US surgeon general nominee reports $270,605 in income from supplement company

Disclosures reshape the confirmation debate

Nicole Saphier, President Donald Trump’s nominee for US surgeon general, reported $270,605 in business income from a company that owns her dietary-supplement line, according to financial and ethics disclosures filed before her Senate hearing. The filings place Empower MD’s value between $100,001 and $250,000 and say Saphier will sell the company before taking office if confirmed.

The documents also list investments held by Saphier or her husband in Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco, alongside interests in pharmaceutical, healthcare, technology, fossil-fuel and food companies. Her ethics agreement says relevant tobacco holdings would be divested within 90 days of confirmation. The disclosure does not establish misconduct, but it creates a direct subject for senators to examine when assessing potential conflicts.

Why the office matters

The surgeon general serves as the federal government’s leading public-health communicator and heads the commissioned corps of the US Public Health Service. The office has a long history of warning about tobacco risks, making the nominee’s reported tobacco holdings especially sensitive. Public-health advocates also question whether ownership of a supplement business is compatible with responsibility for trusted national health guidance.

Saphier is a radiologist specialising in breast cancer and previously worked as a television medical contributor. The White House formally sent her nomination to the Senate on May 11 for a four-year term. She became Trump’s third choice for the position after earlier nominees failed to advance, leaving the administration seeking Senate approval for a prominent but politically exposed health appointment.

Commitments and unresolved questions

Her company marketed several liquid supplement formulations, including a product containing kava root. The Guardian reported that most products were no longer offered for sale this week. The relevant confirmation questions are broader than any single ingredient: senators can ask how Saphier would separate federal advice from prior commercial interests, whether divestment is sufficient and how she would handle evidence that conflicts with administration priorities.

The White House has defended Saphier’s clinical experience and her work on cancer prevention and chronic disease. It did not provide a new response to the disclosure report. The hearing is therefore likely to focus on both qualifications and institutional independence. Senators will decide whether the proposed divestments and ethics commitments adequately address the appearance of conflicts at an office whose authority depends heavily on public credibility.