Challenges Faced by Hunter Biden: Obstacles and Turning Points

Resilience and perseverance in the journey of Hunter Biden. A timeline of obstacles and growth.

Hunter Biden is an American attorney and businessman, and the son of President Joe Biden. He co-founded BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, and served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas producer. His business dealings have been subject to scrutiny and controversy, particularly his involvement with companies in China and Ukraine, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest due to his father's political career. He has also worked as a lobbyist and in investment firms.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

December 18, 1972: Death of Mother and Sister

On December 18, 1972, Hunter Biden's mother and younger sister Naomi were killed in an automobile crash. Hunter and his older brother Beau were seriously injured but survived.

1972: Death of Mother and Sister

In 1972, Hunter Biden's mother and sister died in a motor vehicle accident, an event that he believes contributed to his later addiction struggles.

2010: Investigation Limited

In September 2019, The Ukrainian anti-corruption investigation agency stated that its current investigation of Burisma was restricted solely to investigating the period from 2010 to 2012, before Hunter Biden joined Burisma in 2014.

2012: Investigation Limited

2013: Start of Period that Fueled Addiction

From 2013 to 2018, the $11 million Hunter Biden and his firm were paid fueled his addiction, leading to reckless and destructive spending.

February 2014: Biden Discharged from Navy Reserve After Positive Cocaine Test

In February 2014, Hunter Biden was discharged administratively from the Navy Reserve after a routine urinalysis revealed cocaine in his system. Biden attributed the result to having smoked a cigarette that he had asked a group of men outside a store to give him, claiming the cigarette contained cocaine as well as tobacco. He did not appeal the discharge.

2014: Investigation Limited

2015: Work for Popoviciu

The U.S. criminal tax case against Hunter Biden alleges that he accepted payments from Romanian businessman Gabriel Popoviciu in 2015 to influence U.S. government agencies regarding a criminal probe in Romania.

2018: End of Period that Fueled Addiction

From 2013 to 2018, the $11 million Hunter Biden and his firm were paid fueled his addiction, leading to reckless and destructive spending.

2018: Federal Criminal Investigation Begins

Hunter Biden's tax affairs have been under federal criminal investigation since late 2018.

2018: Federal investigation into Biden's financial activities.

In 2018, Biden and possibly others had been under investigation by federal prosecutors in Delaware, with a grand jury convened to subpoena and hear evidence. The investigation examined payments and gifts Biden or his associates had received from foreign interests and whether Biden had violated the law by not registering as a lobbyist under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

2018: Federal Investigation into Biden's Tax Affairs Begins

In late 2018, a federal criminal investigation began into Biden's tax affairs, related to potential violations of tax and money laundering laws and Biden's business dealings in foreign countries, principally China. This was publicly announced in December 2020.

May 2019: Paternity Suit Filed by Lunden Alexis Roberts

In May 2019, Lunden Alexis Roberts filed a paternity suit against Hunter Biden, who initially denied the child was his.

May 2019: Shokin Claim

In May 2019, Viktor Shokin claimed that he was fired because he had been actively investigating Burisma. U.S. and Ukrainian officials have stated that the investigation into Burisma was dormant at the time of Shokin's dismissal.

July 2019: Trump Orders Freezing of Military Aid and Asks Zelenskyy to Investigate Bidens

In July 2019, Donald Trump ordered the freezing of $391 million in military aid to Ukraine. Shortly after, Trump asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to investigate the Bidens during a telephone conversation. Trump falsely accused Joe Biden of bragging about stopping the prosecution of his son, Hunter. However, Joe Biden did not stop any prosecution and there is no evidence his son was ever under investigation.

September 2019: Accusations by Donald Trump

In September 2019, President Donald Trump accused Hunter Biden of malfeasance in Ukraine and falsely claimed that Biden "walk[ed] out of China with $1.5 billion in a fund".

September 2019: Investigation Limited

September 24, 2019: House Initiates Impeachment Inquiry Against Trump

On September 24, 2019, the United States House of Representatives initiated a formal impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump. The inquiry was based on the grounds that Trump may have sought to use U.S. foreign aid and the Ukrainian government to damage Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.

2019: Intervention

Hunter Biden had an intervention in early 2019 due to his struggles with addiction.

2019: Target of False Allegations

Since early 2019, Hunter Biden and his father have been the target of allegations that Joe Biden pressured Ukraine to fire a prosecutor to protect Hunter.

2019: Biden-Ukraine Conspiracy

Since early 2019, Hunter and Joe Biden have been the subjects of claims of corrupt activities in a Biden-Ukraine conspiracy theory.

May 2020: Investigation into Hunter Biden Ramped Up After Joe Biden Becomes Nominee

In May 2020, the investigation into Hunter Biden's involvement with Burisma was ramped up at Trump's urging after it became clear that Joe Biden would be the nominee for president. Trump also tweeted about the investigations.

