Trump purchased Nvidia shares amid decisions regarding chip exports
US President Donald Trump purchased millions of dollars worth of Nvidia shares during a period when his administration was making decisions to change the export rules for American artificial intelligence technologies. The financial transactions coincided with a revision of restrictions that was favorable to the chipmaker.
The Guardian reported this on November 13, citing an analysis by the anti-corruption organization DeKleptocracy and official financial disclosures of the US president.
According to published documents, on May 6, 2025, the Trump investment portfolio included the purchase of between $1 million and $5 million in Nvidia stock. The same day, securities of other major technology companies, including Apple and Microsoft, were also acquired.
Already on May 7, reports emerged that the Trump administration intended to abandon the restrictions introduced under Joe Biden on international supplies of advanced American AI technologies.
On May 13, 2025, the US Department of Commerce officially announced the start of rescinding the rules of the AI Diffusion Rule. They provided for restrictions on exports of high-performance processors and other artificial intelligence technologies to a number of countries.
The Trump administration explained the revision of the rules by the need to support American technology companies and strengthen their positions in the global market. At the same time, Washington announced additional control measures aimed at preventing the transfer of advanced chips to China.
For Nvidia, the repeal of the previous restriction system had significant commercial implications. The company is one of the world's largest manufacturers of AI accelerators, and international sales account for a substantial part of its business.
After reports of the change in export policy, Nvidia shares rose. Thus, the increase in the company's market value occurred after the purchase of its securities recorded in the declaration.
Financial operations continued after new decisions by Washington regarding chip supplies to China.
In December 2025, Trump announced intentions to allow Nvidia to sell H200 processors to Chinese buyers. In January 2026, the US Department of Commerce approved the corresponding change in the export regime.
According to The Guardian, after the December announcement, at least three purchases of Nvidia shares valued between $250,000 and $500,000 each were recorded in the president's financial disclosures.
DeKleptocracy analysts also found that during 2025, Trump's declarations reflected numerous transactions with securities of companies operating in the fields of artificial intelligence, processor manufacturing, and cloud computing.
The organization believes that the coincidence of financial operations with administration decisions deserves additional attention from the perspective of a possible conflict of interest.
However, the fact that shares were purchased shortly before a change in government policy does not prove that the president made decisions for personal financial gain.
The White House has previously rejected suggestions of a conflict of interest. In October, administration spokesperson Davis Ingle told Reuters that the president's investment portfolio is managed by independent financial organizations.
According to the White House representative, the managers make investment decisions autonomously and follow recognized stock indices. The administration asserts that the president does not interfere in the selection of individual securities.
The new publications appeared amid a crisis around Nvidia after its co-founder Jensen Huang stepped down as CEO. In the US, attention to the company's ties with Chinese buyers and government decisions on exports of advanced processors has intensified.
