The practice of foreign governments giving lavish gifts to U.S. presidents and top officials has long been a diplomatic norm, but recent revelations are prompting renewed scrutiny. While it may seem shocking today that a foreign country would gift a U.S. president something as extravagant as a $400 million luxury aircraft, history reveals that such gestures are not entirely unprecedented.

In 1985, Saudi Arabia presented President Ronald Reagan with a gold and enamel egg containing a jeweled clock. In 1997, Azerbaijan gave the Clintons a custom rug featuring their portraits. Even Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi gave then–Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice a diamond ring and a personalized locket—gifts widely interpreted as stemming from his well-known admiration for her.

However, these gifts do not legally belong to the recipients. According to U.S. law, foreign gifts exceeding a minimal value must be turned over to the federal government unless the recipient pays the market value out of pocket. Most gifts are donated, sold, or displayed in presidential libraries.

Ben Rhodes, former deputy national security advisor to President Obama, recalled a 2009 trip to Saudi Arabia where all U.S. officials received suitcases filled with expensive jewels. Upon returning to their rooms, officials were stunned by the opulence. Rhodes remembers being instructed almost immediately by the State Department to turn the gifts over. “We didn’t even consider keeping them,” he said. “It wouldn’t have crossed my mind.”

The contrast with recent behavior—such as Jared Kushner receiving a $2 billion Saudi investment—highlights growing concerns over ethical standards in U.S. foreign policy. As Rhodes wryly noted, “Times have changed. It’s almost quaint how we handled it back then.”

Today, the question looms larger than ever: Where should the line be drawn between diplomacy and influence?