Benzinga and Yahoo Finance LLC may earn commission or revenue on some items through the links below.
A Reuters investigation found the Trump family generated at least $2.3 billion from four crypto ventures since returning to the White House, while more than a million investors lost the same amount on the other side of those trades.
Same Playbook Across Four Ventures: Trumps Risk Nothing, Investors Lose Big
Reuters examined World Liberty Financial, the TRUMP meme coin, American Bitcoin, and AI Financial Corp, formerly ALT5 Sigma.
In each case, the Trumps licensed the family name rather than investing their own capital, promoted the ventures through social media and public appearances, and collected revenue as investors piled in.
When prices collapsed, the family remained in profit while buyers absorbed the losses.
Don’t Miss:
World Liberty Financial generated the most, funneling more than $1.4 billion in governance token sales to the Trump family through a revenue sharing arrangement that directs 75% of proceeds to a Trump-controlled entity.
Investors who bought on exchanges have lost $674 million as the token price fell 87% from its September 2025 peak.
The TRUMP meme coin generated roughly $616 million for the Trump family while buyers lost more than $700 million.
The coin has fallen 97% from its January 2025 all-time high.
ALT5 Sigma, now AI Financial Corp, saw its share price fall from above $9 to 75 cents, costing outside investors $675 million. American Bitcoin shares collapsed from $11 to $1.15, generating more than $200 million in losses for retail buyers.
Reuters Found No Evidence Trumps Invested Their Own Money In Any Venture
More than a dozen accounting and crypto experts reviewed the Reuters analysis and found the estimates reasonable.
Experts said each venture could have been established for less than $1 million in development and legal costs, meaning the family’s $2.3 billion gain came almost entirely from licensing fees and revenue sharing rather than capital at risk.
“The licensing deals are the best of all deals because there’s no risk,” Trump himself told Reuters in 2016. “The licensing deals are better because you don’t put up any capital.”
See Also: Avoid the #1 Investing Mistake: How Your ‘Safe’ Holdings Could Be Costing You Big Time
Eight Ethics Experts Say Conflict Is Unprecedented But Legal
Eight government ethics experts told Reuters the arrangement represents a conflict of interest unlike anything seen in modern American history.
Trump’s administration directly regulates the crypto industry while his family profits from it.
All eight noted the conduct is legal provided no regulatory favors are exchanged for financial gain. The White House responded that Trump has never engaged in conflicts of interest.
The investigation lands at the worst possible moment for the CLARITY Act, which faces a nine-week window before the August recess.
Democrats have already used Trump family crypto conflicts to complicate the bill’s ethics provisions, and a report of this scale gives opponents significant new ammunition heading into floor debate.
Image: Shutterstock
Read Next:
Building Wealth Across More Than Just the Market
Building a resilient portfolio means thinking beyond a single asset or market trend. Economic cycles shift, sectors rise and fall, and no one investment performs well in every environment. That’s why many investors look to diversify with platforms that provide access to real estate, fixed-income opportunities, precious metals, and even self-directed retirement accounts. By spreading exposure across multiple asset classes, it becomes easier to manage risk, capture steady returns, and create long-term wealth that isn’t tied to the fortunes of just one company or industry.
Arrived
Backed by Jeff Bezos, Arrived Homes makes real estate investing accessible with a low barrier to entry. Investors can buy fractional shares of single-family rentals and vacation homes starting with as little as $100. This allows everyday investors to diversify into real estate, collect rental income, and build long-term wealth without needing to manage properties directly.
Immersed
Immersed is building technology for the future of work through spatial computing. Known for its AR/VR productivity platform that enables users to work across multiple virtual screens, the company has grown to more than 1.5 million users worldwide. Immersed is also developing Visor, a lightweight headset designed specifically for professional productivity, positioning the company at the intersection of remote work, extended reality (XR), and next-generation computing.
Vinovest
Fine wine and rare whiskey have historically moved independently of the stock market, making them a compelling alternative asset. Vinovest manages authenticated, insured portfolios of investment-grade wine and whiskey starting at $5,000 — sourcing, storage, and insurance all handled for you.
EnergyX
EnergyX is a clean energy technology company focused on direct lithium extraction and refinery technologies for the lithium-ion battery supply chain. Its proprietary DLE systems are designed to recover lithium from brine resources more efficiently and with less environmental impact, supporting efforts to expand lithium supply for electric vehicles, grid-scale storage, and other battery applications.
FarmTogether
Farmland has historically held its value through market volatility and delivered returns uncorrelated to stocks and bonds. For accredited investors, FarmTogether offers direct access to high-quality U.S. farmland starting at $15,000 — fully managed, with no landlord headaches.
EquityMultiple
For accredited investors looking beyond stocks and bonds, EquityMultiple provides access to vetted commercial real estate deals starting at $5,000, with only ~5% of opportunities passing their due diligence process.
Fundrise
Private real estate and private credit can add income and stability to a stock-heavy portfolio. Fundrise offers access to diversified private real estate and credit strategies through an easy-to-use platform, with professionally managed portfolios designed to generate passive income and long-term growth.
American Hartford Gold
American Hartford Gold is a precious metals dealer that helps clients buy physical gold and silver coins and bars, either for direct delivery or within self-directed precious metals IRAs. The company’s services include gold and silver IRAs, IRA rollovers, and home delivery of bullion, giving investors a way to use tangible metals to diversify portfolios and seek protection against inflation and market volatility.
Mode Mobile
Mode Mobile is changing the way people interact with their phones by letting users earn money from the same apps and activities they already use every day. Instead of platforms keeping all the advertising revenue, Mode Mobile shares a portion back with users who engage with content, play games, and scroll on their devices. Named one of Deloitte’s fastest-growing software companies in North America, the company has built a large beta user base and is scaling a model that turns everyday smartphone usage into a potential income stream.
© 2026 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
