US President Donald Trump has disclosed millions of dollars’ worth of stock market trades made during July, including in firms from Elon Musk’s SpaceX to tech and AI giants such as Microsoft.
According to official documents, between $6.5m (£4.8m) and $31m worth of stock in Microsoft was sold on behalf of Trump, while they show purchases of between $165,000 and $400,000.
Across more than 1,000 trades, shares were bought and sold in AI company Nvidia and software firm Palantir, a contractor with the US defence department and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the filing shows.
A White House spokesperson said Trump’s stock and bond portfolio is independently managed by third parties.
The spokesperson told the BBC: “Neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold.
“There are no conflicts of interest.”
According to the filing, thousands of dollars’ worth of stock was also bought and sold in SpaceX, the rocket, satellite and AI company led by Musk – who was once in charge of the US Department of Government Efficiency.
SpaceX listed its shares on the US-based Nasdaq stock market in June.
Its share price has fluctuated since then, sharply declining in July and August, but it is currently trading 14% higher than its stock market debut.
Shares were also bought and sold in Tesla, Musk’s electric vehicle-maker, on behalf of Trump.
Trump has previously publicly disclosed thousands of stock market trades since he returned to the White House in January last year.
The disclosure of the July trades made on behalf of Trump emerged against a backdrop of renewed focus on AI and how safe it is.
Trump has rejected calls for safety-driven slowdowns, warning that restrictions risk the US slipping behind China.
He told an audience of world leaders at the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday that he wants to rebrand AI as “super intelligence” to project American dominance.
Trump has previously argued that the US must come out on top in the AI development race, stating last week: “Whoever wins AI, wins.”
He is firmly against government regulation or introducing new guardrails, putting him at odds with many of those gathered at the UN, including Secretary General António Guterres who continues to advocate for binding international safeguards.
The president is set to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping this week during a state visit to Washington.
While Trump frames a rebrand as an instrument of national competition, his administration is simultaneously proposing an emergency AI “hotline” with Beijing to manage potential cyber risks or rogue AI incidents.
