CNN host Erin Burnett paused her show on Tuesday for a breaking news announcement revealing that Donald Trump earned more than $1 billion (£750 million) last year from cryptocurrency business dealings, according to his mandatory 2025 financial report. The staggering 927-page disclosure showed the US president earned $635 million in royalties from a company issuing $TRUMP, a crypto token launched three days before his second term began. He also reported over $500 million in income from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm founded by his sons and the children of his special envoy, Steve Witkoff.
Scale of Earnings Far Exceeds Previous Years
The earnings from this latest disclosure far outpace those for 2024, when Trump reported over $600 million in income. Erin Burnett asked former White House lawyer Ty Cobb: "What is your reaction to the scale of what we're seeing in this disclosure? Is it legal?" Cobb replied: "I don't think so." He dubbed the crypto industry "slimy" and said "the average American should be staggered" by the outcome.
Allegations of Corruption
Cobb claimed: "We are seeing the greatest onslaught of corruption in the history of mankind - this is somebody who everyday is devoted to the accumulation of wealth and power." He added: "It's got to be the longest disclosure in the history of the American presidency." Cobb also noted that last month's disclosure listed recent trades up to $750 million, many involving government contractors.
Crypto Earnings Overshadow Real Estate
Tuesday's disclosure shows Trump's crypto earnings far overshadow income from his real estate business, which first catapulted him to fame. He earned around $77 million from his Mar-a-Lago club and $122 million from his golf club in Doral, Florida.
White House Response
The White House has repeatedly emphasised that Trump has placed his businesses in a trust managed by his sons and denied any conflict of interest. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said the president had proudly made the US "the crypto capital of the world." She stated: "Neither the President nor his family has ever engaged - or will ever engage - in conflicts of interest. All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people – and any so-called 'reporters' pushing otherwise are recycling the same, tired, false narrative that Democrats and the legacy media have been pushing for a decade." The president himself has highlighted that he is not subject to federal conflict of interest laws.
