Key Highlights
- Peter Schiff accused the Trump family of making billions from crypto while many investors suffered losses.
- Trump earned nearly $1.2 billion from crypto-related businesses, including World Liberty Financial and the $TRUMP memecoin.
- Trump denied using the presidency for personal gain, saying his investments are managed through blind trusts and professional fund managers.
Bitcoin critic Peter Schiff has criticized U.S. President Donald Trump’s cryptocurrency and business ventures, claiming the Trump family made billions of dollars while many investors were left with losses.
In a detailed X post on Tuesday, Schiff argued that the Trump family’s earnings did not come from creating products or services that added real value. Instead, he claimed the money came from selling cryptocurrency projects and shares in Trump-related companies to the public.
According to Schiff, many people bought these investments expecting their value to rise, but a large number later lost money. “But their gains did not result from actual value creation, but from the losses suffered by investors who bought the overpriced crypto and shares they sold,” he said.
Why Schiff is criticizing Trump
Schiff argued that not everyone bought the assets for the same reason. He said some supporters likely purchased small amounts simply to show support for Trump and did not care whether they made a profit. However, he believes many other buyers were loyal Trump supporters who honestly thought they were making smart investments and expected to earn returns.
He also predicted that “the Trump Organization will be overwhelmed by lawsuits” as investors who lost money try to recover their losses. Schiff further suggested that Democrats could use the issue in future political campaigns, saying Republicans may find it difficult to defend Trump’s business activities if more investors come forward with complaints.
Trump’s crypto income tops $1 billion
The criticism followed the release of a 927-page financial disclosure that gave the public a detailed look at Trump’s income during 2025. According to the filing, the president reportedly made nearly $550 million through his connection to World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company launched in September 2024 by his sons alongside the son of U.S. Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff.
Aside from that, he received about $635 million in royalties linked to the $TRUMP memecoin, which launched on the Solana blockchain just days before he returned to the White House in January 2025. Most of the money was said to have come from licensing agreements tied to the project rather than from trading the token itself. It also listed more than $50 million worth of Bitcoin held through a Trump-affiliated entity.
The filings have drawn criticism from some observers, who argue that a sitting president should not earn substantial income from businesses tied to an industry that could be affected by government policy decisions.
Trump defends his earnings
Trump has responded to this criticism. He said he did not use the presidency to increase his personal wealth and said his investments are managed through blind trusts by professional fund managers. “You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up, everybody’s profiting,” Trump said. He added, “I don’t get involved in my personal finances. We have funds that run my money.”
Trump also said he had built a successful business career before returning to the White House and that his investments continue to grow without his involvement, not decisions made from his office.
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