Jonah Patel
Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden, has been at the centre of several controversies and scandals, including illegal possession of a gun, drug use, and tax evasion. In addition, he has been accused of influence-peddling and corruption, particularly in relation to his business dealings in Ukraine and China. Despite these issues, Hunter Biden has been involved in political campaigns, most notably his father's presidential bid in 2024, which ended in withdrawal. Biden's business ventures and personal struggles have often made headlines and impacted his father's political career, leading to questions about his involvement in political campaigns and potential influence on policy-making.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Political campaigns contributed to | Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign |
| Political scandals | Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory, illegal possession of a gun, lying about drug use, tax evasion, influence-peddling |
| Business interests | Burisma Holdings, Seneca Global Advisors, Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. (BHR), Rosemont Seneca Thornton, Rosemont Seneca Bohai, Rosemont Seneca Partners |
| Associates | Devon Archer, Christopher Heinz, John Kerry, Mykola Zlochevsky, Yelena Baturina, Kenes Rakishev, Vadym Pozharsky, Karim Massimov |
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What You'll Learn
- Hunter Biden's involvement in Joe Biden's 2020 campaign
- Hunter Biden's memoir and artwork sales
- Hunter Biden's involvement in Burisma Holdings
- Hunter Biden's involvement in Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd
- False claims of corrupt activities in a Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory
Hunter Biden's involvement in Joe Biden's 2020 campaign
Hunter Biden, the son of former US President Joe Biden, has been at the centre of several controversies that have impacted his father's political career. One of the most notable incidents involved a laptop that allegedly belonged to Hunter Biden. In October 2020, three weeks before the 2020 United States presidential election, the New York Post published a story alleging that emails from the laptop showed corruption by Joe Biden and his son. The story was based on information provided to Rudy Giuliani, then-president Donald Trump's personal attorney, by the owner of a Delaware computer shop. While the laptop's authenticity was questioned, forensic analysis later authenticated some of the emails, including one used by the Post.
The laptop controversy was not the only issue surrounding Hunter Biden during the 2020 campaign. There were also allegations of influence-peddling and corruption involving his business dealings in Ukraine and China. In 2014, Hunter Biden joined the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian company owned by oligarch Mykola Zlochevsky, who was facing money laundering investigations. Hunter Biden was hired to help Burisma request assistance from the US government and received up to $50,000 per month in compensation. In 2016, he lobbied the US State Department on behalf of Burisma, seeking to secure a potentially lucrative energy project in Italy. These activities raised concerns about the potential conflict of interest, given his father's position as Vice President at the time.
In addition to the Ukraine controversy, Hunter Biden's business dealings in China also came under scrutiny. He was involved in creating the investment fund Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. (BHR), which was controlled by the Bank of China. Vice President Joe Biden's trip to China with his son on Air Force 2 raised eyebrows, as BHR's business license was approved soon after, and Hunter Biden became a board member. These incidents fuelled allegations of influence-peddling and raised questions about the Biden family's financial dealings.
Amid these controversies, Hunter Biden's personal struggles with drug addiction and legal issues also became public. His former partner, Hallie Biden, testified that he had introduced her to crack cocaine and that he frequently purchased drugs. In 2025, Hunter Biden was found guilty of illegally possessing a gun and lying about his drug use during the purchase. These incidents, along with ongoing investigations into his business dealings, created an unwelcome distraction for Joe Biden's 2020 re-election campaign and sparked media pressure campaigns.
Despite the controversies, Hunter Biden played a role in advising his father during the 2020 campaign. After a poor debate performance by Joe Biden in June 2024, Hunter became more involved, assisting with speech preparation and joining meetings with the president and his staffers. He maintained daily contact with his father and emerged as a strong voice urging him not to drop out of the reelection campaign. While Hunter Biden's involvement may have provided personal support to the president, it also exposed him to further public scrutiny and criticism.
