I have a PhD in history from Oxford and I try to support all my historical claims with solid evidence, especially when it comes to the President of the United States.
But based on a comprehensive review of 250 years of American history, it is simply irrefutable that Donald Trump is by far the most corrupt president in US history when it comes to using office to enrich himself and his family.
Here are the facts, and why there isn't even a close second.
Trump's federal financial disclosure reported more than $1.4 billion in revenue in 2025 from family crypto ventures, including about $635 million from his meme currency and nearly $800 million from World Liberty Financial. Reuters separately estimated that the family added at least $2.3 billion to their wealth from crypto ventures after Trump returned to the White House.
The clearest example of how Trump used the office came in May 2025. The 220 largest holders of his meme currency were invited to dine with the sitting president at his private golf club. The coin jumped more than 60 percent when the meal was announced. To get a seat at the table, you had to buy and own a product that made money for the president. Trump has turned the approach to the presidency into a tender.
The foreign transactions raise an even more serious question. Four days before Trump took office, an investment vehicle backed by a United Arab Emirates national security official agreed to pay $500 million for nearly half of World Liberty Financial. The Wall Street Journal reported that $187 million of the initial payment was directed to entities of the Trump family.
Trump is clearly not the first president of the United States to be guilty of corruption, but the size and scope of his abuses put him in a league of his own.
Under Ulysses S. Grant, whiskey distillers and federal officials pocketed money by defrauding the government of alcohol taxes.