October 14, 2020: New York Post Publishes Article Based on Alleged Hunter Biden Laptop

On October 14, 2020, twenty days prior to the 2020 United States presidential election, the New York Post published an article based on content provided by Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon. The article concerned what the Post said was a laptop computer that had belonged to Hunter Biden and that was allegedly left for repairs at a Wilmington, Delaware, computer shop. According to the narrative, this device contained an email that referenced a 'meeting' between Joe Biden and Vadym Pozharskyi, a Burisma advisor.

October 2020: Article Published About Hunter Biden's Laptop

In October 2020, the New York Post published an article about a laptop computer that had belonged to Hunter Biden, intensifying scrutiny of him.

December 2020: Biden Announces Federal Criminal Investigation Into Tax Affairs

In December 2020, Biden made a public announcement via his attorney that his tax affairs were under federal criminal investigation. The investigation was described as having started in late 2018 and being related to potential violations of tax and money laundering laws and Biden's business dealings in foreign countries, principally China.

2020: Impeachment inquiry against Trump.

In 2020, The United States House of Representatives continued the formal impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump on the grounds that he may have sought to use U.S. foreign aid and the Ukrainian government to damage Joe Biden's 2020 presidential campaign.

October 2021: Kevin Morris Lends Biden Money to Pay Back Taxes and Fund Legal Expenses

Since October 2021, Hollywood attorney and writer Kevin Morris lent Biden more than $6.5 million to pay back taxes, support his family, and fund legal expenses.

2021: Memoir Details Drug and Alcohol Abuse

In his 2021 memoir, Hunter Biden detailed his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse throughout his adult life, linking his addiction issues to family loss.

March 2022: Investigation by Federal Prosecutors in Delaware Revealed

In March 2022, it was reported that since 2018, Biden and possibly others had been under investigation by federal prosecutors in Delaware, with a grand jury convened to subpoena and hear evidence. The investigation examined payments and gifts Biden or his associates had received from foreign interests and whether Biden had violated the law by not registering as a lobbyist under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

July 2022: Report of Biden's Debt and Overdue Tax Bills

A July 2022 report from CNN authenticated emails which showed that Biden was struggling with large debt and overdue tax bills.

September 2022: Motion Filed to Reduce Child Support Payments

In September 2022, Hunter Biden filed a motion to reduce his child support payments to Lunden Alexis Roberts, citing reduced income. Roberts opposed this request and petitioned to change their daughter's surname to Biden.

October 2022: Federal Agents Determine Sufficient Evidence for Criminal Charges

In October 2022, The Washington Post reported that federal agents had determined months prior that they had assembled enough evidence for a viable criminal case against Biden to charge him with crimes related to making false declarations during a gun purchase, as well as tax-related crimes.

January 2023: Rental Application Found on Laptop Leads to False Claim

In January 2023, an anonymous Twitter account posted a rental application found on the Hunter Biden's laptop, leading to a false claim that in 2018 Hunter Biden had paid rent while residing at his father's Delaware home, where classified documents had been found. The document was determined to be a quarterly rental payment for office space at the House of Sweden in Washington, D.C.

February 2023: Biden's Attorneys Request Criminal Investigation into Laptop Data Access

In February 2023, Hunter Biden's attorneys wrote to the Justice Department National Security Division asking that they criminally investigate 'individuals for whom there is considerable reason to believe violated various federal laws in accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating Mr. Biden's personal computer data'. The letters named Giuliani, Bannon, Mac Isaac, and others. The special counsel assigned to the case later described Hunter Biden's claim of right-wing bias as 'fiction designed for a Hollywood script'.

June 20, 2023: Biden Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Charges and Enter Diversion Program for Gun Charge

On June 20, 2023, Biden agreed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax charges and enter a pretrial diversion program related to a felony gun charge. Prosecutors recommended two years of probation for the tax charges, and the gun charge would be dropped if the diversion program was successfully completed. The agreement was conditional on Biden remaining drug-free and never being allowed to own a firearm again.

July 26, 2023: Plea Deal Rejected by Judge

On July 26, 2023, in court, federal prosecutors clarified that the "ongoing" aspect of the investigation referred to possible charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). However, the plea deal was rejected by the presiding judge due to concerns over immunity Biden might receive from future charges. Biden changed his plea from "guilty" to "not guilty".

September 2023: Biden Sues IRS

In September 2023, Hunter Biden filed suit against the IRS, claiming unlawful disclosures of his tax return information in relation to two IRS employees who provided information to members of Congress.

December 7, 2023: Biden Indicted on Tax Charges

On December 7, 2023, Hunter Biden was indicted in California on nine tax charges, including three felonies, for allegedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes from 2016 through 2019. Although Biden's lawyer stated he had repaid the taxes prior to the indictment.

