Sources tell ABC News that the Qatari royal family will give President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-8 jet (sometimes called a “flying palace”) worth an estimated $400 million, which would be an unprecedented gift. The aircraft could be used as Air Force One, and it would be transferred to the Trump presidential library foundation after his term, those familiar with the arrangement say. Qatar’s Media Attaché to the U.S. later said that the possible transfer is only under consideration and that neither side has made a decision yet.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House counsel Dave Warrington say the move is “legally permissible” and doesn’t amount to bribery because it’s “not conditioned on any official act.” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told the New York Times, “Any gift given by a foreign government is always accepted in full compliance with all applicable laws. President Trump’s administration is committed to full transparency.” A U.S. official told CBS that the gift won’t be donated or accepted during the president’s trip to the Middle East this week.
But legal experts say the acceptance of such a gift, whenever it may happen, would directly contradict the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause, which states, “no Person holding any Office of Profit or Trust under them, shall, without the Consent of the Congress, accept of any present, Emolument, Office, or Title, of any kind whatever, from any King, Prince, or foreign State.” Qatari officials say the plane is being given to the Pentagon by the Qatari Ministry of Defense, so it would technically be a transaction between governments rather than between individual heads of state.
This came a few days after reporters asked White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt if Trump would gain anything personally from his upcoming visit to the region. “I think it’s frankly ridiculous that anyone in this room would even suggest that President Trump is doing anything for his own benefit,” she said. “He left a life of luxury and a life of running a very successful real estate empire for public service, not just once but twice.” Leavitt later said, “This is a president who has actually lost money for being president.”
But this is far from the first time Trump and his associates have blurred ethical lines and spurred accusations of conflicts of interest. Here’s a look at some of the other ways Trump could stand to profit from his presidency personally.
Crypto
Just before being inaugurated for a second term, Trump caused waves online when he launched two cryptocurrency tokens, called $TRUMP and $MELANIA. In their first two weeks, the coins generated nearly $100 million in trading fees — and it was estimated that they were worth billions of dollars, though CNBC reports they’ve since lost about 70 percent of their peak value.
Even more eyebrow-raising was a recent promotion after the meme coin’s website said that the top 220 $TRUMP coin holders would be invited to dinner with the president on May 22, with a reception for the top 25 wallets. It also promises a “VIP White House Tour” the next day. The news of the dinner caused the price of the coin to surge more than 60 percent. Democratic lawmakers slammed the maneuver.
“Currently, people who wish to cultivate influence with the president can enrich him personally by buying cryptocurrency he owns or controls,” Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley told CNBC. “This is a profoundly corrupt scheme. It endangers our national security and erodes public trust in government.”
The meme coins aren’t the only problems. Through an LLC, Trump and his family own about 60 percent of the crypto platform World Liberty Financial and hold 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens. Forbes reports that Chinese billionaire Justin Sun’s $30 million investment in World Liberty Financial helped launch the platform, leading to Trump and his family earning $400 million. Plus, an Abu Dhabi-based investment firm used a stablecoin backed by World Liberty Financial to invest $2 billion in Binance.
Trump Media
The president’s media company, which owns Truth Social, went public in March 2024. Trump currently owns about 52 percent, or 115 million shares, which were worth about $2.9 billion as of Friday’s close. As Forbes puts it, “Buying shares directly from the company in a private sale would allow for the injection of large sums of cash, while open-market purchases help prop up the value of Trump’s stake.” There’s also the prospect of advertising directly on Truth Social or its streaming service, Truth+.
Real estate
From fundraisers for Republican campaigns and causes to even weddings and galas, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate can be rented out for events — and indeed, Reuters estimated the property generated close to $24 million in cash in 2024.
On top of that, when Secret Service agents protect Trump at his properties, he sends the government the bill — and an October 2024 report from House Oversight Committee found he charged the government more than three times what other guests were charged at his hotel in Washington, D.C. between September 2017 and August 2018, during his first term. (His company sold the lease to that hotel to the Waldorf Astoria in 2022, though the Wall Street Journal reports his family is considering getting it back.)
Overseas, Trump’s real estate company has said it would build Trump towers in Dubai and Saudi Arabia and a resort in Oman. The president has also proposed turning the Gaza Strip into a “riviera” resort.
Merchandise
President Trump also made headlines for selling expensive merch, particularly during his campaign. He sold $399 “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers and last March received a fee to endorse a company’s $59 bibles. In October, an Oklahoma superintendent opened bids for a contract to supply the state Department of Education with 55,000 bibles; the only ones that would’ve fit his specifications were the Trump bible. (The request for proposal was later amended, but a lawsuit filed in March 2025 alleges that the superintendent tried again to use state money to buy Trump Bibles.)
