Recently, Hunter Biden, son of US President Biden, became the first child of a sitting president to be found guilty in US history. On the same day, a 12-member jury in Delaware, USA, found Hunter guilty of all three charges of concealing his drug use when purchasing a gun in 2018 and illegally possessing a gun as a drug addict. In addition, Hunter is also facing charges of tax crimes, which are expected to go to trial in September. What kind of person is this son who makes Biden worry?

He lost his mother at a young age and was addicted to drugs and alcohol.

After the jury's verdict came out, Biden issued a statement saying: "I am the president, but I am also a father. Jill and I love our son, and we are proud of him today. Many families have relatives who have struggled with drug addiction, and they can understand the pride of seeing their loved ones come out of the predicament and be so strong and tenacious in the recovery process. As I said last week, I will accept the outcome of this case and will continue to respect the judicial process as Hunter considers an appeal. Jill and I will always be with Hunter and our family to give them love and support." Biden also said in an interview a few days ago that if his son is found guilty, he will not pardon him.

Hunter did have a history of drug abuse and alcoholism for many years, and his first wife divorced him because of this. He wrote in his autobiography "Beautiful Things" published in 2021: "I bought crack cocaine on the streets of Washington and made homemade drugs in hotels in Los Angeles. I was addicted to alcohol and couldn't wait to walk back to the apartment just one block away from the liquor store to open the bottle and take a sip." In 2014, Hunter was discharged from the U.S. Navy Reserve because he tested positive for cocaine. In 2017, his first wife, Kathryn Buller, also ended his 24-year marriage with him because of his drug abuse, alcoholism and other problems.

Scandals continue to drag down Biden

In 2014, Hunter was hired by the Ukrainian energy company Burisma Gas, but this employment record later caused trouble for his father. During the 2020 US election, both Biden and Trump made a fuss about Ukraine, and Trump was involved in the "Ukraine Gate", and Hunter's past employment at Burisma Gas was also dug up. At that time, media reported that Hunter's employer was a political ally of the pro-Russian former Ukrainian President Yanukovych. Two years after Hunter joined the company, Biden pressured the Ukrainian government to dismiss the then Attorney General to avoid related investigations against the company.

During the 2020 US election, Hunter was also investigated for tax issues. When he was repairing his computer, a large number of documents related to Ukraine were exposed. He was also sued by a woman who claimed that she gave birth to his illegitimate child. A paternity test showed that the child was indeed Hunter's. In April 2021, Hunter's autobiography "Beautiful Things" was published. In the book, he confessed various "black histories", which caused an uproar in public opinion.

The painting was priced at $500,000, sparking controversy

 

Hunter started his art career at the same time as Biden became president. In an interview in 2020, he revealed that he started painting in the second half of 2019, when he came out of drug abuse and alcoholism and found solace in art. In order to avoid suspicion, Hunter's paintings are only sold to anonymous buyers. The painting agent is responsible for the pricing and sale of the works and will not inform Hunter or other members of the Biden administration of the buyer's information, but this practice is still opposed by the outside world. Moreover, the price at which Hunter sells his paintings is also controversial. In 2021, he held a solo exhibition at a gallery in New York, with a single painting priced between US$75,000 and US$500,000. In 2022, he made at least US$375,000 from five prints at the Hollywood Art Show, which was also attended by Eric Garcetti, Biden's nominee for US ambassador to India and former mayor of Los Angeles.

In 2023, as the 2024 US election approached, Hunter was caught in turmoil again. He and his father were accused of accepting bribes from Ukrainian companies, and Hunter was charged with tax issues and illegal possession of firearms. Last June, Hunter reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, including admitting two misdemeanors of tax evasion and concealing drug use and illegal possession of firearms, but the plea agreement was later shelved. In December last year, US congressional Republicans launched an impeachment investigation into Biden, focusing on the economic activities of Hunter and other Biden family members.