2023: Private Lawsuits Filed

Between 2023 and 2024, Hunter Biden privately sued numerous individuals, organizations, and the U.S. Government alleging various instances of invasion of privacy and defamation.

2023: Biden Sues Marco Polo Organization

In 2023, Hunter Biden sued Garrett Ziegler's Marco Polo organization, accusing the group of invasion of privacy for publishing 128,000 of his emails that were recovered from his lost laptop computer.

January 2024: Federal Prosecutors Confirm Possession of Hunter Biden's Laptop

In January 2024, federal prosecutors stated that they had possession of a laptop computer which Hunter Biden left at the computer store and confirmed that the device contained files also found in cloud backups to Biden's Apple account.

January 2024: Cocaine Residue Found in Biden's Gun Pouch

In January 2024, prosecutors urged a judge not to dismiss Biden's gun charge, revealing that cocaine residue was found in his gun pouch.

February 28, 2024: Biden Deposed by House Committees

On February 28, 2024, Hunter Biden was deposed by the House Judiciary and Oversight committees, where emails found on the laptop were discussed. Biden stated during the deposition that he did not recall sending the laptop for repairs.

May 24, 2024: Final Pre-Trial Hearing for Gun Charges

On May 24, 2024, a final pre-trial hearing for the gun charges was held. Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled that prosecutors could not refer to Hunter Biden's upcoming California tax trial, child support proceedings in Arkansas, his discharge from the Navy, or include statements which Biden made at a July 2023 hearing where his plea deal collapsed. However, the prosecution was permitted to bring up Biden's drug use, portions of his memoir, and a summary of data from his laptop, phone, and iPad.

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June 3, 2024: Trial Begins on Gun Charges

On June 3, 2024, Hunter Biden's trial began on charges of unlawfully possessing a gun as a drug user, lying on a federal form when he bought the gun, and making a false statement about information required to be collected by a federally licensed gun dealer.

June 11, 2024: Biden Found Guilty on Gun Charges

On June 11, 2024, Hunter Biden was found guilty on three felony charges for federal gun violations, making him the first child of a sitting U.S. president to be convicted in a criminal trial. Following the conviction, Biden's license to practice law in Washington, D.C. was suspended.

June 2024: Conviction on Federal Firearms Charges

In June 2024, Hunter Biden was convicted of three federal firearms-related felony charges after admitting to illegally owning a gun while a drug user.

June 2024: Laptop Used as Evidence in Federal Court Trial

In June 2024, the laptop and its contents were utilized as evidence during a federal court trial of Hunter Biden for firearms charges. FBI investigators testified at the trial, confirming the authenticity of the laptop, and stating that they had cross-referencing texts, emails, and messages found on the laptop with Apple and had verified the serial number on the laptop. Prosecutors also introduced the invoice from the repair shop as evidence.

August 2024: Allegations of Lobbying for Romanian Businessman

In August 2024, prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden agreed to lobby on behalf of Gabriel Popoviciu, a Romanian businessman under criminal investigation, seeking to influence U.S. government agencies while his father was vice president. Prosecutors sought to introduce evidence from Biden's work with Popoviciu as part of his charges on tax evasion.

August 21, 2024: Pre-Trial Hearing Scheduled

A pre-trial hearing for the tax indictment, involving Hunter Biden's lawyers, was held on August 21, 2024.

September 2024: Guilty Plea to Tax Charges

In September 2024, Hunter Biden pled guilty to all of the tax charges in his federal criminal investigation, which had been ongoing since late 2018.

December 12, 2024: Sentencing Scheduled

Hunter Biden was originally scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2024, but it did not occur due to his father pardoning him on December 1.

December 16, 2024: Scheduled Sentencing Date

Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, and could have faced up to 17 years in prison. However, President Biden pardoned him before this date.

2024: Pleaded Guilty to Tax Evasion

In 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty on September 5 to tax evasion and related charges.

2024: Lawsuits Filed Against Giuliani and Fox News

In 2024, Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani alleging Giuliani was responsible for the 'total annihilation' of his privacy due to his involvement in releasing data from his laptop computer. He dropped the lawsuit shortly thereafter. The same year, he sued Fox News for airing images taken from the laptop, but dropped the lawsuit without explanation the following month. Three months later, however, he resurrected the lawsuit in state court. Fox News described the second lawsuit as 'devoid of any merit'.

2024: Law License Suspension

In 2024, Hunter Biden's law license was suspended. NBC News noted at the time that the impact on his livelihood was unclear.

January 2025: Rental Home Damaged in Palisades Fire

In January 2025, Hunter Biden's rental home was damaged and left uninhabitable during the Palisades Fire. As a result, he experienced difficulty finding new housing and faced homelessness.