Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has faced many challenges, including early family tragedy, struggles with addiction, and legal issues.
Despite his attempts to rebuild his life, his personal and professional troubles have remained in the public eye.
Key Takeaways:
- Hunter Biden’s early life has been deeply affected by a car accident that killed his mother and sister and left him and his brother injured.
- He has battled alcohol and drug addiction since his teenage years, which has led to multiple stints in rehab and significant personal and professional challenges.
- Hunter’s personal life has been tumultuous, including a high-profile divorce, infidelity, and a confirmed child with another woman through a DNA test.
Hunter Biden’s Conviction and Upcoming Trials
Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son, has been convicted of illegal gun possession and falsely stating his drug use during the purchase.
This could mean he might go to prison. He also has to face separate tax charges in a trial scheduled for September. This situation is very different from last summer when it seemed like a plea deal might help him avoid prison.
But the deal didn’t work out in court, so the prosecutor went ahead with the gun charges. He faces a potential 25-year prison term. Additionally, he was charged with not paying at least $1.4 million in federal taxes from 2016 to 2019 in December 2023.
Hunter Biden’s Life and Personal Struggles
Biden’s life has been full of challenges and personal struggles.
Hunter Biden’s Mother Died in Car Crash in 1972
Hunter Biden was born in 1970 in Wilmington, Delaware, to Joe Biden and his first wife, Neilia.
In December 1972, a car accident killed his mother and baby sister, Naomi. Hunter suffered a fractured skull, and his older brother Beau had a broken leg.
Joe Biden, who was not in the car, took his Senate oath at their hospital bedside. Hunter later attended Georgetown University and Yale Law School, graduating in 1996.
Between his studies, he joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, where he met his first wife, Kathleen Buhle. They married in 1993 and had three children—Naomi, Finnegan, and Maisy—but divorced in 2017.
The Struggle with Addiction
Hunter started drinking as a teenager and allegedly used cocaine in college. He has been in and out of rehab many times. In 2013, he joined the US Navy Reserve but was discharged after testing positive for cocaine on his first day.
His addiction got worse after his brother Beau died from brain cancer in 2015. His daughter Naomi once tweeted, “He and Beau were one. One heart, one soul, one mind.”
During their divorce, Kathleen Buhle accused Hunter of spending money on drugs, alcohol, and other vices, leaving the family with financial problems.
She later described his severe drug addiction as heartbreaking. Hunter’s infidelity was the final straw in their marriage, and a DNA test in 2019 confirmed he had a child with Lunden Alexis Roberts, an exotic dancer from Arkansas.
Hunter Biden’s Gun Purchase Leads to Legal Trouble
Hunter Biden started a relationship with his brother’s widow, Hallie Biden, before his divorce was finalized. In 2018, during their relationship,
Hunter bought a handgun and lied on the application about his drug use. Hallie found the gun and threw it away in a trash bin, worried for their safety.
This situation brought in local police, the FBI, and an elderly man searching the trash, leading to Hunter’s current legal troubles.
Business Ventures and Controversies
Throughout the years, Biden started various businesses and faced many controversies.
Financial Deals and Allegations
Hunter Biden’s career includes various business ventures, often connected to his father’s political influence.
After graduating from Yale, he worked for MBNA America, a bank that supported Joe Biden’s campaigns.
Despite getting high-ranking positions and consulting fees from MBNA, Hunter started a lobbying practice in Washington, working with clients whose interests overlapped with his father’s political work.
In 2006, Hunter and a relative bought Paradigm Global Advisors, a hedge fund. The fund later had connections with several fraudsters, but the Bidens were not charged, and the investors’ money was returned in 2010.
International Ventures
Hunter’s foreign business activities have been especially controversial. In 2013, he joined the board of BHR, a Chinese private equity firm, after traveling with his father on an official trip to China.
Later, he teamed up with Chinese oil tycoon Ye Jianming on a natural gas project, but it fell through after Ye was detained by Chinese authorities.
Hunter’s role with Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian energy company, also drew a lot of attention.
His father, then Vice President, pushed for anti-corruption efforts in Ukraine, which led to the removal of top prosecutor Viktor Shokin.
Some critics claim this was to protect Burisma, but accusations of bribery and corruption have not been proven.
Controversy Surrounding Hunter Biden’s Laptop
Hunter Biden left a laptop at a repair shop in Delaware, and what was found on it caused many controversies.
The Biden team said it was part of a smear campaign by Russian disinformation, but the hard drive was confirmed to be real. It showed Hunter’s earnings from his work in China and Ukraine and provided evidence of his substance abuse.
President Biden’s Consistent Support for His Son
President Biden has stood by his son many times, even during a 2020 presidential debate.
Before Hunter’s trial, he released a statement showing love and pride for his son but made it clear that a conviction would not result in a pardon.
In recent years, Hunter turned to painting as therapy, selling his artwork for up to $500,000 per piece. This has raised ethical concerns for the Biden administration.
Despite his legal and personal battles, President Biden has expressed pride in his son’s efforts to overcome addiction. Reflecting on his struggles, Hunter said, “You don’t get rid of it. You figure out how to deal with it.”
In his 2021 memoir, “Beautiful Things,” he credits his family’s love for helping him survive. He shares a story of an intervention in which his father hugged him and said, “I don’t know what else to do. I’m so scared. Tell me what to do.“
