A Guardian report says Donald Trump earned at least $1.4bn from crypto businesses in one year, part of $2.2bn in total income, and points to entrepreneur Justin Sun as a key figure behind the fortune.
Key facts
- Trump made at least $2.2bn last year, according to the Guardian.
- At least $1.4bn of that came from his crypto businesses, the Guardian says.
- The Guardian describes entrepreneur Justin Sun as the financial power behind the president's crypto fortune.
- The Guardian says the relationship between Sun and the Trump family led to duelling lawsuits.
- For comparison, the Guardian cites the 1920s Teapot Dome bribe of about $400,000, roughly $6m today.
Donald Trump earned at least $2.2bn last year, with at least $1.4bn of that coming from his crypto businesses, according to a Guardian investigation published on 16 July 2026. The report questions how Trump built such a fortune, saying he had no prior background in cryptocurrency.
Central to the Guardian’s account is entrepreneur Justin Sun, who the outlet says is known in Washington as the financial power behind the president’s crypto fortune. The report examines how Sun’s business relationship with the Trump family developed and, according to the Guardian, ultimately spiralled into duelling lawsuits.
To put the sums in historical context, the Guardian compares Trump’s income with the Teapot Dome affair of the 1920s, which it describes as the most infamous financial scandal in US presidential history. In that case, interior secretary Albert Fall took roughly $400,000 in bribes during Warren G Harding’s presidency, an amount the Guardian says equals about $6m today after adjusting for inflation.
By that measure, the Guardian says, Trump’s single year of income is on the order of 200 to 300 times larger than the bribe that defined the American public’s idea of presidential corruption for a century.
The Guardian also notes Trump’s better-known merchandising efforts, saying he sells items such as Bibles and gold sneakers to draw money from his base. The full article is presented as an interactive feature, and further specifics on how the crypto earnings were generated were not available in the excerpt reviewed.
Why it matters
The scale of the reported earnings raises questions about the intersection of personal business interests and the presidency. The Guardian's comparison to historic scandals such as Teapot Dome highlights concerns raised by the outlet about accountability and potential conflicts of interest at the highest level of US government.
Frequently asked questions
How much did Trump reportedly make from crypto?
According to the Guardian, at least $1.4bn of Trump's $2.2bn in income last year came from his crypto businesses.
Who is Justin Sun in relation to Trump?
The Guardian describes Justin Sun as an entrepreneur known in Washington as the financial power behind the president's crypto fortune, whose relationship with the Trump family reportedly led to dueling lawsuits.
How does this compare to past presidential scandals?
The Guardian compares the figures to the 1920s Teapot Dome affair, in which interior secretary Albert Fall took about $400,000 in bribes, roughly $6m today, saying Trump's income is 200 to 300 times larger.