In a notable move, the company recently entered the stock market by floating shares, leveraging the Trump brand’s recognition for financial gain. American Bitcoin executed a merger with a penny-stock bitcoin miner, a strategy designed to bypass the financial and regulatory burdens of a traditional initial public offering. This strategic maneuver has substantially elevated the company’s market valuation, particularly due to its significant bitcoin holdings. As a result, the financial stakes for the Trump brothers have ballooned, with their collective share now valued at around two hundred million dollars. However, it’s worth noting that Eric Trump, being a major investor in American Bitcoin, is obligated to disclose any stock sales, a factor that could potentially prompt a selloff in shares. Consequently, it may be misleading to fully attribute this increase to the Trump family’s profits; Donald Trump, Jr.’s share is currently estimated at roughly one hundred million dollars. This brings the approximate total value of their business interests to $3.5 billion.
Furthermore, since August, the Trump family has capitalized on additional financial avenues, notably through World Liberty Financial—a digital finance startup that prominently features family members, including a photograph of the President as a “co-founder emeritus.” Eric, Donald, Jr., and Barron Trump are recognized as co-founders, alongside a long-time friend of the President, Steven Witkoff, who is also listed as a co-founder emeritus, with his son Zach serving as C.E.O.
World Liberty Financial has ventured into the stablecoin market with its offering, USD1, which is designed to maintain a fixed exchange rate to the U.S. dollar, distinguishing it from more volatile cryptocurrencies. This new product was introduced following President Trump’s signing of legislation aimed at regulating stablecoins, in light of several high-profile cases of fraud in the sector. The startup guarantees that the USD1 will always be worth one dollar, allowing users to exchange this stablecoin for dollars while the capital is invested in U.S. Treasury bonds, promising an annual return exceeding four percent based on current interest rates.
In a notable transaction, a company owned by the rulers of the United Arab Emirates purchased two billion dollars’ worth of USD1. This raised suspicions regarding the timing, particularly as the U.A.E. sought approval from the Trump Administration for access to sensitive American artificial intelligence technologies, which was subsequently granted. The Emirati investors used the stablecoin towards investing in Binance, the leading cryptocurrency exchange, which has its own vested interests in influencing Trump. Binance’s founder, Changpeng Zhao, faced legal troubles in 2023 for anti-money-laundering violations, serving a brief imprisonment and requesting a pardon from Trump, which was granted in October.
Allegations have surfaced regarding Binance’s influence over World Liberty Financial’s operations despite denials from a company spokesperson, stating that Binance does not have control over the firm. Nevertheless, Binance seems to be augmenting the income generated by the Trumps’ stablecoin through strategic decisions that enhance user engagement with USD1. In December, the platform eliminated trading fees for transactions involving USD1, and soon after, it incentivized USD1 holders with bonuses that could yield extravagant returns. Following these adjustments, World Liberty Financial reported that the circulation of USD1 surged from two billion dollars to approximately five billion, driven predominantly by activity on the Binance platform.
