5 ms·

How Much Is Trump Profiting Off the Presidency?

83 points by gizzlon 1y ago

josefritzishere 1y ago
It smells like racketeering.
gizzlon 1y ago
https://archive.ph/drmM0 https://archive.ph/drmM0
gizzlon 1y ago
TLDR; "Running total: $3.4 billion" https://dd7hi9rzn9wx17.archive.ph/drmM0/1165634a2f850012d4ed391de7fb8d82d3750381.webp https://dd7hi9rzn9wx17.archive.ph/drmM0/1165634a2f850012d4ed...
- codyb 1y ago
  Cue some rambling about the Biden crime family when he hears about this article
  - RickJWagner 1y ago
    In fairness, the “10% for the Big Guy” issue should be explained.
    - avmich 1y ago
      What's that fairness issue?
      - RickJWagner 1y ago
        The piece might have broadened the scope a bit to remind people of Hunter Bidens escapades, I.e. the $500k no show Ukrainian gas job. Without such information it seems like personal enrichment is something new.
        bediger4000 1y ago
        Why? This article is about Trump, the current president. Why drag in an ex-president's son?
    - the_gastropod 1y ago
      I'd never heard this particular line. So had to look it up. According to the Wikipedia entry, assuming this happened at all, it: 1. Happened in 2017, when Joe Biden was a private citizen 2. Was rejected with "an emphatic no" by "the Chairman" (Joe Biden) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden_laptop_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden_laptop_controvers...
      - RickJWagner 1y ago
        Why then would the Big Guy have been paid? Why was Hunter paid $500k yearly by a Ukrainian gas company, despite not speaking Ukrainian and having no expertise in the field? It seems where there is smoke, there’s fire, no?
        codyb 1y ago
        What about what about what about
        avmich 1y ago
        What about nick RickJWagner posting on HN?
SilverElfin 1y ago
It’s hard to know because there can be many ways to make money indirectly or in time delayed ways. Who knows how much his friends and family are profiting. Each time there is some wild swing one way and then the other on tariffs, I am pretty sure someone is making a lot of money off that. Meanwhile the rest of us are taken for a ride of uncertainty.
- DeRock 1y ago
  Did you read the article? The whole thing is about how to actually calculate it, while being conservative through uncertainties. The answer: $3.4 billion.
gizzlon 1y ago
heh, this disappeared from the front. Guess it's "too political" to talk about how the president is enriching himself and his family? shrugs
- modmodmod 1y ago
  Agreed
- 0xy 1y ago
  After 4 years of pretending that Hunter Biden was an expert on the gas industry and not peddling influence and access, what authority is retained to comment on these matters? 10 for the big guy.
- AnimalMuppet 1y ago
  Per the site guidelines, it sure feels like "off topic for HN" to me.
  - gizzlon 1y ago
    > Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, or celebrities, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. Guess I'd argue the the president of the United States taking bribes falls under the "interesting new phenomenon". Maybe people will say it's not new (?), but this level and this blatant certainly is. Not interesting? Well, people can disagree, but I think it is.
  - NomDePlum 1y ago
    That argument can be made for lots of posts that never come close to being flagged. Hulk Hogans death as just one instance but there's hourly examples. Not everyone, but lot of those flagging like/voted for Trump but don't want peers sneering at him (and them). Embarrassment is a powerful motivator.
ivape 1y ago
Bessent said tariffs are being paid at the dock: "SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: Well, the check is written to the person who receives it at the dock in the US" https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2025-08-07/segment/01 https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2025-08-07/segment/... Yeah ... How can this be reliable, audited, and free from corruption? Anyone associated with this Admin is getting a cut either straight up (which we won't know until the full four years are over since they won't allow investigation), or discounts. They've already made AMD and NVIDIA give a cut of sales (which is crazy). It's all just too much money for them not to be thieving.
- lesuorac 1y ago
  > They've already made AMD and NVIDIA give a cut of sales (which is crazy). Imagine if you as an individual had to pay 15% of your income to the government! Oh, you already pay much more than that and you want to pay only 15%?

