One of the most notable gifts came from the late King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, who presented President Barack Obama with several lavish items, including a gold and silver watch, a gold-plated brass replica of the Makkah Clock Tower, and a white gold watch.
First Lady Michelle Obama received two exceptional jewelry sets: one made of diamonds and emeralds, and the other of diamonds and pearls. Obama’s daughters, Sasha and Malia, were also gifted a set of diamond and emerald jewels. These gifts combined are estimated to be worth nearly £1 million.
While not as expensive, President George W. Bush also received a lavish gift: a solid gold sword and dagger encrusted with emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, presented by a foreign shah.
Another famous gift came when President Richard Nixon and his wife Patricia visited China. During the trip, Patricia casually mentioned her fondness for giant pandas. In response, Chinese Prime Minister Zhou Enlai gave them two pandas as a goodwill gesture. These pandas were later moved to the National Zoo in Washington, where they attracted tens of thousands of visitors over the years.
Other notable gifts include an intricately carved desk made from wood from the British ship HMS Resolute, presented by Queen Victoria to President Rutherford B. Hayes; two lions given to President Martin Van Buren by the Sultan of Morocco; and 300 pounds of raw lamb sent to President George W. Bush from Argentina.
However, none of these gifts compare in value to the Qatari jet gifted to President Donald Trump. When asked about it, Trump told reporters, “I would never be one to turn down that kind of an offer. I could be a stupid person and say, ‘No, we don’t want a free, very expensive airplane.'”
