US President Donald Trump's latest financial disclosure filings show he made more than 1,000 stock trades in June, including an investment of at least US$15,000 in Elon Musk's space technology company SpaceX — a move that has drawn market attention over potential conflicts of interest.
According to disclosure documents released by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, Trump purchased SpaceX shares on June 23 in the range of US$15,001 to US$50,000 (approximately HK$117,000 to HK$390,000). Because federal officials are only required to disclose their holdings in broad value ranges, the exact amount of his investment remains unknown.
White House spokesman Davis Ingle said in a statement that Trump's personal investment portfolio is managed entirely by an independent third party and is automatically allocated based on market indices such as the Schwab 1000 Index. Ingle stressed that neither Trump nor his family members have the authority to direct, influence, or participate in portfolio allocation decisions, nor can they interfere with the timing of trades.
Since SpaceX is a U.S. military contractor and Trump holds shares in the company, this investment relationship naturally raises concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Notably, the Trump administration had recently directed relevant departments to vigorously promote the U.S. commercial space launch business — a market in which SpaceX is the dominant player.
SpaceX completed the largest initial public offering (IPO) in U.S. stock market history on June 12, with an offering price of US$135 per share. Trump entered the market about a week after the company's listing, on June 23. On that day, SpaceX closed at US$156.11 — down more than 30% from its all‑time high of $225.64, but still above the IPO price. However, as the stock continued to face pressure, it closed at US$135 on Monday (Aug. 24), returning to its offering price level.
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