Since November 2024, World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has raised at least $1.4 billion for the Trump and Witkoff families, significantly surpassing the cash flow from Donald Trump’s real estate operations over an eight-year period.
Summary
- Since late 2024, World Liberty Financial has facilitated a minimum of $1.4 billion for the Trump and Witkoff families.
- A significant portion of WLFI token revenues is directed to entities controlled by Trump.
- Related cryptocurrency projects, such as American Bitcoin, experienced notable declines after their listings.
The Wall Street Journal has reported that the Trump family received at least $1.2 billion in cash over approximately 16 months, along with an additional $2.25 billion in unrealized cryptocurrency gains. The Witkoff family earned at least $200 million during the same period.
WLFI disclosures reveal that 75% of WLFI token sales are allocated to a Trump-controlled entity, while 12.5% each goes to the Witkoffs and co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. President Trump owns a 70% interest in the Trump entity, with the rest held by family members.
A crucial development occurred in January 2025 when Abu Dhabi-backed investors purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty for $500 million, providing $187 million upfront to Trump entities and $31 million to the Witkoffs.
According to the New York Times, Eric Trump completed the agreement just before the 2025 inauguration, coinciding with UAE initiatives to acquire U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
The firm also generated funds through a controversial partnership with Alt5 Sigma, a Nasdaq-listed company, where World Liberty secured a controlling stake. Alt5 raised $750 million from investors, using a large share of this capital to purchase WLFI tokens from World Liberty at a premium. Over $500 million was directed to Trump entities and $90 million to the Witkoffs through this mechanism. Following the transaction, Alt5 shares dropped, and WLFI tokens also lost value.
Moreover, Eric Trump holds a significant stake in American Bitcoin, another cryptocurrency venture that saw a rise and subsequent decline after its listing. The White House has dismissed allegations of conflict of interest, asserting that these companies operate independently.
