Former President Donald Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of Nvidia stock in May 2025, shortly before his administration rescinded a Biden-era export rule restricting sales of advanced US-made AI chips to China, according to an analysis by anti-corruption group DeKleptocracy.
The rescinded diffusion rule had been intended to protect the US chip industry and address national security concerns about China’s potential development of superior artificial intelligence capabilities. China had represented approximately one-fifth of Nvidia’s sales between 2010 and 2022. Following Trump’s announcement of the rule change, Nvidia’s share price increased in value after his stock purchase. Trump also acquired shares in Apple, Meta, and Microsoft during the same period.
In December 2025, Trump announced plans to allow Nvidia to sell H200 chips to China, a decision the Department of Commerce approved in January 2026. Experts characterized the H200 as significantly more advanced than technology available in China at the time. The Council on Foreign Relations warned that permitting such sales would “supercharge” China’s AI development and strengthen a US strategic rival. Trump’s disclosures indicate he made at least three additional Nvidia purchases worth between $250,001 and $500,000 each following this announcement.
DeKleptocracy characterized the situation as potentially driven by Trump’s financial interests, contrasting it with separate controversies involving Nvidia’s former chief executive Jensen Huang and an alleged Chinese spy. The anti-corruption group noted the policy decisions appeared to benefit the entire AI industry’s transfer of technology to China. Trump received briefings from US intelligence officials regarding their assessment of the alleged spy’s status but did not take action based on those assessments. Huang, characterized as a close Trump associate, oversaw Nvidia’s $25 million contribution to a Trump ballroom facility in October 2025.
Article Attribution | Read More at Article Source
Article summary produced by Claude AI