The Trump Touch, or How to Really Make Money

We were all supposed to be greatly upset by Hunter Biden for the way he made his money, via his well-positioned father. The moral outrage was ceaseless, etc. etc.

The only thing left to say is that Hunter was a rank amateur when it came to raking in the bucks. At best, he brought in a measly $7 million for all his influence-peddling, plus $11 million earned from 2013 to 2018 via roles with foreign firms, and over $24 million linked to the Biden family’s business activities between 2015 and 2019. He was not all that good at this game, it would seem.

But now that we have real business professionals in charge of Washington, things are really looking up.

Welcome to the world of $TRUMP.

Donald Trump's crypto project primarily revolves around a meme coin called $TRUMP, launched on the Solana blockchain in January 2025. One billion coins were created, with 200 million sold publicly and 800 million retained by Trump-owned companies. The coin's market value briefly surged to over $27 billion, with Trump's holdings valued at more than $20 billion. The project generated at least $350 million in revenue from token sales and fees by March 2025.

The $TRUMP meme coin grants investors access to Trump himself, including exclusive events and branded merchandise, which has raised ethical concerns about conflicts of interest, especially given Trump's presidential duties. The top investors in $TRUMP have been invited to private receptions with Trump, and the coin's creators, including entities controlled by the Trump Organization, have profited substantially from trading fees.

Beyond the meme coin, Trump and his family have expanded into other crypto ventures. They hold about a 60% stake in World Liberty Financial (WLF), a crypto company that has launched its own stablecoin called USD1, pegged to the US dollar to maintain a stable value. WLF has raised over half a billion dollars, with a significant portion benefiting Trump-associated entities. The Trump family has also invested in a bitcoin mining company called American Bitcoin, with Eric Trump assuming a strategic role there.

Trump's stance on cryptocurrency has evolved from skepticism during his first term—when he called crypto "not money" and "highly volatile"—to becoming a prominent advocate and promoter of the industry during his second administration. His crypto ventures have attracted criticism from ethics experts and political opponents who highlight conflicts of interest and the potential for foreign influence through these investments.

Additionally, Trump Media and Technology Group plans to raise about $2.5 billion to create a Bitcoin treasury, further deepening the family's involvement in the crypto space.

All of this is heavily backed by United Arab Emirates funds, with Eric Trump announcing the MGX fund's investment in Binance stablecoins. This deal has raised conflict of interest concerns due to its ties to UAE national security adviser Tahnoun bin Zayed Al Nahyan and the overlap of business and political relations.

MGX Fund Management Limited (MGX) is an Emirati state-owned investment firm established in 2024 by the government of Abu Dhabi. It focuses on investing in artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and related advanced technology sectors, aiming to manage assets worth US$100 billion. MGX was founded as a partnership between Mubadala, Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund, and the AI company G42, with the goal of accelerating AI development and adoption globally through strategic investments.

MGX's investment strategy targets AI infrastructure such as data centers and connectivity, semiconductors including chip design and manufacturing, and AI-related technologies spanning software, life sciences, and robotics. The firm operates internationally, investing in AI startups and established companies across North America, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

Notable activities include forming the Global AI Infrastructure Investment Partnership with BlackRock and Microsoft in 2024, focusing on data centers and power infrastructure. In 2025, MGX partnered with OpenAI and Oracle on the Stargate Project and made a $2 billion minority investment in Binance, the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange, marking the largest institutional investment in the crypto industry to date. This investment underscores MGX's commitment to blockchain and digital asset technologies as part of Abu Dhabi's broader digital economy ambitions

Then, there is Pakistan, where the Trump family's involvement in a high-stakes cryptocurrency deal with World Liberty Financial (WLF) has been revealed. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have been promoting WLF’s ventures, with Eric traveling to the Middle East to secure deals. The Pakistan Army Chief's involvement in the signing ceremony adds another layer of international intrigue, as it were.

The Trump Organization has expanded its franchise in the Middle East, including projects in the UAE, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia. These include an 80-story Trump Tower Dubai condo, a jungle-themed resort in Qatar, and luxury apartments and golf courses developed in partnership with Saudi and Qatari firms.

