Democratic presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has recently revealed that he owns a substantial amount of Bitcoin, contradicting his previous claim that he was not an investor in the popular cryptocurrency. According to a record obtained by CNBC, Kennedy Jr. held between $100,001 and $250,000 worth of Bitcoin at the end of June. This investment was reportedly made following his speech at the Bitcoin 2023 conference in May, during which he announced that his campaign would be the first to accept Bitcoin donations in the United States.
Interestingly, during the conference, Kennedy Jr. explicitly denied investing in Bitcoin, stating, “I am not an investor, and I am not here to give investment advice.” However, the financial disclosure filed on June 30 revealed his cryptocurrency ownership, although it did not specify when the purchase was made. The disclosure also mentioned that the investment had returned less than $201 since its acquisition. While the filing did not disclose who made the purchase within the Kennedy family, the candidate’s campaign confirmed that Kennedy Jr. was indeed the owner.
Kennedy Jr.’s support for Bitcoin
In his presidential campaign, Kennedy Jr., who is challenging President Joe Biden, has been actively targeting the crypto community. In a tweet on May 3, he expressed his support for cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, calling them a “major innovation engine.” He also criticized the U.S. government for hindering the growth of the crypto industry and driving innovation elsewhere.
Kennedy Jr. has garnered support from various influential figures, including Jack Dorsey, the founder of Twitter and CEO of Block Inc. Dorsey recently expressed his endorsement of Kennedy Jr. on Twitter, stating that the candidate has the capability to defeat his opponents in the upcoming race.
Kennedy Jr. hails from a prominent political family, being the son of former Attorney General and Senator Robert F. Kennedy, as well as the nephew of the late President John F. Kennedy. His backing of the cryptocurrency industry comes at a critical time when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has intensified its scrutiny of crypto businesses due to the lack of a comprehensive regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States.
