What is the story about?
The first US sale of the Venezuelan crude oil was to a company whose senior member had donated to US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign. The sale was conducted last week to a company called Vitol, The Financial Times reported. Interestingly, John Addison, a senior trader at Vitol, donated $6 million to political action committees backing Trump’s re-election campaign.
He also attended the meeting Trump had with oil executives at the White House and was also involved in his company’s efforts to secure a $250 million deal for Venezuelan crude. The deal kick-started the S president’s controversial plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil.
It came just weeks after the US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas. Addison’s donations to Trump’s re-election campaign included $5 million in October 2024 to Maga Inc., according to a database of donors from OpenSecrets, and more than $1 million to two other Trump-aligned Pacs.
At the meeting, Addison was joined by Ben Marshall, head of Vitol’s US arm, to address Trump during a high-profile meeting with industry chiefs at the White House last Friday. It is important to note that Vitol was the only company with two top officials at the talks.
According to The Financial Times, during the talks, Addison pledged that the company would get the best price possible for Venezuelan oil for the US, “so that the influence you have over the Venezuelans will ensure that you get what you want”.
Meanwhile, Vitol noted that Addison’s donations, which made the senior trader one of the most generous Trump supporters in Houston, were made in a private capacity. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, “President Trump always does what is in the best interest of the American people, such as brokering this historic energy deal with Venezuela immediately following the arrest of narcoterrorist Nicolás Maduro. The media’s continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are a tired attempt to distract from the incredible work only this president is capable of achieving.”
He also attended the meeting Trump had with oil executives at the White House and was also involved in his company’s efforts to secure a $250 million deal for Venezuelan crude. The deal kick-started the S president’s controversial plan to sell up to 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil.
It came just weeks after the US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from Caracas. Addison’s donations to Trump’s re-election campaign included $5 million in October 2024 to Maga Inc., according to a database of donors from OpenSecrets, and more than $1 million to two other Trump-aligned Pacs.
Addison's pledge
At the meeting, Addison was joined by Ben Marshall, head of Vitol’s US arm, to address Trump during a high-profile meeting with industry chiefs at the White House last Friday. It is important to note that Vitol was the only company with two top officials at the talks.
According to The Financial Times, during the talks, Addison pledged that the company would get the best price possible for Venezuelan oil for the US, “so that the influence you have over the Venezuelans will ensure that you get what you want”.
Meanwhile, Vitol noted that Addison’s donations, which made the senior trader one of the most generous Trump supporters in Houston, were made in a private capacity. White House spokesperson Taylor Rogers said, “President Trump always does what is in the best interest of the American people, such as brokering this historic energy deal with Venezuela immediately following the arrest of narcoterrorist Nicolás Maduro. The media’s continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are a tired attempt to distract from the incredible work only this president is capable of achieving.”
