Dhaka,  Wednesday
2 April 2025 , 01:02

Donik Barta

Biden's Gift List Revealed: Modi’s Diamond Tops the Chart

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Published At: 08:35:34pm, 03 January 2025

Updated At : 08:35:34pm, 03 January 2025

Photo: Collected

ছবি: Photo: Collected

As Joe Biden prepares to conclude his term as the President of the United States this month, the U.S. State Department has released a detailed list of gifts received by him and First Lady Jill Biden from world leaders and diplomats in 2023.

According to the list, the most valuable gift received last year was from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Modi presented First Lady Jill Biden with a 7.5-carat diamond valued at $20,000, approximately 2.5 million Bangladeshi Taka, making it the most expensive item on the list in terms of monetary value.

Following Modi, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Ukraine’s ambassador to the U.S., Oksana Markarova, rank second in terms of expensive offerings. Zelenskyy gifted Joe Biden a photo collage worth nearly $2,500, while Oksana presented Jill Biden with a brooch valued at $14,000.

In addition to these, Jill Biden also received a brooch and a photo album worth $4,500 from Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and his wife, First Lady Entissar Amer. Meanwhile, Joe Biden was gifted a silver bowl valued at approximately $3,500 by the Sultan of Brunei.

Other notable gifts include a photo album worth over $7,000 from South Korea’s impeached President Yoon Suk-yeol and a $3,500 warrior sculpture from Mongolia’s Prime Minister. Israeli President Isaac Herzog presented Biden with a silver tray valued at $3,100.

According to the State Department’s report, most of the gifts received by the Biden family will be archived at the U.S. National Archives, while some will be displayed in exhibitions. The diamond gifted by Modi to Jill Biden will be kept under the care of the East Wing of the White House.

It’s not just the Bidens who received high-value items. U.S. federal departments and intelligence agencies also accepted luxurious gifts from foreign sources. Notably, CIA Director William Burns received an $18,000 astrograph as a diplomatic gesture, which will be handed over to the administration. Additionally, Burns was presented with an $11,000 Omega watch, which has since been destroyed as per official protocols.

To date, the CIA has received gifts totaling $132,000 in value, most of which, according to the State Department, will be destroyed to maintain compliance with federal regulations.

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