--- title: "Trump earned $59.5m from foreign real estate licensing in 2025" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/business/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/business/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025" category: "Business & Economy" area: "United States" published: "2026-08-10T23:25:31.981Z" source_reported: "2026-08-10T18:29:01.000Z" updated: "2026-08-10T23:25:31.981Z" trust_score: 86 critic_score: 95 hype_score: 18 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-08-11T01:30:41.002276+00:00" --- # Trump earned $59.5m from foreign real estate licensing in 2025 *Gulf developers accounted for over 60 percent of the revenue, with Saudi and Emirati firms paying the most* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 86 of 100, higher is better. Includes named officials, official financial disclosure, and multiple independent outlets confirming $59.5 million licensing revenue. - Craft 95 of 100, higher is better. Explains conflict relevance, quotes officials, separates facts from commentary, and notes unresolved legal questions. - Hype 18 of 100, lower is better. Language is factual; no clickbait or exaggerated claims beyond the reported figures. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - President Donald Trump’s foreign real estate licensing income totalled $59.5 million in 2025, up 71 percent from 2024 and nearly ten times the 2023 figure. - More than 60 percent of the revenue came from Gulf countries, with Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Arkan and Dubai’s Damac contributing $25.8 million and $11.3 million respectively. - The White House stated there was no conflict of interest, while ethics watchdogs argued the deals created an unprecedented overlap between Trump’s public role and private wealth. - No right-rated outlet reported on the story, according to the digests and reports available. President Donald Trump earned $59.5 million in 2025 from licensing his name for foreign real estate projects. The figure, drawn from his financial disclosure, marks a 71 percent increase from 2024 and nearly a tenfold rise from 2023. The Trump Organization reversed its first-term pledge to pursue no new foreign deals, and four previously unlisted licensing LLCs generated $20.25 million of the 2025 total. Gulf countries accounted for over 60 percent of the licensing income. Projects linked to Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Arkan and its subsidiaries contributed $25.8 million, while Dubai’s Damac paid $11.3 million. The United Arab Emirates generated roughly $22 million, Saudi Arabia $9 million, and Qatar $5 million. Some developers were also seeking U.S. investments, government approvals, or favourable diplomatic relations. The Trump Organization stated it operates separately from the presidency and complies with ethics laws. It appointed an outside ethics adviser to avoid conflicts. The White House told CNBC that Trump’s decisions were guided only by the best interest of the American people. CNBC found no evidence that the payments influenced administration decisions or resulted in special treatment. ## What the coverage left out No right-rated outlet ran the story, according to the digests and reports available. None of the centre-rated digests mentioned the unresolved Foreign Emoluments Clause questions or the ethics watchdogs’ concerns. The Independent’s digest was the only one to quote a critic’s statement that foreign governments were putting money directly into Trump’s pocket. ## Who covered it Shares of the 6 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 50% (3) - Centre: 50% (3) - Right: 0% (0) 3 of 9 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-08-11T01:30:41.002276+00:00. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 10 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-08-11T01:45:13.199Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated reports led on the scale of the income and its potential ethical implications. CNBC’s full report detailed the $59.5 million figure, the 71 percent increase, and the tenfold rise from 2023. It named the Gulf developers, the sums they paid, and the unresolved questions around the Foreign Emoluments Clause. The report quoted Scott Greytak of Transparency International U.S., who said: "Foreign governments and politically connected businesses now have a direct, incredibly visible way to put money into the sitting president’s pocket." - The Independent’s digest highlighted the criticism that foreign governments were putting money directly into Trump’s pocket. Joe.My.God.’s digest repeated CNBC’s phrasing, including the 71 percent increase and the tenfold rise from 2023. All three left-rated digests and reports carried