Trump and Sons’ Crypto Stake Now Valued Around $5 Billion After WLFI Launch
Recently, the Trump family’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial (WLF), achieved a remarkable milestone. The launch of their WLFI token on major exchanges — including Binance and Coinbase — has propelled the paper value of Donald Trump and his sons’ holdings to an estimated $5 billion.
WLFI Hits Public Markets
The WLFI token, issued by World Liberty Financial — co-founded by Trump’s sons (Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron) with the president listed as “Co‑Founder Emeritus” — officially began trading this week. Early trading activity saw strong interest, with trading volumes exceeding $1 billion within the first hour of launch. This initial momentum temporarily boosted prices as high as $0.30–$0.40 per token before settling near $0.22, marking a roughly 50% drop from the highs yet still well above its last private sale levels.(The Guardian, New York Magazine, Firstpost, CryptoCurrencyNews.com, Axios)
Trump Family’s Crypto Fortune
- Donald Trump holds approximately 15.75 billion WLFI tokens, valued at roughly $3.4 billion.(MyJoyOnline, CryptoCurrencyNews.com, Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal)
- Collectively, the Trump family controls close to a quarter of WLFI’s total supply, putting their holdings’ paper value at around $5 billion.(MyJoyOnline, CryptoCurrencyNews.com, Vanity Fair, The Guardian)
- Some reports suggest the peak valuation may have briefly climbed to near $6 billion, depending on price swings.(mint, Firstpost, Barron’s, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post)
Complex Deals & Potential Conflict of Interest
The token sale structure has been controversial. World Liberty Financial orchestrated a transaction through a publicly traded shell that raised approximately $750 million to buy WLFI — effectively positioning itself as both seller and buyer, with the Trump family set to receive up to 75% of revenues from these token sales.(The Wall Street Journal, Firstpost, CryptoCurrencyNews.com, mint, Wikipedia)
Meanwhile, WLFI remains “locked,” meaning Trump and his sons cannot immediately sell their holdings — giving them valuation but limited liquidity at this stage.(The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, MyJoyOnline, Firstpost)
Regulatory & Ethical Concerns
Numerous ethics watchdogs and Democratic policymakers have raised alarms, pointing to a rise in conflicts of interest — given that Trump is shaping crypto regulation while profiting from it. Public critics argue that the WLFI setup blurs boundaries between business interests and public duties.(MyJoyOnline, The Guardian, Wikipedia)
The White House, however, defends the arrangement, asserting that both Trump and his family are not engaged in conflicts of interest and that their assets are managed independently.(MyJoyOnline, The Wall Street Journal)
Summary at a Glance
| Feature | Detail |
|---|---|
| Token | WLFI (World Liberty Financial) |
| Launch Date | Early September 2025 |
| Peak Trading Price | ~$0.30–$0.40 |
| Current Trading Price | ~$0.20–$0.22 |
| Family’s Holdings | ~23 billion WLFI tokens (~25%) |
| Estimated Value | ~$5 billion in paper wealth |
| Revenue from Token Sales | ~$500 million+ to Trump family |
| Liquidity Status | Tokens locked; unsellable for now |
| Ethical Concerns | Conflict of interest; regulatory scrutiny |
Why This Matters
This crypto milestone isn’t just a financial win for the Trump family — it also highlights broader debates:
- Volatility risks: Sudden value swings demonstrate the speculative nature of these assets.
- Transparency and ethics: The intertwining of family business and political power continues to raise serious scrutiny.
- Regulatory shift: Trump’s administration has pursued a crypto-friendly stance, rolling back oversight mechanisms, just as the family’s crypto ventures gain value.(euronews, Wikipedia)
Final Thoughts
The WLFI launch has thrust the Trump family’s crypto holdings into the spotlight, transforming their paper wealth and setting new precedents in how political figures engage with digital assets. But as valuations climb, so does the spotlight — on governance, precedent, and public trust.
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