Challenges Faced by Hunter Biden: Obstacles and Turning Points

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

Robert Hunter Biden is an American attorney and businessman, and the son of President Joe Biden. He co-founded BHR Partners, a Chinese investment company, in 2013. From 2014 to 2019, he served on the board of Burisma Holdings, a Ukrainian natural gas producer. He has also worked as a lobbyist, legal representative, hedge fund principal, and investor in venture capital and private equity funds.

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, Neilia Biden, and younger sister, Naomi, tragically died in an automobile crash. Hunter and his brother Beau were seriously injured but survived.

1972: Death of Hunter Biden's 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 issues.

2010: Unwinding of Paradigm Global Advisors

In 2010, the joint promotion of Paradigm Global Advisors by an entity of the troubled Stanford Financial Group hastened the unwinding of the company, which Hunter Biden and his uncle James Biden had purchased in 2006.

2013: Start of period of income fuelling addiction

From 2013 to 2018, The $11 million fueled his addiction.

February 2014: Administrative Discharge from U.S. Navy Reserve

In February 2014, Hunter Biden was administratively discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve after a routine urinalysis revealed cocaine in his system.

2016: Tax Evasion Allegations Begin

In 2016, Hunter Biden allegedly began a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes.

October 2018: Gun Purchased

In October 2018, Hunter Biden purchased a gun which would later result in federal charges.

2018: End of period of income fuelling addiction

From 2013 to 2018, The $11 million fueled his addiction.

2018: False Claim of Rent Payment

In 2018, a false claim arose that Hunter Biden had paid rent to his father while living at his Delaware home.

2018: Federal Criminal Investigation of Tax Affairs

In late 2018, Hunter Biden's tax affairs became subject to a federal criminal investigation.

May 2019: Lunden Alexis Roberts Files Paternity Suit Against Hunter Biden

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

September 2019: Trump's Accusations of Malfeasance

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."

2019: Tax Evasion Allegations End

In 2019, Hunter Biden allegedly ended a four-year scheme to not pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes.

2019: Hunter Biden's Intervention

In early 2019, Hunter Biden had an intervention to address his substance abuse issues.

2019: Targets of False Allegations

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

March 2020: Hunter Biden Settles Paternity Suit with Lunden Alexis Roberts

In March 2020, Hunter Biden settled the paternity suit filed by Lunden Alexis Roberts, agreeing to pay $20,000 a month in child support.

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

On October 14, 2020, the New York Post published an article based on content provided by Rudy Giuliani and Steve Bannon, concerning a laptop allegedly belonging to Hunter Biden that contained an email referencing a meeting between Joe Biden and a Burisma advisor.

October 2020: New York Post Article on Laptop

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

2021: Hunter Biden Details Drug Abuse in Memoir

In his 2021 memoir, Hunter Biden details his struggles with drug and alcohol abuse throughout his adult life, which he believes are linked to family losses, starting with the 1972 motor vehicle accident that killed his mother and sister.

September 2022: Hunter Biden Files Motion 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 the Arkansas court to change their daughter's surname to Biden.

January 2023: Rental Application Leads to False Claims

In January 2023, a rental application found on Hunter Biden's laptop led to a false claim that he paid rent while residing at his father's Delaware home in 2018, where classified documents were found. The document was later determined to be a rental payment for office space in Washington, D.C.

February 2023: Request for Criminal Investigation into Laptop Data Access

In February 2023, Hunter Biden's attorneys requested a criminal investigation by the Justice Department National Security Division into individuals suspected of illegally accessing, copying, manipulating, and/or disseminating his personal computer data.

July 2023: Judge Rules on Admissible Evidence

During the final hearing in July 2023, Judge Maryellen Noreika ruled on what evidence prosecutors could and could not use, including restrictions on the California tax trial, child support proceedings, Navy discharge, and statements made at a July 2023 hearing. However, drug use, memoir excerpts, and laptop data summary were permitted.

July 26, 2023: Plea Deal Rejected and Plea Changed to Not Guilty

On July 26, 2023, federal prosecutors clarified that the investigation into Hunter Biden included possible charges under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). On the same day, the presiding judge rejected Biden's plea deal due to concerns about immunity from future charges, and Biden changed his plea 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.

December 7, 2023: Biden Indicted on Tax Charges

On December 7, 2023, Hunter Biden was indicted in California on nine tax charges, including felony and misdemeanor offenses, for allegedly failing to pay at least $1.4 million in self-assessed federal taxes from 2016 through 2019.