83 points by gizzlon 1y ago

josefritzishere 1y ago

It smells like racketeering.

gizzlon 1y ago

https://archive.ph/drmM0 https://archive.ph/drmM0

gizzlon 1y ago

TLDR; "Running total: $3.4 billion" https://dd7hi9rzn9wx17.archive.ph/drmM0/1165634a2f850012d4ed391de7fb8d82d3750381.webp https://dd7hi9rzn9wx17.archive.ph/drmM0/1165634a2f850012d4ed...

codyb 1y ago
Cue some rambling about the Biden crime family when he hears about this article
- RickJWagner 1y ago
  In fairness, the “10% for the Big Guy” issue should be explained.
  - avmich 1y ago
    What's that fairness issue?
    - RickJWagner 1y ago
      The piece might have broadened the scope a bit to remind people of Hunter Bidens escapades, I.e. the $500k no show Ukrainian gas job. Without such information it seems like personal enrichment is something new.
      - bediger4000 1y ago
        Why? This article is about Trump, the current president. Why drag in an ex-president's son?
  - the_gastropod 1y ago
    I'd never heard this particular line. So had to look it up. According to the Wikipedia entry, assuming this happened at all, it: 1. Happened in 2017, when Joe Biden was a private citizen 2. Was rejected with "an emphatic no" by "the Chairman" (Joe Biden) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden_laptop_controversy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter_Biden_laptop_controvers...
    - RickJWagner 1y ago
      Why then would the Big Guy have been paid? Why was Hunter paid $500k yearly by a Ukrainian gas company, despite not speaking Ukrainian and having no expertise in the field? It seems where there is smoke, there’s fire, no?
      - codyb 1y ago
        What about what about what about
      - avmich 1y ago
        What about nick RickJWagner posting on HN?

SilverElfin 1y ago

It’s hard to know because there can be many ways to make money indirectly or in time delayed ways. Who knows how much his friends and family are profiting. Each time there is some wild swing one way and then the other on tariffs, I am pretty sure someone is making a lot of money off that. Meanwhile the rest of us are taken for a ride of uncertainty.

DeRock 1y ago
Did you read the article? The whole thing is about how to actually calculate it, while being conservative through uncertainties. The answer: $3.4 billion.

gizzlon 1y ago

heh, this disappeared from the front. Guess it's "too political" to talk about how the president is enriching himself and his family? shrugs

modmodmod 1y ago
Agreed
0xy 1y ago
After 4 years of pretending that Hunter Biden was an expert on the gas industry and not peddling influence and access, what authority is retained to comment on these matters? 10 for the big guy.
AnimalMuppet 1y ago
Per the site guidelines, it sure feels like "off topic for HN" to me.
- gizzlon 1y ago
  > Off-Topic: Most stories about politics, or crime, or sports, or celebrities, unless they're evidence of some interesting new phenomenon. Guess I'd argue the the president of the United States taking bribes falls under the "interesting new phenomenon". Maybe people will say it's not new (?), but this level and this blatant certainly is. Not interesting? Well, people can disagree, but I think it is.
- NomDePlum 1y ago
  That argument can be made for lots of posts that never come close to being flagged. Hulk Hogans death as just one instance but there's hourly examples. Not everyone, but lot of those flagging like/voted for Trump but don't want peers sneering at him (and them). Embarrassment is a powerful motivator.

ivape 1y ago

Bessent said tariffs are being paid at the dock: "SCOTT BESSENT, TREASURY SECRETARY: Well, the check is written to the person who receives it at the dock in the US" https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2025-08-07/segment/01 https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/ip/date/2025-08-07/segment/... Yeah ... How can this be reliable, audited, and free from corruption? Anyone associated with this Admin is getting a cut either straight up (which we won't know until the full four years are over since they won't allow investigation), or discounts. They've already made AMD and NVIDIA give a cut of sales (which is crazy). It's all just too much money for them not to be thieving.

lesuorac 1y ago
> They've already made AMD and NVIDIA give a cut of sales (which is crazy). Imagine if you as an individual had to pay 15% of your income to the government! Oh, you already pay much more than that and you want to pay only 15%?