Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders has ignited a political firestorm after publicly revealing the astonishing amount of money President Donald Trump has reportedly received in settlements and payouts throughout 2025. While the presidential salary remains fixed at $400,000 per year — a figure unchanged for two decades — Sanders’ breakdown paints a picture of a sitting president amassing vast sums through private settlements, legal victories, and international dealings.
As Sanders framed it bluntly in a viral post: “This is what kleptocracy looks like.”
Presidential Salary vs. Private Windfalls
The office of the President of the United States comes with a steady annual paycheck — $400,000, plus a non-taxable $50,000 for personal expenses, a $100,000 travel account, and a $19,000 entertainment budget. While this package may seem generous to most, it pales in comparison to the staggering wealth Donald Trump has accumulated through other means.
Trump entered the White House with vast private holdings, extensive real estate assets, and media ventures. According to Forbes, his net worth as of September 2025 surpassed $7 billion, bolstered by renewed licensing deals, media exposure, and a growing portfolio of digital assets. But 2025, in particular, has seen a cascade of financial windfalls, many resulting from lawsuits and settlements.
Meta Pays $25 Million Over Social Media Ban
One of the most publicized settlements came earlier this year when Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, agreed to pay $25 million to Trump. The dispute stemmed from Meta’s decision to suspend Trump’s accounts in 2021 following the January 6 Capitol riot.
Trump had filed suit, alleging political discrimination and unconstitutional censorship. Although Meta eventually reinstated his accounts in 2023, the lawsuit remained active until early 2025, when the company reached a settlement.
According to The Guardian, $22 million of the payout will be allocated toward Trump’s planned presidential library, scheduled to open in January 2029. The remaining amount, reportedly directed to administrative and legal costs, marked one of the year’s first major corporate concessions to the sitting president.
YouTube Reaches $24.5 Million Deal
At the end of September, YouTube agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a similar lawsuit. Like Meta, the platform had banned Trump in early 2021 for violating its policies following the Capitol unrest.
Trump’s legal team accused YouTube of suppressing free expression and monopolizing online discourse. “YouTube has accumulated an unprecedented concentration of power and the ability to dictate our nation’s public conversation,” his lawyers wrote in filings.
Though the company never admitted wrongdoing, it opted to settle to avoid extended litigation and public controversy. The case was dismissed shortly after the agreement was reached, with both sides issuing vague, carefully worded statements.
Twitter (Now X) Pays $10 Million Settlement
In February, Twitter — now rebranded as X under Elon Musk’s ownership — paid Trump $10 million to resolve yet another dispute over his suspension.
Trump’s account was permanently removed from the platform in January 2021, when Twitter cited “the risk of further incitement of violence” as justification. The suspension was later reversed after Musk acquired the company in 2022, but Trump pursued legal action seeking damages for what he described as “irreparable harm” to his public image and campaign outreach.
The $10 million settlement, while small compared to others, marked the beginning of a series of financial victories that would snowball over the following months.
Paramount and CBS: $16 Million Settlement — and More
In July, Paramount Global, the parent company of CBS, agreed to pay $16 million to Trump following a defamation-related lawsuit tied to a 2024 CBS News interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Trump’s legal team claimed the broadcast “intentionally misrepresented” his policies and falsely depicted his administration’s role in foreign aid negotiations. While CBS denied wrongdoing, the settlement included a provision that the funds be used either for Trump’s presidential library or for charitable contributions of his choosing — a clause designed to minimize public backlash.
However, according to Bernie Sanders, Trump may have received even more from the network. In a tweet, the senator cited a $36 million figure, referencing the $16 million payout plus a reported $20 million advertising commitment from David Ellison, who is poised to acquire CBS in 2026.
Ellison allegedly agreed to provide the Trump administration with $20 million in promotional airtime and programming — an arrangement that Sanders called “unprecedented and ethically dubious.”
The Broader Picture: Settlements, Crypto, and Foreign Deals
Sanders’ viral tweet on October 22 outlined a sweeping breakdown of Trump’s 2025 earnings:
The post, viewed over 20 million times in its first 24 hours, triggered intense debate across political circles. Sanders accused Trump of exploiting his presidential position to enrich himself through settlements, international dealings, and private arrangements that “blur the line between governance and personal gain.”
