2025-05-19
8 分钟The Economist. Hello, Mike Bird here, co-host of Money Talks,
our weekly podcast on markets, the economy and business.
Welcome to Editor's Picks.
We've chosen an article from the latest edition of The Economist,
which we very much hope you'll enjoy.
When offered a Boeing 747 by the government of Qatar to replace Air Force One,
President Donald Trump responded, why not?
Only someone dumb would turn down free money.
No presidency has generated so many conflicts of interest at such speed in modern history.
Yet the worst self-dealing in American politics is found not on a runway,
but on blockchains, home to trillions of dollars in cryptocurrencies.
Over the past six months,
crypto has taken on a new role at the center of American public life.
Several cabinet officials have large investments in digital assets.
Crypto enthusiasts help run regulatory agencies.
The industry's largest businesses are among the biggest donors to election campaigns,
with exchanges and issuers deploying hundreds of millions to defend friendly legislators and to crush their opponents.
The president's sons tout their crypto ventures around the world.
The biggest investors in Mr. Trump's meme coin get to have dinner with the president.
The holdings of the first family are now worth billions,