Fact Check: Did Chelsea Clinton get $84 million from USAID?
What We Know
On February 5, 2025, social media posts claimed that Chelsea Clinton received $84 million from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). These claims circulated widely on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Threads, often accompanied by a graphic suggesting a financial connection between Chelsea Clinton and USAID. However, investigations into this claim reveal that it is based on a misunderstanding of the data presented in the graphic, which actually refers to the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation, not Chelsea Clinton personally (Snopes, PolitiFact).
According to government data from fiscal years 2008 to 2024, USAID has not allocated more than $7.5 million to the Clinton Foundation, and Chelsea Clinton has not received any compensation for her work with the foundation (Snopes, PolitiFact). Furthermore, tax records indicate that Chelsea Clinton has not received any personal payments from USAID since at least 2008, the first year for which records are publicly available (PolitiFact, Yahoo News).
Analysis
The claim that Chelsea Clinton received $84 million from USAID appears to stem from a graphic shared on social media, which was traced back to a website called Data Republican. This site compiles financial information about charities and government grants but lacks transparency regarding its ownership and data accuracy (PolitiFact). The graphic inaccurately implies that the funds were directed to Chelsea Clinton rather than the foundation itself, which is a common source of confusion in discussions about charitable organizations.
Moreover, the graphic's figures do not reflect actual payments made to Chelsea Clinton. Instead, they aggregate financial data related to the Clinton Foundation, which has received limited funding from USAID. Specifically, the foundation received a total of $49,998 in 2010 for an AmeriCorps initiative, but no funds from USAID since then (PolitiFact, Yahoo News).
The reliability of the sources promoting this claim is questionable. For instance, WorldNetDaily, a far-right news outlet known for publishing conspiracy theories, was one of the first to amplify the rumor, citing a now-deleted post from Elon Musk without providing verifiable evidence (Snopes, PolitiFact). This raises concerns about the credibility of the information being disseminated.
Conclusion
The claim that Chelsea Clinton received $84 million from USAID is False. The evidence indicates that the graphic circulating on social media misrepresents financial data related to the Clinton Foundation, not Chelsea Clinton specifically. Furthermore, there is no record of Chelsea Clinton receiving any payments from USAID or any compensation from the foundation for her work. The sources promoting this claim lack credibility and have been linked to misinformation campaigns.