Trump’s $400M Qatar Jet Is Just the Latest in a Long, Dirty Tradition of Presidential Grift
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is under fire again—this time for accepting a $400 million Boeing 747-8 “gift” from Qatar. While Trump says it’s for government use and eventually his presidential library, critics on both sides of the aisle are calling it a not-so-subtle bribe. Legal experts point to potential violations of the Emoluments Clause, and let’s just say Jon Stewart is already roasting him for it.
But this isn’t new. Leaders across the Western world have been caught in scandals that read like crime thrillers. We’ve rounded up five of the juiciest bribery cases involving heads of state from the past 50 years—and yes, some of them make Trump look tame.
Nicolas Sarkozy (France) – Campaign Cash from Gaddafi?
The former French president was convicted in 2021 for trying to bribe a judge—but that’s just the warm-up. Sarkozy is also accused of taking €50 million from Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi to fund his 2007 presidential campaign. Sarkozy denied it, but the charges stuck hard enough to result in prison time and a massive scandal that shook France’s political elite.
Jacob Zuma (South Africa) – Arms Deals and Secrets
Zuma’s presidency was tainted by claims he took bribes from French arms firm Thales as part of a multi-billion dollar weapons deal. Even after leaving office, he landed in jail in 2021—for contempt of court, no less—after skipping out on hearings about the corruption. His tenure is often used as a case study in how state power can be privatized for personal gain.
“Bribery isn’t just envelopes of cash in back rooms anymore—it’s jets,
campaign millions, and power in disguise.”
Silvio Berlusconi (Italy) – Payoffs and Power Plays
The Italian PM’s résumé reads like a Netflix pitch: tax fraud, bribery, and at one point, accusations of paying off senators to flip alliances. He was convicted of bribery (among other things), served community service, and got banned from public office for years. Somehow, he still remained a political force—because, Italy.
Alberto Fujimori (Peru) – Bribes on Camera
Fujimori’s presidency in the 90s unraveled spectacularly when videos emerged of his intelligence chief, Vladimiro Montesinos, casually handing out stacks of cash to buy off opposition politicians. The scandal was bold, caught on tape, and impossible to ignore. Fujimori fled to Japan, was later extradited, and spent his final years in prison after being convicted of corruption and human rights abuses. He died on September 11, 2024, leaving behind one of Latin America’s most controversial political legacies.
Park Geun-hye (South Korea) – Corporations and Cronies
In 2017, Park became the first female president of South Korea—and then the first to be impeached and imprisoned. She was caught running a shadow government with her confidante Choi Soon-sil, extorting millions from major corporations like Samsung in exchange for influence. It was like a K-drama, but real, and much messier.
