December 3, 2025|
AI
|1 day agoCorruption Complaint Filed After Swiss Business Leaders Gift Gold and Rolex to Trump
A criminal complaint for suspected corruption has been filed against Swiss business leaders who presented luxury gifts, including a gold bar and a Rolex clock, to former US President Donald Trump. A top Swiss official has downplayed the meeting, stating it was a 'private initiative'.
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Generated IllustrationKey Takeaways
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- Two Swiss Green Party lawmakers, Raphaël Mahaim and Greta Gysin, have filed a criminal complaint for suspected corruption.
- The business leaders included Alfred Gantner (co-founder of Partners Group), Jean-Frédéric Dufour (CEO of Rolex), and Johann Rupert (Chairman of Richemont).
- The gifts included a one-kilogram gold bar and a Rolex clock.
- The resulting deal saw US duties on Swiss exports reduced from 39% to 15%, with exemptions for aviation and pharmaceuticals.
- Helene Budliger Artieda stated that Seco "deliberately did not get involved...as it was a private initiative".
By The Numbers
CHF200 billion over the next five years
Planned investment in the US by Swiss businesses
From 39% to 15%
US tariff reduction on Swiss exports
They Said
"Practices once considered unthinkable are becoming normalised under Mr Trumpâs transactional style of politicsâwhen power and corruption coalesce moral flexibility dressed in pragmatism can spread fast."
"Personally, I am very pleased that there is an entrepreneurial spirit in this country that is ready to help when the country needs it, that also takes risks."