Trump’s Crypto Fortune: $5 Billion in WLFI and the $698 Million Launch Day Windfall

Crypto investments have notably outperformed Trump’s traditional business arenas, as the World Liberty Financial (WLFI) token has escalated his net worth to an impressive $5 billion on paper. However, insiders managed to cash in on $698 million on the token's opening day.

Key Takeaways

WLFI valued Trump's wealth/position at $5 billion, with a challenging launch day decline.
Insiders sold over $698 million on the token's first trading day.
Trump's entrance into crypto involved various ventures, highlighting potential ethical concerns.
The governance structure allows token holder participation, but major control rests with family-linked entities.
Rapid trading and insider selling raised questions about market integrity and transparency.
The Trump family's ventures in cryptocurrency face increasing scrutiny from regulators and watchdog organizations.

Trump’s Crypto Fortune

Overview

The World Liberty Financial token started trading on major cryptocurrency exchanges—including Binance, OKX, and Bybit—on September 1, 2024. According to The Wall Street Journal, the early trading activity indicated that the Trump family's holdings were valued at over $5 billion. However, a Financial Times report stated that President Trump possessed 15.75 billion WLFI tokens by the end of the previous year, translating to a paper value of around $3.6 billion on the trading day.

The token faced a turbulent first day, declining from a high of over $0.46 to around $0.24—a decrease of more than 47% by September 2.

The Entrance into the Crypto World

The Trump family's foray into cryptocurrency began earlier in 2024 with the launch of the Official Trump memecoin on January 17. This project reached a market capitalization exceeding $14.5 billion by January 19 before experiencing a decline.

Reports indicate that nearly $100 million in trading fees were accrued during the early trading phase by entities associated with the project. This was confirmed further by Donald Trump’s financial disclosure on June 14, which revealed approximately $57.4 million earned from World Liberty Financial in 2024, along with personal token holdings.

Forbes has indicated that digital assets represent the largest segment of Trump's wealth, surpassing the value of his real estate portfolio, which was estimated at just over $1.9 billion after liabilities in March 2024. His media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, was valued at around $3.7 billion, although its valuation has fluctuated since that time.

The Structure and Distribution of WLFI

World Liberty Financial was established in Delaware as a non-stock corporation to manage the WLF Protocol. Donald Trump is listed as a co-founder emeritus, with his sons Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron also recognized as co-founders. A Trump-affiliated holding company controls about 60% of the corporate structure and is entitled to approximately 75% of revenues generated from WLFI token sales, solidifying the family's central role in the venture.

The WLFI token has a total supply of 100 billion tokens, divided into four categories:

33.893% for token sales
32.6% for community growth and incentives
30% allocated to founders being divided among three Delaware firms (DT Marks DEFI LLC, Axiom Management Group, and WC Digital Fi LLC)
The final 3.5% designated for team members and advisors.

DT Marks DEFI LLC, the primary entity owned by the Trump family in the project, received 22.5 billion WLFI, amounting to 22.5% of the total supply.

Governance and Further Ventures

Governance is established such that one token equals one vote, with no single wallet or group permitted to control more than 5% of the total. Proposals are managed through Snapshot and executed by a multisignature account held by World Liberty Financial. Token holders are allowed to participate in decision-making, while the corporation is tasked with implementation and oversight amid legal or technical issues.

The Trump family's cryptocurrency endeavors include a range of projects from memecoins to NFTs and fiat-backed stablecoins, each contributing a unique revenue stream.

An example of a closely-held model is the TRUMP token, predominantly owned by CIC Digital LLC, which linked to the Trump network, retaining 80% of the supply and leaving minimal shares for outside investors.

Additionally, Melania Trump attempted to replicate this success with her own token, Official Melania Meme, which faced accusations of manipulation when $2.6 million worth of tokens were purchased mere minutes before public announcement and resold for almost $100 million in profits.

NFTs and Access-Based Ventures

The initial success of NFTs was evident in Trump’s digital trading cards, sold out rapidly upon release in 2022 and 2023, accruing significant revenue and establishing a customer base interested in blockchain ventures associated with Trump.

In May 2025, a unique feature emerged where large TRUMP token holders were invited to a private dinner at Trump National Golf Club, drawing interest from high-profile investors and determining access based on digital wallet size rather than traditional methods.

Moreover, the March 2025 launch of USD1, a stablecoin tied to World Liberty Financial, further enriched the Trump family’s array of digital assets. USD1 is pegged to the US dollar and has risen to a market cap of around $2.7 billion. It serves dual purposes—facilitating WLFI purchases and playing a role in a $2 billion agreement with a sovereign wealth fund from Abu Dhabi.

Regulatory Scrutiny

The Trump family's digital asset initiatives have attracted the attention of policymakers and watchdog organizations. In April 2025, a letter from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Rep. Maxine Waters to the SEC highlighted WLFI as an "unprecedented conflict of interest," urging an investigation into the advantages received by Trump-linked investors during the token's approval phase.

Additionally, the Senate's Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations initiated a preliminary review into WLFI and the TRUMP memecoin, focusing on the potential risks associated with events that tie ownership to access.

Concerns have surfaced about World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin as well, emphasizing the need for reserve transparency and the potential risks tied to integration with national financial systems. Critics argue that favorable regulatory decisions could disproportionately advantage ventures where the Trump family holds significant interests.

Prominent industry figures, like Anthony Scaramucci from SkyBridge Capital, have voiced strong criticism, equating the operations to significant corruption.

The Market Impact and Trading Dynamics

Independent blockchain analysts observed WLFI’s inaugural trading hours being heavily influenced by insider activities rather than open market participation. Data from StarPlatinum, a respected crypto analyst, revealed significant amounts of tokens were moved by wallets related to early allocations soon after the listing.

On the first day alone, over 698 million WLFI were sent to exchanges, with Binance receiving around 400 million, OKX taking in about 180 million, and Gate.io processing around 118 million. Early investors saw profits soar due to favorable purchase prices, with some selling within hours of the launch, resulting in a steep price drop from $0.46 to $0.25.

In essence, this launch illuminated the flow of tokens, the nature of sales, and the retention of control, revealing a market environment that uniquely linked revenue generation to the Trump presidency.