Money Grab/Profit from his own market-moving decisions
Trump family’s WLFI governance token begins public trading
On September 1, 2025, World Liberty Financial’s WLFI governance token began trading on Ethereum and several exchanges, unlocking about 24.67 billion of its 100 billion tokens. The venture, co-founded by Trump’s sons, had raised about $550 million from accredited investors in an earlier presale exempt from SEC registration.
What happened
Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump and business associates co-founded World Liberty Financial in 2024, and the Trump family holds a large equity and token stake. It sold its WLFI governance token to accredited investors in private rounds priced at $0.015 and $0.05, exempt from SEC registration. It raised about $550 million by one count and at least $590 million across eight rounds by another. A UAE-based fund bought $100 million of tokens in 2025.
On September 1, 2025, WLFI became tradable on Ethereum and on exchanges led by Binance. About 24.67 billion of the 100 billion tokens were unlocked, including 20% of presale buyers’ holdings. The rest awaits a governance vote. The token opened above $0.30, implying a fully diluted value over $30 billion, then fell about 12% on day one.
Trump’s 2025 disclosure, released June 30, 2026, itemizes $526.8 million in net proceeds from WLFI token sales distributed to his entity. It adds $262.5 million from selling World Liberty and Stablecoin Holdco equity, about $789 million from World Liberty in all. The token has since fallen more than 80% from its peak.
Who benefited
The president’s own disclosure shows $526.8 million in net proceeds from WLFI token sales distributed to his entity in 2025. It shows another $262.5 million from selling World Liberty-related equity. Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump are co-founders.
Who wanted something
The accredited presale investors, including the UAE-backed fund that put in $100 million, gained a public market for tokens bought at $0.015 and $0.05. They could begin selling. Retail buyers gained access to a venture tied to the president’s family.
Who lost out
Retail buyers who purchased after the public debut bought a token whose presale investors and founding family held large positions at a fraction of the opening price. They bought in a market whose regulator was pulling back from enforcement. The token has fallen more than 80% from its peak.
Why it matters
The president’s family converted a restricted private sale into a publicly tradable asset while his own appointees eased crypto enforcement. The venture put about $789 million on the president’s disclosure in a single year, and anyone, anywhere, can still buy in.
Sources The BlockThe DefiantDecryptFortuneU.S. Office of Government Ethics (primary)