President Donald Trump is back in the headlines, this time for a major investment spree while in office.
Since returning to the presidency in January 2025, he’s bought over $100 million in bonds, according to recent filings with the US Office of Government Ethics.
Spread across more than 600 transactions between January and early August, the scale of these purchases and the variety of issuers involved have grabbed attention, marking a surprisingly active financial period for a sitting president.
Scope of Trump’s bond purchases
The disclosure released on August 20 shows that Trump has been investing heavily in bonds from a wide range of sources.
These include corporate bonds from some of America’s biggest companies, like Citigroup, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo, Qualcomm, T-Mobile, Home Depot, UnitedHealth Group, and Meta Platforms.
On top of that, he’s also bought plenty of municipal and state bonds issued by local governments, counties, school districts, gas districts, and hospital authorities across the US.
The bond spree began just a day after his second inauguration on Wednesday. Spread across 690 transactions, the investments now add up to over $100 million.
While the filings show ranges rather than exact amounts for each purchase, the sheer scale is remarkable for a sitting president, showing Trump’s active participation in financial markets even while running the country.
A lot of the bonds Trump has bought come from sectors and regions that could be affected by his administration’s policies.
For instance, several municipal bonds are from districts and localities that receive federal funding overseen by his administration.
Likewise, some of the corporate bonds he’s invested in are from industries that are shaped by federal regulations and economic policies.
Implications and reactions
Trump’s massive and varied bond purchases have sparked questions about transparency and possible conflicts of interest while he’s in office.
Presidents have to disclose these kinds of financial moves, but there’s nothing stopping them from actually making the investments.
Critics worry that buying bonds in companies and municipalities tied to federal oversight could be tricky ethically, since some of these entities might be affected by his administration’s decisions.
CREW, the watchdog group, has flagged this as a potential conflict of interest and says sitting presidents should have clear oversight or consider divesting.
Trump says he put his business holdings into a trust managed by his children to avoid conflicts, but the tangled web of his personal investments still draws a lot of attention.
His net worth has reportedly jumped since 2024, now estimated at around $5.5 billion, helped along by various business ventures, including these bond purchases.
Experts point out that during his first term, Trump’s municipal bond holdings were relatively small, so this recent surge marks a clear shift in his financial approach.
The timing and choice of bond issuers, coming amid tight federal-state funding negotiations and changing regulations, add another layer of complexity to his financial picture.
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