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title: Trump Adviser, Carl Icahn, Could Profit Off Ethanol Policy
description: Billionaire Carl Icahn, an unpaid adviser to President Donald Trump, could make millions off a proposed ethanol policy.
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author: Justin Worland
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article:published_time: 2017-03-02T21:55:06.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T03:38:20.185Z
article:section: Politics
og:title: Carl Icahn Could Make Millions Off Proposed Ethanol Policy
og:description: The billionaire owns a large stake in oil refineries
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twitter:description: The billionaire owns a large stake in oil refineries
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# This Billionaire Advising President Trump Could Make Millions Off a New Ethanol Policy

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![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)


![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Justin Worland


Senior Correspondent

Mar 2, 2017 9:55 PM UTC

![Carl Icahn, Icahn Enterprises Chairman during his keynote at the 6th annual CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at the Pierre Hotel in New York.](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt2b2c5f7b81bf4f40/6988b3bacd1bba3d56703754/carl-icahn-donald-trump-adviser.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=3:2)

Carl Icahn, Icahn Enterprises Chairman during his keynote at the 6th annual CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at the Pierre Hotel in New York.

Carl Icahn, Icahn Enterprises Chairman during his keynote at the 6th annual CNBC Institutional Investor Delivering Alpha Conference on Tuesday, September 13, 2016 at the Pierre Hotel in New York.Heidi Gutman—NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images

![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1:1)

by 

[Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)


![Justin Worland](https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltce43820e61634237/698a0e76457a527422d63fe7/TIME-JustinWorland.jpg?branch=production&width=96&quality=75&auto=webp)

## Justin Worland


Senior Correspondent

Mar 2, 2017 9:55 PM UTC

Billionaire Carl Icahn stands to make millions of dollars if the Trump administration pushes through an ethanol policy currently under consideration, according to reports.

Icahn, who owns an 82% stake in oil refiner CVR Energy, has spent the past several days in discussions with the administration about modifications to implementation of the [Renewable Fuel Standard](http://time.com/4186455/iowa-caucus-ted-cruz-ethanol/), Bloomberg [reports](https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-03-02/white-house-said-to-debate-icahn-plan-revamping-ethanol-rules). The value of Icahn’s stake in CVR rose more than $125 million earlier this week on news that his proposal was under consideration, though he lost some of the gains later in the week.

President Donald Trump has offered repeated support for the Renewable Fuel Standard despite opposition from many energy interests. Still, his administration has remained open to modifications.

Under the measure, refiners are required to ensure their product includes a certain proportion of biofuels. Icahn has proposed moving that requirement away from refiners to blenders. He also defended the move in an email to Bloomberg by describing it as a “quintessential example of the type of insane regulations throttling our economy.”

Icahn, an [early supporter](http://fortune.com/2016/03/02/carl-icahn-trump/) of Trump’s presidential candidacy and now unpaid adviser, is currently advising the Trump administration on deregulation.

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