In particular, the senator highlighted the $3 billion reportedly derived from crypto-related ventures — a mix of blockchain licensing, digital campaign tokens, and private investments. He also pointed to a $400 million private jet gifted by Qatar, allegedly in exchange for favorable trade agreements, and nearly $1 billion in legal reimbursements from firms once employed by the Trump Organization.
The Latest Controversy: $230 Million Claim Against the DOJ
If the previous figures weren’t staggering enough, reports from The New York Times on October 21 revealed that Trump is now seeking $230 million from the Department of Justice itself.
According to the report, the president’s legal team filed a compensation request for the “unlawful and politically motivated” investigations into his conduct during and after his first term. The filing reportedly claims damages for “loss of reputation, undue stress, and economic interference” stemming from federal probes that Trump has long denounced as partisan witch hunts.
The proposal is said to be under internal review by senior DOJ officials — some of whom have previously represented or publicly defended the president. Critics, including Sanders, warn that approving such a settlement would represent a “catastrophic collapse of institutional independence.”
Sanders’ Rebuke and the Public Reaction
Sanders’ fiery tweet drew mixed reactions across the political spectrum. Progressives rallied behind his critique, calling for greater transparency regarding Trump’s finances. “No president should profit personally from his own legal disputes,” one user wrote.
Conservatives, meanwhile, accused Sanders of “weaponizing jealousy” and spreading misinformation. The White House dismissed the senator’s figures as “wildly exaggerated,” asserting that the president’s settlements were “legal, public, and unrelated to the functions of government.”
Still, Sanders’ message resonated with millions of Americans who see a troubling pattern in the growing overlap between Trump’s presidency and his private business empire.
Political ethics expert Dr. Laura Pennington told Reuters, “Even if every one of these settlements is legitimate on paper, the optics are disastrous. It reinforces the perception that Trump’s presidency operates like a private enterprise — one that monetizes everything from lawsuits to diplomacy.”
Trump’s Response
Trump himself has remained largely silent about Sanders’ accusations, choosing instead to highlight his “financial acumen” during a campaign rally in Des Moines.
“I’m not a politician who takes from the people,” Trump told the crowd. “I win — in court, in business, and for America. They don’t like that I’m winning, so they call it corruption.”
He did not address the DOJ settlement request directly but hinted that “justice would be served” in ongoing discussions.
A Year of Record-Breaking Gains
Whether viewed as savvy deal-making or unethical profiteering, there’s no denying that 2025 has been a record-breaking financial year for Donald Trump. The combined total of reported settlements, crypto earnings, and private dealings exceeds $4 billion — a sum that dwarfs any presidential salary in history.
Sanders’ critique underscores a broader question that will likely define the political narrative heading into 2026: Can a sitting president simultaneously serve the public interest while amassing a private fortune through litigation and business ventures?
As the numbers climb, so too does the scrutiny. And if Bernie Sanders’ words prove prophetic, Trump’s greatest challenge in the coming months may not be political — but moral.
Emily Johnson is a critically acclaimed essayist and novelist known for her thought-provoking works centered on feminism, women’s rights, and modern relationships. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, Emily grew up with a deep love of books, often spending her afternoons at her local library. She went on to study literature and gender studies at UCLA, where she became deeply involved in activism and began publishing essays in campus journals. Her debut essay collection, Voices Unbound, struck a chord with readers nationwide for its fearless exploration of gender dynamics, identity, and the challenges faced by women in contemporary society. Emily later transitioned into fiction, writing novels that balance compelling storytelling with social commentary. Her protagonists are often strong, multidimensional women navigating love, ambition, and the struggles of everyday life, making her a favorite among readers who crave authentic, relatable narratives. Critics praise her ability to merge personal intimacy with universal themes. Off the page, Emily is an advocate for women in publishing, leading workshops that encourage young female writers to embrace their voices. She lives in Seattle with her partner and two rescue cats, where she continues to write, teach, and inspire a new generation of storytellers.
