Trump Crypto Scams
1. $TRUMP Meme Coin
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Launch & Holdings
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Launched Jan 17, 2025 on Solana; $1 billion total supply, with Trump-affiliated entities (CIC Digital LLC + Fight Fight Fight LLC) retaining 800 million coins. economywatch.com+15en.wikipedia.org+15finance.yahoo.com+15
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Valued over $27 billion on launch day; Trump’s share ≈ $20 billion then. en.wikipedia.org
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Sales Revenue & Fees
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Financial Times estimates $350 million earned within 18 days: ~$314 M from token sales + ~$36 M from trading fees. reddit.com+6en.wikipedia.org+6reddit.com+6
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Private Investor Events
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A VIP dinner with major players like Justin Sun reportedly netted $320 million+. wired.com+6reddit.com+6reddit.com+6en.wikipedia.org+4thetimes.co.uk+4nypost.com+4
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🏦 2. World Liberty Financial (WLF)
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Stablecoin & Token Launches
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WLF—a Trump-family owned DeFi protocol—issued a governance token (WLFI) and later a stablecoin “USD1.”
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Raised ≈ $385 million via WLFI token sales; Trump-related entities keep the first $30 M in proceeds. unlock-bc.com+7reddit.com+7businessinsider.com+7reddit.com+5bitget.com+5en.wikipedia.org+5
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Strategic Crypto Buys
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Acquired ~$12 M in ETH, LINK, AAVE; portfolio estimated > $74 M via blockchain tracking. reddit.com
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Inauguration day purchases: ~$100 M in ETH/WBTC, boosting portfolio to ~$326 M. economywatch.com
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Foreign Investments
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Abu Dhabi-backed MGX invested $2 billion in WLF’s USD1 stablecoin; Justin Sun also invested $30 M. nypost.com+2en.wikipedia.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2
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🧾 3. Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG)
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Bitcoin Treasury Plans
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The company plans to raise $2.5 billion ($1.5 B equity + $1 B debt) to build a bitcoin reserve. nypost.com+11wired.com+11businessinsider.com+11
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This move aligns Trump Media with other bitcoin-accumulating firms and deepens family crypto involvement. usnews.com+3wired.com+3businessinsider.com+3
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🖼️ 4. NFT Royalties
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Licensed Digital Trading Cards
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Through NFT INT LLC, Trump received $7.15–7.2 million in royalties from “Trump Digital Trading Cards.” thestreet.com+7unlock-bc.com+7finance.yahoo.com+7
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🌐 5. Personal Crypto Holdings
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Ethereum & Meme Coin Wallets
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Ethics disclosures show Trump holds $1–5 million in ETH, with Arkham Intelligence estimating ~$3.6 million in total crypto. unlock-bc.comcbsnews.com+4finance.yahoo.com+4finance.yahoo.com+4
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Additional meme-coins: Trog (
$370 k), Gua ($339 k), and Trump-branded tokens. finance.yahoo.com+2unlock-bc.com+2finance.yahoo.com+2 -
Earlier filings reported up to $500 k in ETH in 2023. coindesk.com+1theblock.co+1
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📊 High-Level Estimates
| Source | Approximate Gain |
|---|---|
| Memecoin ($TRUMP) | $350 M+ |
| WLF WLFI token sales | $385 M raised |
| WLF cryptocurrency buys | Varied (tens to hundreds M) |
| NFT royalties | $7 M+ |
| Personal ETH holdings | $1–5 M |
Beyond these figures, TMTG’s planned $2.5 B bitcoin treasury could amplify crypto-driven wealth, though concrete gains there are prospective.
⚠️ Caveats & Ethical Concerns
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Conflict of Interest: Trump’s crypto ventures coincide with policy shifts like deregulation and pardons for crypto-aligned figures reddit.com+4en.wikipedia.org+4economywatch.com+4bitget.com+1cryptonews.com+1wired.com+1businessinsider.com+1, raising ethics questions.
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Transparency Issues: Funding sources—particularly foreign investments from entities like Abu Dhabi, China, and crypto investors such as Justin Sun—add to the controversy. en.wikipedia.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3nypost.com+3