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Hunter Biden's memoir and artwork sales
Hunter Biden, son of former US President Joe Biden, has been in the news for his financial woes following lacklustre sales of his memoir and artwork. In court filings, Biden revealed that his income has "decreased significantly" since late 2023, and that he is seeking to dismiss a lawsuit against a former aide to Donald Trump, Garrett Ziegler, as he can no longer afford the litigation. Biden's memoir, 'Beautiful Things', saw sales plummet from 3,161 copies in mid-2023 to just 1,100 copies in the following six months. This has also resulted in fewer speaking engagements and appearances than he had hoped for.
Biden's artwork has also come under scrutiny, with critics branding it as "a lot of bluff and bluster". Despite this, in the two to three years before December 2023, he sold 27 pieces of art at an average price of $54,481 each, for a total of $1.5 million. However, since then, he has only sold one piece for $36,000. The high prices of his artwork and the anonymity of the buyers have raised questions about the integrity of the sales, with some suggesting that people were buying his art to influence the Biden administration.
In addition to his financial troubles, Hunter Biden has also faced legal issues, including a conviction for illegal possession of a gun and lying about his drug use. He has also been accused of tax evasion, with allegations that he failed to pay at least $1.4 million in federal taxes for the years 2016-2019. These scandals have been a source of distraction for his father, President Biden, during his re-election campaign.
Hunter Biden has also been at the centre of conspiracy theories and false claims of corrupt activities, particularly regarding his work with Burisma Holdings in Ukraine. Despite no evidence of wrongdoing, these allegations have fuelled negative perceptions of both Hunter and President Biden.
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Hunter Biden's involvement in Burisma Holdings
Hunter Biden, an American attorney and businessman, is the son of former US President Joe Biden. In April 2014, Biden joined the board of directors of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas company. Burisma was owned by Ukrainian oligarch and former politician Mykola Zlochevsky, who was under investigation for money laundering following the Ukrainian revolution.
Biden was hired to help Burisma request assistance from the US government in expanding its business and improving its corporate governance practices. He received up to $50,000 per month for his work with Burisma, and his consulting firm was also retained by the company. Biden served on the board until April 2019.
In 2019, Biden and his father became the subjects of unsubstantiated allegations of corruption in Ukraine. Then-US President Donald Trump and his allies, including Rudy Giuliani, claimed that Joe Biden had sought the dismissal of Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin to protect his son and Burisma Holdings. However, the official policy of the US and the European Union was to seek Shokin's removal, and no evidence of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden in Ukraine has been found.
In May 2020, Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach, an associate of Giuliani with links to Russian intelligence, released alleged recordings of Joe Biden speaking with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko during the years Hunter Biden worked for Burisma. The recordings were unverified and appeared heavily edited. They did not provide evidence to support the conspiracy theory that Biden wanted the prosecutor fired to protect his son.
In addition to his involvement with Burisma, Hunter Biden has had other business dealings that have attracted scrutiny. These include his work with Chinese companies, such as BHR Partners, and his association with Kazakhstani oligarch Kenes Rakishev. Biden has also faced legal troubles, including a conviction for illegal gun possession and charges related to tax evasion and influence-peddling.
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Hunter Biden's involvement in Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd
Hunter Biden has been involved in several political campaigns, including his father's vice-presidential campaign and 2024 presidential campaign. He has also been the subject of false and baseless claims of corrupt activities in a Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory pushed by then-U.S. president Donald Trump and his allies.
Now, here is an overview of Hunter Biden's involvement in Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. (BHR):
Hunter Biden's Role in BHR
Hunter Biden, his business associates, and Chinese investors established Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. (BHR), an investment fund controlled by the Bank of China. BHR was founded in 2013 and focuses on mergers, acquisitions, and investments in state-owned enterprises. Hunter became an unpaid member of BHR's board and later acquired a 10% ownership stake in the company.
