Published Jun 10, 2026 | 11:44 AM ⚊ Updated Jun 10, 2026 | 1:35 PM
Mukesh and Nita Ambani with Donald Trump.
Synopsis: Reliance’s partnership with an obscure Texas startup for the first major US refinery in 50 years has a till now hidden link to President Trump’s eldest son—ProPublica, an American investigative outlet, has discovered.
First came news of the US dropping all criminal charges against Gautam Adani and his nephew, a few days after the New York Times alleged that the promise of a $10-billion investment in the oil sector there had swung that deal.
Now comes a report that a similar quid pro quo might have been involved in President Donald Trump’s recently announced $300-billion partnership with Reliance for the first major US refinery in 50 years.
Investigative news outlet ProPublica has discovered that America First Refining, the little-known Texas startup that clinched the deal, boasts of links with Donald Trump Jr.
ProPublica recounted how the elder Trump scion had jammed with Anant Ambani in Gujarat’s Jamnagar in November 2025 when the duo visited Anant’s private zoo and later in the night also broke into a jig to Gujarati folk music.
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According to an article the outlet published on 9 June, the real dance was the investment that followed in America First Refining — a dubious company “run by a serial entrepreneur with a history of bankruptcy and lawsuits alleging fraud”.
Trump Jr.’s acquisition of a till now secret stake in the company turbocharged the flailing company. And soon, Reliance came calling.
The headline of the ProPublica article summed up their story and implied the power play that sealed the deal.
“An Indian Billionaire Was Targeted by Trump. Then He (Mukesh Ambani) Poured Money Into a Startup Secretly Backed by Donald Trump Jr.,” it announced.
A few months ago, Bloomberg had highlighted the refinery deal in an article titled “Reliance Goes From Trump Foe to Friend With Refinery Pledge“. The website had interestingly published it in the Entertainment section under their Industries tab.
Both articles highlighted how Reliance was facing the heat from President Trump’s tariff war targeting the oil sector and India. Bloomberg went on to suggest that the deal was also meant to help mend India’s ties with the Trump administration. The news agency, however, had not discovered America First Refining’s ties to Donald Trump Jr.
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ProPublica said it has yet to have a clear idea of how big Trump Jr.’s holding in America First Refining is. But it reported that “America First Refining has flexed its Trump Jr. connections during pitch meetings with foreign officials”.
A Trump Jr. spokesperson insisted to the outlet that Trump Jr. “has no operational involvement in America First Refining and is simply a passive minority investor in an American company that aligns with his worldview.”
ProPublica was careful to emphasise that their reporters had found no evidence that Trump Jr. “was aware of refinery executives’ suggesting that an investment would help with White House access”.
However, the outlet highlighted how Trump Jr.’s personal lawyer told business folks in Miami that “I had a nice closing this morning with Don Trump Jr., who’s flying back from India today.” It also added that the very next week, Element Fuels embarked on its journey towards transforming into America First Refining LLC.
