Bernie Sanders claims Trump's wealth nearly tripled in office via crypto ties to foreign governments

WASHINGTON, DC: Sen Bernie Sanders is accusing President Donald Trump of massively padding his wallet while in the Oval Office.

On Saturday, December 27, the Vermont independent took to X (formerly Twitter) to air his gripes about Trump’s fortune, citing Forbes data that shows the president’s wealth has jumped a jaw-dropping 273% since taking office. His net worth is now pegged at around $7 billion.

“Donald Trump’s wealth has nearly TRIPLED since he became president,” Sanders wrote.

Sanders suggested that the dramatic increase wasn’t accidental, arguing that Trump’s crypto-related ventures, allegedly financed by foreign governments, played a major role in the windfall. The senator framed the growth as happening while millions of Americans were barely scraping by.

“We need a president who works to improve life for the millions who can't afford food, housing, or health care, not one who enriches himself,” Sanders added.

Trump’s wealth whiplash

Trump’s finances have been anything but steady in recent years.

In November this year, his net worth took a brutal hit as it dropped by more than $1 billion after a steep decline in the value of his technology company stock, combined with a broader crypto market crash. However, the dip didn’t last long.

Just one month later, Trump’s fortune rebounded by more than $500 million in a single day following the announcement of a merger involving Trump Media & Technology Group, the company behind Truth Social.

Earlier in October, Forbes reported that the 79-year-old's net worth had already surged by roughly $3 billion since 2024, largely driven by aggressive post-presidency business moves.

The ups and downs are a contrast to where Trump started nearly a decade ago. In 2016, his net worth stood at approximately $3.7 billion, according to CNN, making him one of the wealthiest individuals ever to enter the White House.

Then came Covid-19 and a wave of legal battles. The pandemic-era economic slowdown battered Trump’s real estate-heavy portfolio, while lawsuits and mounting expenses further chipped away at his fortune. By 2020, his net worth had fallen to about $2.5 billion, marking what many analysts described as his most financially challenging period.

According to MoneyWeek, the downturn was notable given Trump’s long-standing claims that he was worth more than $10 billion, a figure the outlet noted “couldn’t be verified.”

Forbes later reported that by 2024, Trump’s net worth had climbed back to $4.3 billion and at one point even skyrocketed to as much as $7.3 billion.

According to Forbes, much of the recovery has been attributed to new ventures and investments, including the launch of Truth Social and a surge of investor interest in Trump-linked cryptocurrencies following his 2024 election victory.

Bernie Sanders vs the billionaire boom

Sanders has made no secret of his frustration with what he sees as runaway wealth accumulation at the very top. In recent statements on X, he blasted the expanding fortunes of America’s richest individuals while millions struggle to cover basic living costs.

His comments came amid headlines that Elon Musk had become the first person in history to amass a net worth of around $750 billion.

On Friday, the senator sounded the alarm. “The great economic crisis of our time is growing income and wealth inequality,” Sanders wrote. “While millions of Americans struggle to pay rent, buy food, or afford health care, 10 billionaires got $730 billion richer in 2025.”

Citing Forbes data, Sanders described the trend as “immoral and unsustainable,” calling for aggressive action to combat what he has labeled an emerging oligarchy.