December 2023: Hunter Biden's Art Sales Decline

From December 2023 to March 2025, Hunter Biden sold $36,000 worth of his paintings, marking a significant decline in sales compared to the previous period.

January 11, 2024: Biden Pleads Not Guilty to Tax Charges and Trial Date Set

On January 11, 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded not guilty to the tax charges. U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi scheduled the trial for June 20, 2024.

January 2024: Federal Prosecutors Confirm Laptop Contents

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: Prosecutors Reveal Cocaine Residue in Gun Pouch

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

February 28, 2024: Biden Deposed on Laptop Emails

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

June 3, 2024: Hunter Biden's Trial Begins

On June 3, 2024, Hunter Biden's trial began on charges related to unlawful gun possession and false statements on a federal form when purchasing the gun.

June 2024: Conviction on Federal Firearms Charges

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

June 2024: Laptop and Contents Used as Evidence

In June 2024, the laptop and its contents were used as evidence during Hunter Biden's federal court trial for firearms charges. FBI investigators testified to the authenticity of the laptop.

June 20, 2024: Tax Trial Delayed

On June 20, 2024, the tax trial was delayed to September 5, 2024, due to the "needs of the defendant" in preparing for his Delaware trial on firearms charges.

August 2024: Allegations of Lobbying for Romanian Businessman

In August 2024, prosecutors alleged that Hunter Biden agreed to lobby on behalf of a Romanian businessman seeking to influence U.S. government agencies while his father was vice president.

August 21, 2024: Pre-Trial Hearing for Tax Indictment

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

September 5, 2024: Tax trial delayed

On September 5, 2024, Hunter Biden's tax trial was scheduled.

September 2024: Guilty Plea to Tax Charges

In September 2024, Hunter Biden pleaded guilty to all of the tax charges in his ongoing federal criminal investigation.

September 2024: Dismissal of Lawsuit

In September 2024, The D.C. District Court dismissed Hunter Biden's claim under the Privacy Act.

December 12, 2024: Hunter Biden's sentencing scheduled

Hunter Biden's sentencing was scheduled on December 12, 2024, which did not occur due to him being pardoned by his father on December 1.

December 2024: Hunter Biden Ends Virtual Meetings with Daughter

As of December 2024, Hunter Biden has not met his daughter with Roberts in-person, and has only met with her virtually. In December 2024, Biden stopped the virtual meetings, which Lunden Roberts believes was in response to her publishing a memoir about her relationship with him.

December 16, 2024: Hunter Biden's scheduled sentencing

Hunter Biden was scheduled to be sentenced on December 16, 2024, but President Biden repeatedly stated that he would decline to pardon Hunter or commute his sentence.

2024: Hunter Biden Sues and Drops Lawsuits Related to Laptop Data

In 2024, Hunter Biden sued Rudy Giuliani for allegedly releasing data from his laptop, claiming it caused the "total annihilation" of his privacy, but dropped the lawsuit shortly after. The same year, he sued Fox News for airing images taken from the laptop, then dropped that lawsuit without explanation, only to resurrect it in state court three months later. Fox News described the second lawsuit as "devoid of any merit".

2024: Hunter Biden's Law License Suspended

In 2024, Hunter Biden's Washington D.C. law license was suspended. It was unclear what impact the suspension would have on his livelihood as he was currently working as an artist.

January 2025: Hunter Biden Experiences Homelessness After Fire

In January 2025, Hunter Biden's rental home was damaged during the Palisades Fire, leaving it uninhabitable. This event, combined with existing debt and flagging interest in his memoir, led to him experiencing homelessness.

March 2025: Biden Seeks Dismissal

In March 2025, Hunter Biden sought to have the case dismissed due to his worsening personal financial situation and inability to continue to pay for his own legal representation.

April 2025: Hunter Biden Consents to Disbarment in Washington D.C.

In April 2025, Hunter Biden consented to disbarment in Washington D.C. to avoid disbarment proceedings related to his criminal convictions.

June 2025: Hunter Biden Sued by Winston & Strawn for Unpaid Legal Fees

In June 2025, Hunter Biden was sued by Winston & Strawn for over $50,000 in unpaid legal fees stemming from their representation of him in his federal criminal cases.

December 2025: Hunter Biden Disbarred from Connecticut Bar

In December 2025, Hunter Biden was disbarred from the Connecticut bar by Judge Trial Referee Patrick L. Carroll III after violating state's attorney conduct rules, ending a legal career that began in 1997.