Trump Appoints Record 57 Officials Worth Over $100 Million

A report from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen reveals that Donald Trump has appointed 57 officials with net worths of $100 million or more to his second administration. This figure is more than four times the combined total of ultra-wealthy appointees from the administrations of George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden. The group includes 17 ambassadors and 40 senior executive branch officials, with eight of the 23 Cabinet members meeting the wealth threshold.

Notable billionaires in the administration include Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Education Secretary Linda McMahon, Deputy Secretary of Defense Stephen Feinberg, and Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler. Public Citizen notes that 30 of these officials contributed over $65 million to Trump-affiliated political committees between 2022 and 2025. The report excludes Trump himself and advisor Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency.

Public Citizen co-president Lisa Gilbert warned that this concentration of economic elite leads to "misplaced incentives and corruption." Researcher Douglas Pasternak added that such individuals are more likely to govern based on personal monetary interests than the public interest. Trump has defended the appointments as a recognition of the "incredible competence" of successful business leaders. These findings emerge as Trump's public approval of his economic stewardship has fallen to 32% ahead of the November midterm elections.