Investment firms typically end their ads with a boilerplate warning: “Investing in securities involves the risk of loss.” But for the Trump family’s financial ventures, a more accurate disclaimer might read: “Investing in Trump securities involves the risk of huge loss.”
Recent reports reveal that President Trump and his sons have pocketed roughly $2.2 billion since entering the White House, according to Trump’s 2025 tax return. Meanwhile, investors—including wealthy foreigners—have suffered staggering losses. Yet surprisingly few have publicly complained, raising questions about the true nature of these deals.
The $TRUMP Meme Coin Disaster
The Trump meme coin, $TRUMP, launched in January 2025 and briefly peaked at $75 before collapsing by 98%. It now trades around $1.57. By January 21, the day after the inauguration, it had already fallen to $44. By February 12, it was roughly $15, and by mid-April, it hovered around $8.
According to the New York Times, nearly 1 million investors lost about $3.8 billion by the end of June. Yet Trump personally earned $636 million in fees from managing the transactions.
Some high-rollers poured in massive sums. In May 2025, Trump and his sons hosted an exclusive, invitation-only dinner at the Trump National Golf Club. Attendees were the largest holders of the meme coin. China-born crypto billionaire Justin Sun paid $18.5 million for a seat next to the president. Reuters reported that investors collectively spent an estimated $148 million on $TRUMP to secure dinner spots, with the top 25 holders shelling out over $111 million. Now the coin is nearly worthless. On Wall Street, any fund manager who lost that much would be fired.
Wall Street Journal reporters found that many big losers seemed unfazed. Some admitted they “bought $TRUMP memecoin to secure invitations to Trump’s memecoin events.” The real prize wasn’t profit—it was access to the most powerful person in the world, someone who can make or break a company or even a country’s economy. For foreign governments and business leaders, that access can be worth millions.
World Liberty Financial: Another Sinking Venture
In September 2024, six weeks before the election, Trump and longtime friend Steve Witkoff launched World Liberty Financial, a “decentralized finance platform” bridging traditional finance and blockchain. Trump, once a vocal crypto critic, had no apparent background in the field. After winning the election, he handed the operation to Witkoff’s son, Zach, and his own son Eric Trump.
Investors, many foreign, poured millions into the venture. But its value has dropped 81% since last September, with most losses predating the broader Bitcoin selloff. Still, Trump reported $1.2 billion in income from World Liberty and his meme coin combined.
Justin Sun, who also invested $45 million in World Liberty, sued the company in April for breach of contract and fraud. His lawyer claims the operators are “engaging in an illegal scheme to seize property … causing Sun and his companies to incur hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.” Zach Witkoff has called the claims meritless, and the Trumps have countersued.
These financial entanglements echo the kind of self-dealing that Republicans once decried in Hunter Biden’s overseas business ties. The White House issued its standard denial: “Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged—or will ever engage—in conflicts of interest. All actions by President Trump and his administration are taken in the best interest of the American people.”
While Trump’s schemes may not be illegal, they are certainly unseemly—and politically risky for both him and the GOP, which has remained largely silent. If Democrats win the House in November, investigations are all but certain. And as Trump enters lame-duck status, those investors who lost millions may finally be ready to speak out. For more on how legal battles may unfold, see this analysis of civil suits as a last resort for Trump accountability.
