Trump's Financial Trades: 85 per Day – How the President Profits in Markets
In 2025, over 21,000 securities trades were made in President Donald Trump's name, averaging 85 per day, an unprecedented level compared to previous presidents.
Active Trading Defies Conventional Wisdom
Nobel laureates and other experts have long concluded that actively managed investments do not outperform passive ones over the long term because markets are unpredictable. However, when you are the U.S. president whose decisions affect global markets, active trading can become profitable.
Stunning Figures from Financial Disclosure
The U.S. Office of Government Ethics (OGE) released the president's 927-page annual financial disclosure on July 1. Independent investigative media outlet "Sludge" analyzed the document and found that Donald Trump's investment accounts conducted over 21,000 securities trades in 2025 – an average of 85 trades per day when the U.S. stock exchange was open. For comparison, a typical investor makes 5–20 trades per year, while the very wealthy make 10–50.
Unprecedented Practice
ABC News reports that such active trading is unprecedented. Previous presidents typically either fully divested from stocks upon taking office or traded specific instruments in small volumes. For example, Joe Biden made only 13 stock trades during his entire presidency. In 2017, Trump's first year in his first term, he made 86 trades. In 2025, that number increased about 245 times – to 21,000 trades.
How Is This Possible?
The article raises the question of how Trump manages to conduct so many trades and still profit. While answering requires further investigation, the facts suggest that the presidency provides unique market opportunities.
