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Swiss MPs Demand Bribery Probe After Trump Received Gold Bar, Rolex and Other Luxury Gifts

Swiss Green Party MPs have asked the Office of the Attorney General to probe whether luxury items—including a Rolex and a one‑kilogram gold bar—presented to President Trump by Swiss business leaders breached Swiss anti‑bribery laws. The request comes after a U.S.–Swiss tariff agreement cutting duties from 39% to 15% was announced 10 days after the Oval Office meeting. Prosecutors have received three complaints "against persons unknown" and say receipt of a complaint does not automatically trigger a criminal investigation.

10:15 AM, 11/28/2025Politics
Swiss MPs Demand Bribery Probe After Trump Received Gold Bar, Rolex and Other Luxury Gifts

Swiss parliamentarians have formally asked the Office of the Attorney General to investigate whether luxury gifts reportedly presented to U.S. President Donald Trump by Swiss business leaders violated Swiss anti‑bribery laws.

Raphaël Mahaim and Greta Gysin of the Swiss Green Party petitioned prosecutors to determine whether items — said to include a Rolex timepiece and a one‑kilogram gold bar — amounted to an unlawful offering of an "undue advantage" to a foreign public official. Under Swiss law, such an offense can carry prison terms of up to five years or fines.

The request follows a recent U.S.–Swiss framework agreement that reduced a 39% tariff on Swiss goods to 15%. That deal was announced ten days after the Oval Office meeting where the gifts were displayed, prompting questions about timing and potential influence.

Who attended and what was said

Executives from several Swiss firms attended the Oval Office meeting, including representatives from MSC, Rolex, Partners Group, Mercuria, Richemont and MKS PAMP. Alfred Gantner, a Partners Group co‑founder who was present, said the collaboration helped resolve a commercial dispute. Other companies declined to comment.

A person close to the delegation said the gifts were presented to the Presidential Library on behalf of the visiting group, that the presentation complied with both U.S. and Swiss law, and that the gifts were cleared with the White House ethics counsel.

Public reaction and next steps

Swiss and European media have characterized the episode as "gold bar diplomacy," and the gesture has drawn criticism from Switzerland's Green and Social Democratic parties. Mahaim and Gysin argued that "the end does not justify all means," urging prosecutors to consider whether criminal proceedings are warranted.

"The Federal Prosecutor's Office is reviewing these complaints as usual. It is important to note that the receipt of a criminal complaint does not automatically mean that a criminal investigation has been opened," a spokesperson for the Federal Prosecutor's Office said, confirming that three criminal complaints filed "against persons unknown" had been received in connection with the meeting.

Photographs after the meeting showed a Rolex Submariner desk clock — an item with a retail price in the five figures — on display in the Oval Office alongside other gilded accents. A comparable stainless‑steel Submariner model retails for about $10,000, and the one‑kilogram gold bar has been reported to be valued at roughly $130,000.

Under Swiss procedure, any person may file a report alleging an offense; prosecutors then decide whether to open an investigation. At this stage, authorities say they are reviewing the complaints and no further information is available.

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