Adani’s Curious Ties with Donald Trump: Indian Tycoon Reportedly Met Trump Jr Months Before US Dropped Fraud Charges Against Him

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WHEN GAUTAM ADANI, the second richest man in Asia, was in a legal turmoil, facing federal charges in the US court, the Indian billionaire was still maintaining a close relationship with the US President. According to Bloomberg, Donald Trump Jr, the eldest son of the President, met Gautam Adani while visiting the country in November last year. 

The meeting was at a time when the Indian tycoon was facing several fraud and bribery charges in the U.S., originally filed during the Biden administration. Bloomberg reports that the charges were dropped by Donald Trump last month with a court settlement and no conviction against Adani. This follows another report by ProPublica alleging an investment from Ambani in refinery projects linked to Trump Jr influenced the US-India trade policies of Donald Trump.

According to the report, the last meeting between Trump Jr and Adani was in November 2026, in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, though the details of what was discussed is not known. When Bloomberg reached out to Trump Jr., one of his spokesperson said that the meeting had “zero to do” with the Department of Justice’s decision to drop its federal case filed against Adani.

Bloomberg cited an unnamed source close to Trump Jr., who reportedly said that Gautam Adani’s younger son, Jeet Adani, who was involved in the push to end the US case, met with Trump Jr. in Mar-a-Lago, Palm Beach, Florida. However, the anonymous source also maintains that the DOJ case was not discussed in either of the two meetings.

Gautam Adani’s Close Ties with Donald Trump

When Donald Trump was re-elected as the US President in November 2024, Gautam Adani congratulated him and called the Republican leader the “embodiment of unbreakable tenacity, unshakeable grit, relentless determination.” It was at a time when Adani and his family were pushing to drop the federal charges in the US.

See Also: The Biggest Winner of India's Coal Power Revival: Adani Group Sweeps Tenders in BJP-Ruled States Since 2024

According to The Wall Street Journal, Adani had hired Boris Epshteyn, a key adviser and personal lawyer of President Donald Trump, to help with his defense. However, according to the report, Epshteyn didn’t attend the meetings with the prosecutors and his name didn’t even appear in the legal filings. Officially, Adani’s paperwork was handled by the law firm Sullivan & Cromwell, which also represents the US President. 

Adani is the second richest person in Asia after Mukesh Ambani. As of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, his net worth is $88.6 billion (₹8.34 lakh crore). Since the US Department of Justice dropped the case against him last month, Adani’s fortune increased almost $8 billion. This was despite the Indian market witnessing a tumultuous period during the West Asia war.

What Was the U.S. Federal Case Against Adani?

The case against Adani and his associates was about a big solar power push that, according to US prosecutors, turned into a bribery-and-disclosure scandal. In early 2022, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) alleged that Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others agreed to pay about $265 million in bribes to Indian government officials so Adani Green Energy could win approvals for major solar projects. 

Prosecutors claimed that the group hid the alleged scheme from investors and lenders in the US while raising more than $175 million in the market. At the time,. Adani Group denied the allegations and called them baseless.

In November 2024, the SEC uncovered the criminal charges against Gautam Adani, Sagar Adani and associates alleged by US federal prosecutors in New York. The charges included securities fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, obstruction-related allegations, and accusations of concealing bribery arrangements from investors.

The Securities and Exchange Commission told the US court on several accounts that it had already ordered a summon through India’s Ministry of Law and Justice. However, the process reportedly moved slowly for months, sparking questions over Indian governance.

By April 2026, according to reports, Adani was seeking dismissal of the SEC’s civil fraud case, arguing the alleged conduct took place in India and that the bonds were not traded on a US exchange. In May 2026, the SEC settled the case for about $18 million, as reported by Reuters. It was also reported that Adani didn’t admit any wrongdoing and the federal court is also considering dropping the accompanying federal criminal charges against Adani.

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