President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image on Truth Social claiming he made “hundreds of billions of dollars” through stock trades, showing himself day trading Intel from $20 to $95. The image, shared over the weekend, depicts the trading scenario from inside the Oval Office, with Intel shares having closed at $95.80 on September 4, 2026.
Trump has not provided specifics about which holdings or time period his claim covers. Fact-checkers note that the largest documented gain the U.S. government has on record is roughly $33 billion on paper, according to reporting from IBTimes and other outlets tracking his financial disclosures.
The post mirrors a pattern Trump established last September, when he shared a nearly identical image showing Intel rising from $20 to $30 after the federal government acquired a 9.9% stake in the chipmaker for $8.9 billion at $20.47 per share in August 2025. That stake is now worth substantially more on paper, though Trump’s claim of “hundreds of billions” in personal gains remains unsubstantiated.
Trump’s stock trading activity has drawn ethics scrutiny. Financial disclosures show he made more than 3,600 stock trades in the first three months of 2026 alone, and over 1,000 additional trades in June 2026. A CNN investigation found Trump bought stock in 21 companies shortly before posting favorable messages about them on Truth Social, though later data showed some stock gains had begun in premarket trading before his posts.
Unlike most other federal officials, presidents are not barred from trading stocks while in office. Trump has not placed his assets in a blind trust, meaning he can see what his investment managers buy or sell. Ethics experts say this arrangement leaves room for potential conflicts that other officials do not face. Republican Senator Josh Hawley joined Democrats in proposing legislation last year to ban both congressional and presidential stock trading, though Trump opposed the measure.
The New York Times reported in July 2026 that Trump wrongly attributed a $2 billion windfall he gained during his second term primarily to stock market gains, when cryptocurrency alone brought him $1.4 billion. The “hundreds of billions” claim in the AI image continues a pattern of inflated financial assertions that lack full documentation.
Sources
- BeInCrypto — Trump’s AI image post, Intel stock price alignment, and pattern of similar posts
- IBTimes — Fact-check of “hundreds of billions” claim, largest documented gain around $33 billion
- CNN — Investigation of Trump buying stock in 21 companies before posting favorable messages
- Reuters — U.S. government Intel stake details, $8.9 billion purchase at $20.47 per share
- CNN — Trump’s 3,600+ stock trades in Q1 2026 and 1,000+ trades in June 2026
- New York Times — Trump’s misattribution of $2 billion windfall to stock gains versus crypto