The Creation of BHR
In June 2013, Jonathan Li, Devon Archer, and other business partners signed a memorandum of understanding to create BHR Partners. In November of the same year, they signed contracts related to the deal. BHR was established to facilitate capital injection into Sinopec Marketing Co. and was one of twenty-five investors in this venture.
Political Connections
In 2013, Vice President Joe Biden travelled with Hunter Biden to China on Air Force 2. During this trip, they met with Jonathan Li, the CEO of BHR. Shortly after this meeting, BHR's business license was approved, and Hunter Biden became a board member. This trip raised questions about the potential influence of Hunter Biden's position on U.S. policy and the Biden family's business dealings.
Criticism and Scrutiny
BHR's involvement in the purchase of the Tenke Fungurume Mine in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has drawn criticism due to the potential conflict of interest with President Joe Biden's push for electric vehicles, for which cobalt is a key material. Additionally, BHR's investments in CCP-linked companies have been noted.
In conclusion, Hunter Biden's involvement in BHR has sparked scrutiny and criticism due to potential conflicts of interest and the appearance of influence-peddling. The establishment of BHR and Hunter Biden's role as a board member occurred during his father's vice presidency, raising questions about the intersection of political and business interests.
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False claims of corrupt activities in a Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory
Since 2019, Joe Biden and his son, Hunter Biden, have been the subjects of false and baseless claims of corrupt activities in a conspiracy theory involving Ukraine. The conspiracy theory was propagated by then-U.S. President Donald Trump and his allies during the 2020 presidential campaign to damage Joe Biden's reputation and chances. The theory asserts that Joe Biden, while he was vice president, withheld a loan guarantee and took a bribe to pressure Ukraine into firing prosecutor general Viktor Shokin. The alleged motive was to prevent a corruption investigation into Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian company on whose board Hunter Biden served, and to protect his son from scrutiny.
In 2020, Ukrainian lawmaker Andrii Derkach, with links to Russian intelligence, released snippets of alleged conversations between Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. These recordings, which were unverified and appeared heavily edited, did not provide evidence of the conspiracy theory. Instead, they reflected bipartisan U.S. policy intentions and the official position of the European Union to seek Shokin's removal due to his failure to address corruption in Ukraine. Poroshenko himself denied that Joe Biden ever approached him about Burisma.
The conspiracy theory was further propagated by Konstantin Kilimnik, a Russian agent with ties to the Trump administration, who oversaw a network spreading misinformation about Biden and corruption in Ukraine. American media organizations with connections to the Trump campaign, including Peter Schweizer, John Solomon, Fox News, and One America News Network, were instrumental in disseminating these false allegations. The spread of these falsehoods aligned with Russian interests in discrediting Joe Biden and aiding Trump's reelection bid.
The Biden–Ukraine conspiracy theory has been refuted, and no evidence has been produced to support claims of wrongdoing by Hunter Biden in Ukraine. The allegations were part of a broader context of Russian interference in U.S. elections and the Trump–Ukraine scandal, which led to Trump's first impeachment. The false claims in this conspiracy theory demonstrate the potential impact of misinformation campaigns on political landscapes and the importance of verifying information from trustworthy sources.
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Frequently asked questions
Hunter Biden has contributed to his father's presidential campaigns, including his 2020 re-election campaign. He has also donated to the Biden Victory Fund, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), and the pro-Democrat Senate Majority PAC.
Hunter Biden has been involved in several controversies, including allegations of influence-peddling, illegal possession of a gun, and lying about his drug use. He has also been accused of defrauding associates and dodging rent. There have also been unproven allegations of corrupt activities in a Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory.
Hunter Biden has been involved in various business dealings, including serving on the board of Burisma Holdings in Ukraine, founding the consultancy company Seneca Global Advisors, and creating the Bohai Harvest RST Equity Investment Fund Management Co., Ltd. in China. He has also negotiated with Mexican oil billionaire Carlos Slim and met with Kazakhstani oligarch Kenes Rakishev.
