$12.7Mtaken in
Bible, watches, sneakers and guitars
Trump licenses his name to companies that sell the $59.99 “God Bless the USA” Bible, watches, sneakers and fragrances, and a “45” guitar. He reports the royalties on his financial disclosures; the license terms aren’t public.
- Launched
- February 2024
- Owned by
- Trump licenses his name through CIC Ventures LLC, owned by his revocable trust; other companies make and sell the products
On Who He Hired: Donald Trump
The money 10
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$4.7 million
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from Trump Watches on his annual financial disclosure for 2025.
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$2.8 million
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from Trump Watches on his annual financial disclosure for 2024.
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$68,000
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances on his annual financial disclosure for 2025, down from $2.5 million the year before.
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$2.5 million
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances on his annual financial disclosure for 2024.
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$208,000
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from the Greenwood “God Bless the USA” Bible on his annual financial disclosure for 2025.
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$1.3 million
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from the Greenwood “God Bless the USA” Bible on his annual financial disclosure for 2024.
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$36,000
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from the “45” guitar on his annual financial disclosure for 2025 (Fortune reported it as just under $36,000).
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$1.1 million
DisclosedIn the total
Royalties he reported from the “45” guitar on his annual financial disclosure for 2024.
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$300,000
Disclosed
Bible royalties paid to CIC Ventures LLC, on the candidate financial disclosure released in August 2024. Not counted in the total: that filing’s period overlaps his annual filing for 2024, so only the annual filings are counted.
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$7 million
Sales
AP’s estimate of potential retail sales from the close to 120,000 Bibles shipped from a printer in China earlier in 2024, at the $59.99 minimum price. That money would go to the seller; Trump gets only royalties.
What the labels mean
- ConvictedA criminal jury found them guilty, or they pleaded guilty and were sentenced.
- Found liableA civil jury ruled against them.
- Court ruledA judge ruled against them or their policy.
- Watchdog foundAn inspector general, a congressional investigation, Congress’s auditors at the GAO, or a regulator.
- AdmittedThey acknowledged it, or their own filings and records show it.
- On recordSomething they said or did in public.
- ReportedNews reporting they deny or haven’t confirmed.
- AllegedAccusations from lawsuits, complaints or unnamed sources that haven’t been proven.
Admitted or on record 6
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Admitted
Trump’s financial disclosure for 2025, his first year back in office, showed more than $8 million in royalties from watches, books, a Bible, sneakers and a guitar.
The filing lists $4.7 million from Trump Watches, just over $3 million from three books, $208,486 from the Greenwood Bible, $67,634 from sneakers and fragrances and $35,920 from the “45” guitar, all paid to CIC Ventures LLC. The report gives revenue, not profit. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said neither the president nor his family has ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.
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On record
Trump promoted watches bearing his name, some listed at $100,000, weeks before the 2024 election.
The seller, TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC, uses his name and likeness under a paid license; its site says the watches are not designed, made or sold by Trump or the Trump Organization. The cheaper “Fight Fight Fight” line ran $499 to $799, and “Swiss made” appeared on several watch faces on the site. A campaign spokesperson referred questions to the Trump Organization, which did not immediately respond; neither did the seller.
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On record
Trump promoted the $59.99 “God Bless the USA” Bible in a video before Easter 2024.
In the video he said, “All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many.” The Bible uses his name and likeness under a paid license through CIC Ventures LLC, which his disclosure lists as 100% owned by his revocable trust. The Bible’s website says it is not owned, managed or controlled by Trump or the Trump Organization. A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to AP’s questions about how much he was paid for the licensing deal.
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On record
Trump unveiled $399.99 gold “Never Surrender” high-top sneakers at SneakerCon in Philadelphia.
The shoes were licensed to use his name through CIC Ventures LLC and were not designed, made or sold by Trump. He reported $2.5 million from Trump Sneakers and Fragrances for 2024, and $67,634 for 2025.
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Admitted
Trump’s merchandise licenses run through companies his revocable trust owns, and their terms are not public.
His disclosures list CIC Ventures LLC and CIC Digital LLC as fully owned by the Donald J. Trump Revocable Trust; ABC said CIC Ventures made more than $5 million through Bible and book sales and CIC Digital licensed his NFTs. The product companies are registered in states that reveal little about ownership, and Jordan Libowitz of the ethics group CREW said deals like these can be ethical “black boxes” that escape outside scrutiny. The product companies and a spokesperson for Trump’s transition team did not respond to ABC News.
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Admitted
Trump’s disclosure for 2025 says his watch and sneaker royalties were “inadvertently omitted from the prior report.”
The filing puts that note on $4.7 million in Trump Watches royalties and $67,634 from Trump Sneakers & Fragrances. His prior report, as NBC News listed it, showed $2.8 million from watches and $2.5 million from sneakers and fragrances. The filing doesn’t say what was left out.
Reported and alleged 3
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Reported
The Trump-endorsed “God Bless the USA” Bibles were printed in China.
AP reported that trade records showed a printer in Hangzhou shipped close to 120,000 of the Bibles to the U.S. earlier in 2024. The three shipments were valued at $342,000, under $3 a Bible, and the Bible sells for at least $59.99. The Bible’s website says Trump’s name is used under a paid license from CIC Ventures, which reported $300,000 in Bible royalties on a disclosure released in August 2024. The Trump campaign did not respond to AP’s emails and calls.
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Reported
The Associated Press said it was pursuing a cease-and-desist against the Trump watch seller over watches showing a likeness of AP’s Butler shooting photo.
Some watches on the site showed Trump with his fist raised, similar to AP photographer Evan Vucci’s picture after the July 2024 assassination attempt; AP owns the rights to that photo. AP told Wired it was pursuing the cease-and-desist against TheBestWatchesonEarth LLC, which is registered in Sheridan, Wyoming. The site later stopped showing the image. The company did not respond to Wired; the Trump campaign has said it isn’t involved with the venture.
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Reported
Oklahoma’s Supreme Court ordered the state Education Department to stop trying to buy Bibles for schools, after its plan appeared to favor the Trump-endorsed Bible.
Superintendent Ryan Walters said in September 2024 he had set aside $3 million to buy Bibles, and the bid specs appeared to point to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” Bible; the state canceled the solicitation in November 2024. Walters then announced a partnership with Greenwood to donate the Bibles. The order came in a lawsuit brought by more than 30 parents and faith leaders. Walters responded that “the Bible has been a cornerstone of our nation’s history and education for generations.”