the $59.5 million figure, the Gulf share, and the names of the Saudi and Emirati developers. ### Centre - The centre-rated reports focused on the financial scale and the White House’s denial of conflict. IBTimes’s full report led with the $59.5 million figure and the 71 percent increase. It quoted the White House statement that Trump’s decisions were guided only by the best interest of the American people. The report also carried the Trump Organization’s claim that it operates separately from the presidency and complies with ethics laws. - The digests from thepress.net and Political Wire both repeated CNBC’s phrasing on the $59.5 million figure and the 71 percent increase. Thepress.net’s digest added that nearly two-thirds of the fees came from two Gulf developers pursuing a $20 billion U.S. expansion. All three centre-rated digests and reports carried the $59.5 million figure and the Gulf share, but none named the Saudi or Emirati developers. ### Right No separate framing summary. **Provisional coverage gap:** right. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - mixed: 1 - high: 3 - unknown: 5 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [IBTimes](https://ibtimes.com/foreign-developers-spent-millions-licensing-trumps-name-white-house-says-theres-no-conflict-3806251) — Foreign Developers Spent Millions Licensing Trump's Name. The White House Says There's No Conflict. - [NDTV Profit](https://ndtvprofit.com/business/gulf-projects-drive-trump-s-foreign-real-estate-income-up-71-to-59-5-million-11891743) — Gulf Projects Drive Trump’s Foreign Real Estate Income Up 71% to $59.5 Million - [The Independent](https://independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-income-millions-licensing-name-b3030482.html) — Trump generated $59.5M in his first year back by licensing his brand overseas - [Joe.My.God.](https://joemygod.com/2026/08/trump-made-60m-via-foreign-licensing-in-2025) — Trump Made $60M Via Foreign Licensing In 2025 - [Hospodárske Noviny](https://hnonline.sk/finweb/zahranicna-ekonomika/96296217-trump-zaraba-na-svojom-mene-v-realitnom-biznise-sa-mu-dari-z-licencovania-ziskal-takmer-60-milionov-dolarov) — Trump Is Making Money Off His Name. He Is Doing Well in the Real Estate Business, Earning Almost $60 Million From Licensing. - [CNBC](https://cnbc.com/2026/08/10/trump-foreign-real-estate-licensing-income-gulf-deals.html) — Trump’s foreign licensing business booms to $59.5 million as Gulf developers pay - [thepress.net](https://thepress.net/news/national/trump-s-foreign-licensing-business-booms-to-59-5-million-as-gulf-developers-pay/article_9d721656-5cc7-536c-861d-89ef49e0fbc3.html) — Trump’s foreign licensing business booms to $59.5 million as Gulf developers pay - [Political Wire](https://politicalwire.com/2026/08/10/trumps-foreign-licensing-income-surged) — Trump’s Foreign Licensing Income Surged - [Weekly Real Estate News](https://wrenews.com/report-trump-made-59-5-million-in-foreign-real-estate-licensing-during-2025) — Report: Trump Made $59.5 Million in Foreign Real Estate Licensing During 2025 ## Questions **How much did Trump earn from foreign real estate licensing in 2025?** President Donald Trump earned $59.5 million from foreign real estate licensing in 2025. The figure represents a 71 percent increase from 2024 and nearly ten times the revenue reported in 2023, according to his financial disclosure and reports by CNBC and other outlets. **Which countries contributed the most to Trump’s foreign licensing income?** Over 60 percent of Trump’s foreign licensing income in 2025 came from Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia’s Dar Al Arkan and its subsidiaries contributed $25.8 million, while Dubai’s Damac paid $11.3 million. The United Arab Emirates generated roughly $22 million in total. **Did the White House address concerns about conflicts of interest?** The White House told CNBC that the only special interest guiding President Trump’s decisions was the best interest of the American people. The Trump Organization stated it operates separately from the presidency and complies with ethics laws, but ethics watchdogs argued the deals created potential conflicts. **Which outlets reported on Trump’s foreign licensing income?** Left-rated outlets like CNBC, The Independent, and Joe.My.God. reported on the story, as did centre-rated outlets including IBTimes, thepress.net, and Political Wire. No right-rated outlet ran the story, according to the digests and reports available. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/business/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Trump earned $59.5m from foreign real estate licensing in 2025", https://mediabias.news/business/trump-earned-595m-from-foreign-real-estate-licensing-in-2025