Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's Net Worth Outpaces His Claim to be a Humble Soybean Farmer
Bessent's assertion that he has personally felt the pain of the soybean boycott comes as his financial disclosure paints a picture of an individual with significant wealth. The former hedge fund manager and Trump megadonor boasts net worth north of half a billion dollars, yet claims to be a humble farmer.
On ABC's "This Week" this weekend, Bessent discussed the US-China trade war, which led to a Chinese boycott of soybeans grown in the United States. As the US is the single largest exporter of soybeans to China, with over 50% of purchases coming from American farmers in the last two years, the halt in soybean purchases was felt deeply. Bessent acknowledged this pain point and stated that he has "felt this pain too" due to his supposed connection to the industry.
However, a closer look at Bessent's financial disclosure reveals that he is not an active farmer but rather owns farmland in North Dakota that he leases out to farmers for up to $1 million per year. This raises questions about whether Bessent genuinely has a personal stake in the soybean market or is simply attempting to position himself as an advocate for American farmers.
Despite this, Bessent expressed confidence in the prospects of resolving the trade dispute and restoring soybean exports to China. He indicated that he had laid groundwork for substantial purchases from China in the future, which would likely benefit US soybean farmers. However, the sincerity of his claims remains unclear given the significant disconnect between his reported financial situation and his self-described role as a humble farmer.
Bessent's assertion that he has personally felt the pain of the soybean boycott comes as his financial disclosure paints a picture of an individual with significant wealth. The former hedge fund manager and Trump megadonor boasts net worth north of half a billion dollars, yet claims to be a humble farmer.
On ABC's "This Week" this weekend, Bessent discussed the US-China trade war, which led to a Chinese boycott of soybeans grown in the United States. As the US is the single largest exporter of soybeans to China, with over 50% of purchases coming from American farmers in the last two years, the halt in soybean purchases was felt deeply. Bessent acknowledged this pain point and stated that he has "felt this pain too" due to his supposed connection to the industry.
However, a closer look at Bessent's financial disclosure reveals that he is not an active farmer but rather owns farmland in North Dakota that he leases out to farmers for up to $1 million per year. This raises questions about whether Bessent genuinely has a personal stake in the soybean market or is simply attempting to position himself as an advocate for American farmers.
Despite this, Bessent expressed confidence in the prospects of resolving the trade dispute and restoring soybean exports to China. He indicated that he had laid groundwork for substantial purchases from China in the future, which would likely benefit US soybean farmers. However, the sincerity of his claims remains unclear given the significant disconnect between his reported financial situation and his self-described role as a humble farmer.
I'm not buying it 
! The guy's net worth is over half a billion, but he's claiming to be a humble soybean farmer? That's just not adding up 
. And let's be real, owning farmland and leasing it out for a million bucks a year doesn't exactly scream "humble" either 
. I think he's trying to use his supposed connection to the industry to sound like an expert on trade disputes, but it's hard to take him seriously when you consider how much money is involved 
. It's all about perception vs reality here 
.
... this Treasury Secretary is raking it in 
It just doesn't add up. He's not even actively farming the land, just leasing it out to other farmers for a cool million bucks a year. That's like renting out your own backyard and calling yourself a landlord 
.
. I'm not buying it (pun intended). If he really had a personal stake in the soybean market, wouldn't his financial disclosure show some actual assets related to farming? Instead, we get a big fat gap between his reported wealth and his "humble farmer" persona 
also, why do politicians always have to be so vague about their finances? 
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with this soybean boycott thing? 
️ I mean, I get it, trade wars are no joke 
, but come on, Scott, let's be real 
on this whole "humble farmer" thing 
. He's got a big mouth 
but not exactly a pocket full of change 
! I mean, I get it, Scott Bessent wants to help American farmers and all, but come on, how can we trust him when he's got like half a billion dollars in net worth? 
. Still hoping someone asks him how much of that "groundwork" he laid for soybean exports in China... I bet it's not as simple as he makes it out to be 
Meanwhile, his actual farming experience is basically renting out a plot of land to other farmers for a cool $1M/year 
) when politicians claim to be part of the "common folk". It's like they're speaking a different language, you know? 
. It's like they want us to believe they're one of us, but really they're just using our struggles for their own gain 
i mean we get it, he's trying to help out american farmers and all, but come on, let's be real about how much money is at play here 
like dude has a net worth over half billion but says he's just some average soybean farmer? i mean, even if he does own that land in north dakota and leases it out to farmers, that still dont make him a humble farmer. seems like he's more of a big shot player trying to play the "i care about american farmers" card