---
title: "Trump's $2B Fortune: Legal or Kleptocracy?"
description: "Via New York Times Top Stories: The legal murkiness of Trump’s highly profitable second term."
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### Trump's $2B Fortune: Legal or Kleptocracy?

New York Times Top Stories • September 10, 2026 at 4:38 PM ET

[×](/market?tab=nyt-top-stories)

President Trump made over **$2 billion** last year, far exceeding his **$400,000** salary. His growing fortune raises questions about allegiance to foreign investors as he shapes policy. In a podcast episode of "Interesting Times," contributing Opinion writer Christopher Caldwell and Harvard law professor Jack Goldsmith discuss how Trump amassed this wealth, whether it's legal, and if the U.S. is becoming a kleptocracy.

Goldsmith notes that presidents normally use blind trusts to separate personal finances from policy. Trump's sprawling business empire, with dealings outside the U.S., is unprecedented. Crypto has been a major source: **$1.4 billion** reported in 2025 disclosures. Entities in the U.A.E. invested **$400-500 million** in World Liberty Financial for a 49% stake. The firm was founded by Trump's sons and Steve Witkoff's sons.

Goldsmith says this level of foreign money flowing to a president's family is unprecedented. He also addresses other potential abuses, like rebuilding the White House East Wing with donor funds, calling it part of a continuum of actions that may fall within or outside democratic norms.

[Read original article](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/10/opinion/interesting-times-jack-goldsmith.html)

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