Press Releases
Trump Investment in Argentina is a Gift to Conservative Ally, US Billionaires
Argentinian President Javier Milei has embarked on a major ploy to sell his government to large investors and multi-billionaires with connections to the Trump White House
WASHINGTON, DC – As the Trump administration finalizes a $20 billion bailout to Argentina, President Donald Trump is meeting with Argentinian President Javier Milei today. Trump’s “unusual” direct intervention has come under fire with critics arguing his administration is overtly supporting the political career of a conservative ally “outside the usual channels of international finance.”
Ahead of the meeting, a new report from Accountable.US confirmed suspicions that the investment has a lot to do with the political ramifications of Milei’s upcoming midterm battle and has the potential to benefit billionaire-Trump allies. Per the analysis, Milei has embarked on a major ploy to sell his government to large investors and multi-billionaires with connections to the Trump White House.
Rather than invest in Americans' healthcare and work to lower costs, Donald Trump is blatantly rewarding the loyalty of a conservative ally abroad at the expense of American taxpayers. All the while, his billionaire friends are telling the world to bet on Argentina and setting themselves up to profit from American investment.”
Accountable.US Executive Director Tony Carrk
Over the past year and a half, Milei has met with numerous big tech CEOs, business leaders and US investors during multiple trips to Silicon Valley and Beverly Hills.
- This included a meeting with Google CEO and billionaire Sundar Pichai pitching Argentina as a place to invest, also speaking at the Milken Institute’s Global Conference where he urged US investors to “bet on Argentina” as “the Rome of the 21st Century.”
- Milei met with SpaceX and Tesla founder and CEO Elon Musk who repeatedly told his followers on X to “inves[t] in Argentina” and claimed that Milei was “bringing prosperity to Argentina.”
- In January 2025, Milei also met with the CEO of Coca-Cola, who would eventually announce a $1.4 billion investment in Argentina in March 2025.
- Milei also hosted Palantir and PayPal founder Peter Thiel at his presidential palace, alongside current Argentina ambassador to the United States Alec Oxenford. Thiel is well-connected to the Trump White House and was instrumental in bankrolling Vice President J.D. Vance’s entrance into politics after Vance had worked at Thiel’s venture capital firm.
In addition to trying to sell Argentina as a place for big tech conglomerates to invest, many former bosses and friends of Trump Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent indeed “bet on” Argentina by taking out large amounts of bonds that ultimately backfired, including:
- The Argentine bailout helped “Tiger Cub” and Discovery Capital Management founder Robert Citrone, who purchased numerous bonds after Milei took power in December 2023. During a May 2024 podcast appearance, Citrone detailed how he helped Bessent build his wealth saying he provided him a “financial windfall.”
- Stanley Druckenmiller, who has an estimated net worth of $7.8 billion, is described as a mentor and friend of Treasury Secretary Bessent and leads the Duquesne Family Office, which was the “second largest investor in Argentina’s principal exchange-traded fund.” Druckenmiller also complimented Milei as a “highly intelligent leader.”
Read the full report.
