U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has announced that he has sold his North Dakota soybean farmland holdings to comply with a federal ethics agreement, ending his financial ties to agricultural property that had drawn scrutiny due to his role in trade and economic policy.
Bessent, a former hedge fund manager whose financial disclosure showed up to $25 million in soybean and corn farmland generating significant rental income, confirmed the divestiture during a recent television interview. The sale fulfills commitments under the ethics agreement he signed upon joining President Donald Trump’s administration, after previously missing deadlines to shed certain assets flagged by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics.
The timing of the sale preceded a major White House announcement on federal farm support, including a multibillion-dollar aid package aimed at helping farmers hit by ongoing trade disruptions with China and volatile markets. Bessent stressed that, despite selling his farmland interests, American farmers still face significant economic challenges and require continued federal support.
Bessent had personally discussed agricultural issues on national television, once describing himself as a “soybean farmer,” a characterization that was publicly questioned by interviewers given his role as investor rather than an active farm operator.
The divestiture marks the latest effort by senior administration officials to avoid conflicts between personal investments and the substantial economic decisions tied to U.S.–China trade negotiations and domestic agricultural policy.
