Trump Jr. Met Adani in India Before U.S. Fraud Case Dismissal

Donald Trump Jr. reportedly held a private meeting with Indian billionaire Gautam Adani during a visit to India in November last year, months before the U.S. Department of Justice dropped federal fraud and bribery charges against the business tycoon. According to a Bloomberg report published Tuesday, the previously unreported meeting took place in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, though details of the discussion have not been disclosed.

A spokesperson for Trump Jr. told Bloomberg that the meeting had “zero to do” with the Justice Department’s decision to abandon the case, which had originally been filed under the Biden administration. The charges against Adani and his company were formally dropped last month.

Adani and his conglomerate have consistently rejected the allegations. The case was dismissed after reports emerged that attorneys representing the billionaire had proposed a $10 billion investment in the United States. Bloomberg also reported, citing an unnamed source close to Trump Jr., that Adani’s younger son, Jeet Adani, met the president’s son at Mar-a-Lago last year while efforts to resolve the legal matter were underway.

The same source said the federal investigation was not discussed during either meeting. The report did not provide additional details about the conversations.

Following Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Adani publicly praised the president, describing him as the “embodiment of unbreakable tenacity, unshakeable grit, relentless determination.” During the period when his family was seeking to have the charges dismissed, Adani also retained Boris Epshteyn, a longtime adviser and personal attorney to President Trump, according to a Wall Street Journal report. While Epshteyn was involved in Adani’s defense strategy, the newspaper noted that he did not participate in meetings with federal prosecutors and was not listed in legal filings related to the case. Adani’s legal representation was handled by Sullivan & Cromwell, a law firm that also represents President Trump.

As of Tuesday morning, Adani’s estimated fortune stood at $88.6 billion, making him the second-richest person in India and the second-richest individual in Asia, behind Mukesh Ambani. His wealth has increased by nearly $8 billion since the Justice Department dropped the case last month, despite volatility in Indian markets linked to the conflict involving Iran. Earlier this month, Adani briefly surpassed both Ambani and SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son to become Asia’s richest person.