,000; in 1949, former President Truman's salary exceeded $100,000; 20 years later, former President Nixon's salary finally reached $200,000; in 1999, at Clinton's request, the U.S. presidential salary was raised to $400,000, but due to U.S. law stipulating that "salary increases can only take effect after the next president takes office," George W. Bush became the "first president to earn $400,000 annually."

And now, in just the first year of his second term, Trump has single-handedly raised his annual income to the billions. Clearly, it is not through a fixed salary. Is the era moving forward? Is the national fortune being managed? Is power being monetized? All three are present. This is the dual vision and grand grasp that distinguishes Trump from his predecessors: seeing through the essence of world rules and fully utilizing them for himself.