A “flying palace” for $400 million, a crown, and gold bars: How the world has attempted to court Trump’s favor

In mid-November, Donald Trump hosted a delegation from Switzerland. Representatives of major businesses had come to Washington as part of an effort to persuade the president to lower tariffs on Swiss imports. And sure enough, following the meeting, Trump agreed to reduce the tariffs.

Coincidentally or not, the visitors brought gifts: a custom Rolex desk clock and a one-kilogram gold bar, stamped with the numbers “45” and “47” in honor of Trump’s presidential terms. The gold bar is valued at $130,000. Trump accepted the presents on behalf of his presidential library, so no laws were violated, the White House clarified.

“See that Rolex clock and gold bar? It looks like those Swiss gifts paid off. Trump cut tariffs on Swiss goods — like luxury watches — from 39% to 15%. While Trump’s tariffs increase prices for Americans, billionaire CEOs and foreign companies sucking up to Trump get relief,” Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren wrote on Facebook.

As the American media note, Trump is fond of “royal” gifts, especially gold, and this proclivity is well known to those seeking his favor. The Insider compiled a list of the most expensive and unusual presents Trump has received since the start of his second tenure in the White House.

Gold from Apple

This past August, Apple CEO Tim Cook presented Trump with a glass disk featuring the company logo and mounted on a stand made from 24-karat gold. The gift commemorated Apple’s $100 billion investment in the U.S. economy. The idea for the bauble came after Trump criticized the company for moving part of iPhone production to India and threatened to impose 25% tariffs on its products.

A literal crown

At the end of October, Trump traveled to Asia. On a stop in South Korea, President Lee Jae Myung presented the American leader with a replica of the gold Cheonmachong Crown and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa, making Trump the first U.S. president to receive the country’s highest honor.

The original crown is kept at the Gyeongju National Museum. It is one of several known ceremonial crowns of the rulers of the Korean Silla kingdom, dating from the 4th–6th centuries. Subsequently, Seoul reached an agreement with Trump to reduce tariffs on the import of Korean cars and auto parts into the U.S.

A royal plane

In May, the Qatari royal family gifted a $400 million Boeing 747-8, which the media have dubbed the “Flying Palace.” In July, CBS reported that the aircraft would be converted for use as the new Air Force One. According to media estimates, this plane is worth a hundred times as much as all the gifts received by U.S. presidents from foreign governments since 2001 combined.

At the start of his Asian tour, Trump stopped in Qatar, where he was personally greeted at the airport by the country’s Emir, Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. As Politico notes, relations between the authorities of this small Middle Eastern country and Trump have radically changed since his first presidential term: from an adversary, Qatar became an ally, now wielding significant influence in its region. Doha spent several years cultivating ties with Trump, including hiring his allies, making investments, using intermediaries for Middle East affairs — and, of course, giving an unimaginably expensive gift.

Whereas in 2017 Trump supported the blockade of Qatar organized by Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries and accused Doha of financing Islamic terrorism, by 2025 he was calling Emir Al Thani “one of the great rulers of the world.”

A portrait from Putin

In March 2025, Vladimir Putin presented Trump with a portrait painted by Russian artist Nikas Safronov. The painting depicts Trump after the assassination attempt against him in July 2024, when he was wounded during a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Trump is shown against the backdrop of the American flag and the Statue of Liberty.

In an interview with CNN, Safronov admitted that the portrait of Trump turned out “flattering” but noted that it nevertheless “became an important step toward improving relations between Russia and the United States.”

In addition to the portrait, Vladimir Putin conveyed to Trump via special envoy Steve Witkoff the deep concern he had felt for his American counterpart. According to Witkoff, “[Putin] told me a story about how, when the president [Trump] was wounded, he went to church, met with his priest, and prayed for the president, … because they are friends, and he prayed for his friend.”

Putin has repeatedly flattered Trump, calling him his friend — and “the master” of Europe.