• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
PoliticsDonald Trump

Vice President JD Vance rebuffs question about President Trump’s stock investments, says Trump is so wealthy he doesn’t trade stocks himself

Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 21, 2026, 2:00 AM ET
US Vice President JD Vance.
US Vice President JD Vance.Alex Wroblewski—Bloomberg via Getty Images

President Donald Trump is so wealthy he doesn’t need to trade stocks himself, argued Vice President JD Vance, after the President’s ethics report last week revealed a flurry of stock trading in an account held in Trump’s name.

Recommended Video

During an hour-long press conference Tuesday, Vance defended Trump, following criticism that emerged last week about stock trades made by the President’s account during the first quarter. The account made about 3,700 stock trades in the first three months of the year, according to a report by the Office of Government Ethics. In some cases the manager of the account purchased shares from companies that the President subsequently lauded at events or on social media.

Vance rejected the idea that Trump was the one behind these trades or that he has any influence over them. He said that as “a wealthy person” who “has had success in business,” the President can afford to delegate the management of his investments to other people.

“The president doesn’t sit at the Oval Office on his computer, on his like Robinhood account, buying and selling stocks. That’s absurd,” said Vance. “He has independent wealth advisers who manage his money.”

When reached for comment, the White House referred Fortune to the Trump Organization. A spokesperson for the Trump Organization previously told Fortune’s Eva Roytburg that Trump’s investment holdings are operated by third-party financial institutions with “sole and exclusive authority over all investment decisions,” and that trades are executed through “automated investment processes.” The organization did not immediately respond to Fortune’s more recent request for comment. 

President Trump’s stocks have raised questions about his public praise of companies in which he appeared to have recently acquired financial stakes.

Trump praised data analytics company Palantir in a Truth Social post on April 10 in which he included the company’s stock ticker: “Palantir Technologies (PLTR) has great war fighting capabilities and equipment. Just ask our enemies!!!” At the time, the post helped buoy the stock, which was trading down 4.7% before the post and closed out the day about flat. The disclosure last week revealed that Trump’s account bought up Palantir shares at least 10 different times in the first three months of the year in what could have amounted to a maximum investment of $695,000. Trump also sold millions of dollars worth of Palantir shares during the same period.

After Dell founder Michael Dell and his wife, Susan, pledged $6.25 billion to support Trump’s “Invest America” accounts for children under 18, the President praised the computer company and its founder in several public appearances. He first praised Dell at an economic event in Rome, Georgia on February 19, telling the crowd to “go out and buy a Dell computer.” Earlier this month during an event in the White House Rose Garden just before Mother’s Day, Trump again praised Dell: “Go out and buy a Dell. They’re great,” he said. This second mention helped the stock skyrocket 14% to an all-time-high. The disclosure last week revealed Trump’s account in the first quarter of this year bought between $1 million to $5 million of Dell stock, along with at least three other smaller purchases worth tens of thousands of dollars, that taken together could have totaled up to a maximum investment of $5.1 million.

Trump also praised semiconductor company Micron Technology in a Fox News interview in late March where he touted companies building manufacturing plants in the U.S., calling Micron “one of the hottest companies.” The disclosure last week revealed a purchase of between $100,000 and $250,000 in the company, along with two purchases between $50,000 and $100,000, and several other purchases worth tens of thousands of dollars, all in the first quarter of this year, that all told could have totaled up to a maximum investment of $530,000, according to the disclosure.

Trump’s net worth stood at $6.5 billion as of March, according to Forbes.

Vance has previously come out against members of Congress trading stocks. While a candidate for a Senate seat in Ohio in 2022, Vance criticized Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for her stock trading, claiming that Pelosi was “privy to secret information” that she leveraged to enrich herself. 

Under the STOCK Act, passed in 2012 under President Obama, the President, Vice President, and members of Congress are required to disclose stock trades over $1,000 within 45 days of the purchase. The disclosure filed by President Trump last week was designed to comply with the requirements of the STOCK Act. Trump was set to be fined $200, however, for failing to reveal trades of Amazon and Microsoft stock until after the deadline, the Washington Post reported.

Trump in his State of the Union Address in February called for Congress to pass the Stop Insider Trading Act, a bill introduced in the House in January. Critics have said the act contains loopholes that would keep it from preventing lawmakers from trading on non-public information. 

During the press conference Tuesday, Vance said both he and President Trump support banning members of Congress from selling stocks.

“All of us believe that nobody should be taking proprietary information gained from public service and buying and selling stocks,” said Vance. “We want to ban that process.”

Subscribe to Fortune Gulf Brief. Every Tuesday, this new newsletter delivers clear-eyed, authoritative intelligence on the deals, decisions, policies, and power shifts shaping one of the world’s most consequential regions, written for the people who need to act on it. Sign up here.
About the Author
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezReporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Role: Reporter
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez is a reporter for Fortune covering general business news.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Politics

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Politics

Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
Commentarydata sovereignty
Digital sovereignty isn’t the same thing as digital isolation. Asia’s governments should be careful
By Leonard LimJune 10, 2026
45 minutes ago
The curse of Trump watching sports in person: the home team seems to always lose
Arts & EntertainmentDonald Trump
The curse of Trump watching sports in person: the home team seems to always lose
By The Associated Press and Will WeissertJune 10, 2026
1 hour ago
‘I love the inflation’: Trump is ‘not concerned’ about inflation hitting 4% for the first time since 2023. ‘The numbers were great’
EconomyDonald Trump
‘I love the inflation’: Trump is ‘not concerned’ about inflation hitting 4% for the first time since 2023. ‘The numbers were great’
By The Associated Press and Christopher RugaberJune 10, 2026
3 hours ago
A 5-week course and a guaranteed job: Meta commits $115 million to solve the skilled-trades shortage stalling its AI buildout
Future of WorkMeta
A 5-week course and a guaranteed job: Meta commits $115 million to solve the skilled-trades shortage stalling its AI buildout
By Jacqueline MunisJune 10, 2026
4 hours ago
platner
PoliticsElections
Graham Platner easily prevails over attempts to derail progressive Senate candidacy in Maine
By Patrick Whittle, Kimberlee Kruesi and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
8 hours ago
swiss
EuropeImmigration
Switzerland to cast world’s first ever vote on whether to cap population
By Jamey Keaten and The Associated PressJune 10, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
Investing
Wall Street dumped nearly $1 trillion in tech stocks by midday—then clawed it back and bought peanut butter and paint
By Eva RoytburgJune 9, 2026
1 day ago
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Tuesday, June 9, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 9, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.