And let us not forget Jared Kusher, who is valiantly also laboring away to make the world a better place. Kushner has financial ties with Middle Eastern entities, including a private equity firm that received over $2 billion from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s sovereign wealth fund. All this, despite that Kushner has zero experience in high finance—but the Saudis are happy to take the risk. One can only wonder why? Could it be because of Ivanka’s father in the White House?

Speaking of Ivanka, she has her own business venture, which dovetails nicely with various health initiatives being undertaken by Robert Kennedy, Jr. via his “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA). Ivanka’s company is called Planet Harvest, which focuses on expanding access to fresh produce, supporting small farmers, reducing food waste, and improving nutrition through innovative supply chain solutions. Sounds grand. The company aims to connect surplus and overlooked crops with grocery stores, food service providers, and emergency food programs, and promotes the "food as medicine" model to integrate nutritious food into healthcare solutions.

Kennedy’s MAHA emphasizes improved nutrition as a key strategy to combat chronic diseases in the U.S. Kennedy's campaign aligns with Planet Harvest’s mission by focusing on healthier food access and nutrition as a public health priority.

This is how you corner the food supply in America, where government and Trump business ventures are hand in glove.

Put that in your pipe, Hunter, and smoke it!

So, are we still supposed to talk about ethics?

Ethics experts and watchdog groups highlight that Trump's involvement in crypto while holding or seeking public office creates a clear conflict of interest. The administration would regulate an industry in which he has a direct financial stake, potentially benefiting from his political position. Former regulators and ethics lawyers have criticized the precedent of profiting from office and creating or exploiting regulatory loopholes for family business gain.

The $TRUMP token raised at least $350 million in a short period, with Trump-associated wallets earning hundreds of millions from token sales. The project's structure—releasing tokens over years and holding large inventories—raises concerns about market manipulation and lack of transparency in financial dealings.

The crypto projects does enable secret contributions to Trump and his allies, raising questions about anonymous political donations and potential evasion of anti-corruption laws. Critics warn this could empower foreign entities or sanctioned individuals, posing national security risks.

And then there are those tariffs—since TACO is a huge profit strategy, it would seem. For those still not in the know—TACO-Trump Always Chickens Out (when it comes to economic blusters).

Several reports and investigations have raised concerns about possible insider trading related to Trump's tariff announcements and pauses.

Before Trump unveiled major tariffs that caused the stock market to plunge, multiple high-ranking U.S. officials, including those involved in trade policy, sold significant amounts of stock. For example, Marshall Stallings, a director in the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, sold shares in companies like Target and Freeport-McMoRan days before tariffs were announced, and those stocks subsequently dropped sharply. Similarly, Stephanie Syptak-Ramnath, a State Department official, sold hundreds of thousands in stocks and bought bonds just before the market downturn triggered by tariffs.

Trump himself posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, on April 9, 2025, stating "THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!" shortly before announcing a 90-day pause on tariffs. This pause led to a sharp rebound in stock prices, with the S&P 500 rising over 9% that day. This sequence of events prompted allegations and calls for investigation into whether Trump or his administration engaged in insider trading or market manipulation by using nonpublic information to benefit financially or to influence markets.

Legal experts note that trading by government officials on material nonpublic information related to official duties could constitute insider trading under U.S. securities laws, including the STOCK Act of 2012. However, proving insider trading requires showing that the trades were based on confidential information and that there was intent to profit improperly. So far, no conclusive evidence has been publicly disclosed that Trump or his officials personally profited from such trades, though the timing of stock sales and purchases by officials close to tariff announcements has raised ethical and legal questions.

And then there is Justin Sun.

He is a Chinese-born crypto billionaire and founder of the Tron blockchain who has become the largest publicly known holder and a major investor in former Trump's cryptocurrency ventures. Sun holds approximately $18.5 to $19 million worth of the Trump-themed meme token $TRUMP, making him the top holder and securing him an invitation to an exclusive dinner with Trump and other top investors at Trump's private golf club near Washington, D.C.

Sun has invested over $93 million in total in Trump-affiliated crypto projects, including $75 million in World Liberty Financial, a crypto initiative that directs 75% of its revenue to Trump-related entities, potentially generating tens of millions in fees for the Trump family. At the May 2025 dinner event, Sun received a $100,000 Trump-branded Tourbillon watch as a gift, symbolizing his close ties to the Trump crypto ecosystem.

