The Qatari royal family is said to be preparing to gift former U.S. President Donald Trump a luxury Boeing 747-800 aircraft, with an estimated value of $400 million—making it potentially the most expensive foreign donation ever made to the United States.
According to reports from ABC News and The New York Times, the 13-year-old aircraft is expected to be transferred to the U.S. Air Force, where it would undergo significant modifications to meet military and security specifications.
The jet is rumored to be designated as a future Air Force One.
Sources familiar with the matter suggest that the gift, reportedly coordinated through diplomatic and legal channels, is intended as a symbol of strategic friendship and mutual respect between the State of Qatar and the United States.
The Qatari royal family, whose estimated net worth exceeds $335 billion, has not publicly commented on the matter.
Critics have raised concerns over the legality and ethics of such a gesture, particularly regarding U.S. laws that prohibit federal officials from accepting gifts from foreign governments without congressional approval.
However, legal representatives aligned with Trump—including former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House legal adviser David Warrington—are reportedly working to preempt any legal backlash.
The team is said to have filed documentation claiming the transfer is compliant with the Foreign Gifts and Decorations Act and constitutional guidelines.
Of additional note is the speculation that the aircraft could eventually be donated to Trump’s presidential library after his term, allowing him symbolic and possible limited access to the jet in his post-presidency years.
The timing of the development coincides with Trump’s upcoming diplomatic tour of the Middle East, which includes a scheduled stop in Qatar.
He has previously expressed dissatisfaction with the current presidential aircraft and called for modernization.