U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent has disclosed the divestment of his personal soybean farm, marking a step toward aligning personal holdings with federal ethics standards. The transaction, finalized in November 2025, underscores growing emphasis on transparency among top government officials.
- Treasury Secretary Bessent sold his 240-acre Iowa soybean farm for $3.8 million in November 2025.
- The farm generated $420,000 in annual revenue and averaged 58 bushels per acre in 2024.
- Proceeds were reinvested in federally compliant securities and real estate trusts.
- The divestment was required by the Office of Government Ethics under conflict-of-interest rules.
- No significant market impact observed in soybean futures or agriculture-related equities.
- Disclosure aligns with ethics reporting standards for Cabinet officials.
Treasury Secretary Bessent confirmed the sale of his 240-acre soybean farm located in central Iowa during a press briefing on December 7, 2025. The property, which had been in his family since 1987, was sold to a local agricultural cooperative for $3.8 million. The proceeds were reinvested into a diversified portfolio of federally compliant securities and real estate trusts, as required by the Ethics in Government Act. The divestment follows a formal review by the Office of Government Ethics, which mandated that Cabinet-level officials divest holdings with potential conflicts of interest. Bessent’s farm generated approximately $420,000 in annual revenue prior to the sale, primarily from soybean and corn production, with yields averaging 58 bushels per acre in 2024. The sale was completed on November 29, 2025, and reported in the Office of Government Ethics’ biannual financial disclosure report released on December 3. While the transaction does not directly affect commodity markets, it reflects a broader trend of compliance efforts among federal appointees. The move comes amid increased scrutiny of asset disclosures at the Department of the Treasury, where officials oversee fiscal policy, trade regulations, and international financial stability—areas influenced by agricultural supply chains and commodity pricing. Market participants have noted the disclosure as a procedural formality rather than a market event. No major fluctuations in soybean futures (CBOT ticker: ZS) or agricultural equities were observed following the announcement. However, the transparency effort may bolster public trust in financial oversight institutions during a period of heightened political sensitivity around ethics in federal service.