Sun's involvement with Trump’s crypto ventures comes amid a complex legal backdrop. He was previously sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for alleged market manipulation and fraud related to his crypto activities, but the SEC paused the lawsuit in 2025 to explore a resolution, reflecting a shift in regulatory enforcement under the Trump administration.

The dinner and the $TRUMP token have drawn criticism for raising ethical concerns and potential conflicts of interest, as Trump's expanding business ventures, including cryptocurrency, have created new avenues for foreign investors like Sun to financially engage with the former president, raising questions about influence and transparency.

Honorable mention goes to Barron Trump.

Barron Trump is involved in the Trump family's cryptocurrency ventures primarily through a company called World Liberty Financial (see above). This venture markets a cryptocurrency called $WLFI (aside from the USD1), and is affiliated withTrump and his sons, including Barron, who holds an official position as a "DeFi visionary" and is listed as a Web3 ambassador for the company.

World Liberty Financial is described as a decentralized finance (DeFi) cryptocurrency exchange launched in October 2024, with the Trump family owning a significant stake (60%) in the company and holding a large amount of its tokens. The project has attracted substantial investment, including a $2 billion stablecoin purchase by an Abu Dhabi-backed firm, MGX3.
There is speculation and some public association of Barron Trump with the creation or promotion of Trump-related crypto tokens, such as the $TRUMP memecoin, although it is unclear how directly involved he is in these specific tokens or projects. Barron, who graduated high school in 2024 and is attending New York University, has been noted for his interest and involvement in cryptocurrency, but the exact extent of his role remains somewhat ambiguous.

In short, Trump and his family have monetized the presidency to an unprecedented degree, profiting directly and extensively from his time in office. This includes earning fees from a new cryptocurrency, brokering overseas real estate deals worth billions, and launching an exclusive Washington club called the Executive Branch with $500,000 membership fees. Is the point of this “club” to allow immediate access to the White House?

Additionally, Trump hosted a high-profile dinner at his Virginia club for 220 investors in the $TRUMP cryptocurrency, which he created just days before taking office. Access to this event was sold based on financial contributions to the cryptocurrency business that benefits Trump personally, not to his campaign.

Trump's refusal to fully divest from his business interests and the use of family-managed trusts have allowed him and his family to profit directly from his public service, a break from precedent set by previous presidents. Despite the scale of these financial ventures, public and political outrage has been muted, compared to past controversies involving presidential family profits.

And, indeed, we have all been waiting with baited breath about this bit of wheeling and dealing. Melania Trump has secured a $40 million deal with Amazon Prime Video for a documentary… wait for it… about her life, particularly focusing on her time as First Lady and her return to the White House. The documentary is directed by Brett Ratner and is set to be released in mid-2025, with an initial limited theatrical release before streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The deal also includes rights for a short follow-up docuseries of two to three episodes featuring Melania Trump, who serves as an executive producer on the project. “Wives of the White House” does have a rint to it.

The $40 million deal is reportedly the highest amount Amazon has ever paid for a documentary. Jeff Bezos was sitting behind Trump at the inauguration. Melania is expected to receive more than 70% of the total amount, which translates to around $28 million. Before Amazon's involvement, her team had approached other studios and wealthy business leaders, with initial offers starting at $10 million. Amazon's interest was solidified after Melania pitched the project to Amazon CEO Bezos and his partner Lauren Sanchez during a December 2024 dinner at Mar-a-Lago.

The documentary aims to provide a personal and previously unseen look into Mrs. Trump's life, including her daily activities, moving into the White House, assembling her staff, and managing her role as First Lady. The film will also feature cameo appearances by Donald Trump and their son Barron Trump.

The deal reflects growing ties between Bezos and the Trump family. Bezos reportedly took a personal interest in the project, which has helped smooth relations with the Trumps following previous tensions. This alignment with the incoming administration is seen as a strategic move by Amazon. Need more be said.

Finally, let us consider the following. Trump Media & Technology Group, one of Trump's key business ventures, reported substantial financial losses in 2024, with a net loss of approximately $400 million and declining revenues. This indicates financial strain in his media business prior to his second presidency.

Trump himself publicly acknowledged in early 2025 that had he lost the 2024 presidential election, his life would have been "very nasty" and "quite perilous," which can be interpreted as an allusion to his ongoing legal troubles and financial difficulties that might have worsened without the protections or influence afforded by the presidency.

So goes the “art of the deal.”