Foreign leaders and governments gave former President Joe Biden, his wife Jill Biden and several other senior U.S. officials tens of thousands of dollars in gifts during calendar year 2024, according to an annual accounting published in the Federal Register by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Protocol.
The report, published Thursday, said it covered gifts presented to Biden, his spouse and other senior officials, and it did not include gifts given to President Donald Trump or his administration in the first year of Trump’s second term. The accounting described how federal employees are required to report gifts from foreign officials that are worth more than $480.
The disclosure also described how most reported gifts are handled. According to the report, most gifts are transferred to the National Archives or the General Services Administration, rather than kept by the recipient. The report said recipients could keep gifts only if they reimbursed the Treasury for them or, in rare cases, kept them for official use.
The report identified Biden’s most expensive gift as a $19,000 acrylic painting titled “Marimba,” sent to the archives. It said the painting was provided by Angolan President Jose—identified in the AP account as Angola’s president—and estimated at $19,000, before being sent to the archives. The report also listed a sterling silver train set worth $7,750 from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the train set transferred to the archives.
In another unusual example, the report said Biden received a road bike and two crates of dates worth $7,089 from UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It said the bike was transferred to the archives while the dates were disposed of by the Secret Service. It also said other high-dollar gifts for Biden included a $3,300 sculpture of a winged woman from the prime minister of Iraq, $3,300 in photographs and artwork from the prime minister of the Czech Republic, and $3,000 in sculpture, photographs, posters and books from France’s President Emmanuel Macron.
The report said Biden also received $2,512 worth of assorted presents from Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, listing items including aviator sunglasses, wine, a cookbook, cufflinks and a commemorative Nutella jar. With those gifts, the report said the items were sent to the archives, except for perishables, which were destroyed.
For Jill Biden, the report said her largest reported gift was an estimated $11,165 diamond necklace and Ormonde Jayne perfume from the emir of Qatar and his spouse. It said she kept the perfume bottle after the liquid was disposed of, but the necklace went to the National Archives. The report said Jill Biden also received a combined gift valued at $5,090 from Macron’s wife, Brigitte, which included a Dior bracelet and a Sevres vase; it said the bracelet was kept after purchase, and the vase was sent to the archives.
The report said former Vice President Kamala Harris received pricey gifts in 2024 but that none were reported to be worth more than $2,700. It described her biggest item as a rug, cooking utensils and a book valued at $2,633 from the United Arab Emirates. It said she also received a book and clock from Bahrain’s crown prince valued at $1,775, a ceramic bowl from South Korea’s first lady valued at $1,440, and a painting from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy worth $1,460, with all such gifts transferred to the National Archives.
The report also detailed gifts received by top officials in the Biden administration. It said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin reported receiving a $3,700 bronze statue from his Indian counterpart, binoculars worth $2,950 from his Qatari counterpart, and a $1,300 watercolor painting from the prime minister of Iraq, with those items to be transferred to the General Services Administration. At the CIA, the report said former director William Burns received a $3,000 horse saddle that was retained for official use.
It further said CIA employees—who were not required to be named in the document—reported other gifts kept for “official use,” including $2,390 in tickets for a Formula One race and a concert by hip-hop star Teddy Swims, as well as a $543 box of Swedish/Cuban cigars. The report said another CIA employee reported receiving $15,000 in cash from an unnamed foreign government official, with the money given to the Federal Reserve.
The report said Antony Blinken reported only a handful of gifts in 2024, none valued at more than $800, and that those gifts were sent to the General Services Administration for potential use in government facilities.