The Trump crime family’s financial landscape has shifted dramatically since the grifter-in-chief returned to the White House in 2025, with public reporting showing a rapid expansion of wealth across multiple business ventures. According to summaries of TIME, Forbes, and Bloomberg reporting, the Melon Felon’s net worth rose from roughly $3.9 billion in 2024 to $7.3 billion in 2025, a jump driven by a mix of cryptocurrency ventures, foreign branding deals, and new business partnerships. Bloomberg’s analysis, as summarized by TheStreet, described the family’s activity as a “dizzying array of deals,” a phrase that feels increasingly literal as the financial picture comes into focus.
One of the most visible developments has been the family’s entry into the meme‑coin economy. In January 2025, just ahead of the inauguration, the TRUMP and MELANIA tokens, depicting the convicted felon and his immigrant porn actress wife Melanomia, launched as part of a broader ecosystem tied to World Liberty Financial. A Financial Times investigation, summarized by Cointelegraph, estimated that the family’s crypto ventures generated more than $1 billion in pre‑tax profit. Chainalysis data reported by CoinDesk found that creators of the TRUMP token collected $320 million in fees, while CBS News reported that crypto investments contributed $2.9 billion to the family’s overall net‑worth increase. Retail investors, meanwhile, experienced the kind of volatility that meme‑coin markets are known for—an outcome that may not have been the primary selling point, but certainly wasn’t a surprise.
While the former president’s crypto ventures drew headlines, Don Don Jr. emerged as a central figure in a different arena: defense‑aligned venture capital. Junior joined 1789 Capital as a partner in 2024, a firm founded the previous year with the explicit mission of backing companies aligned with conservative values. He has stated publicly that he is “very involved in the strategic decisions regarding where to invest our resources.” Since then, at least four companies backed by the firm have secured major U.S. government contracts or funding during his father’s second term.
Among the most notable is Vulcan Elements, a rare‑earth magnet startup that received a $620 million loan from the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital—the largest loan ever issued by that office. The loan is part of a broader effort to strengthen domestic production of materials used in military hardware. 1789 Capital invested in Vulcan Elements just three months before the loan was announced. Another company, Unusual Machines, secured a U.S. Army contract to manufacture 3,500 drone motors, with an option for 20,000 additional components. Trump Jr. holds a $4 million stake in the company and joined as an adviser only weeks after the 2024 election.
Additional 1789‑backed companies have also benefited from federal funding. Cerebras Systems, an AI hardware and semiconductor firm, received a $45 million Pentagon agreement. PsiQuantum, a quantum‑computing startup, and Firehawk Aerospace, a rocket‑propulsion company, each received more than $10 million in federal support. Some reporting groups PsiQuantum and Firehawk together when describing “at least four” companies receiving government awards, which accounts for the variation in summaries. Regardless of the count, the pattern is consistent: companies backed by 1789 Capital have found themselves well positioned in the federal contracting landscape.
Beyond venture capital and crypto, the Trump family’s business interests have expanded through foreign branding and property deals. Bloomberg’s reporting, as summarized by TheStreet, notes that the family engaged in a wide range of international partnerships during the second term, contributing significantly to the rapid rise in net worth. While the retrieved summaries do not list specific countries or deal structures, the reporting emphasizes that these arrangements played a substantial role in the family’s financial growth.
Another area drawing scrutiny is the privately funded White House ballroom, a project supported by donors with extensive federal interests. CBS News reported that dozens of executives and companies contributing to the ballroom “stand to gain” from favorable policy or regulatory outcomes. The New Republic found that more than half of the donors hold billions in federal contracts or are under federal investigation. Public Citizen’s analysis, summarized by SAN, reported that known donors collectively hold $279 billion in federal contracts. The overlap between donor generosity and federal benefit is not subtle, though the administration has maintained that the project is entirely aboveboard.
Additional reporting outside the retrieved summaries has documented increased revenue at Trump‑branded hotels and golf clubs from political events and foreign delegations, as well as new licensing deals and partnerships that have expanded the family’s global footprint. These developments mirror patterns observed during Trump’s first term, though the scale appears larger and the financial returns more concentrated.
Taken together, the available reporting paints a picture of a family enterprise that has grown substantially in parallel with political power. Whether viewed as strategic business acumen or a case study in modern political monetization, the financial gains are significant and well‑documented. The timing, in many cases, is striking enough to raise questions even among observers accustomed to blurred lines between public office and private enterprise.
For readers interested in exploring the underlying reporting, several areas offer rich material for further research: the Forbes and TIME analyses of Trump’s net worth; Bloomberg’s investigations into foreign business deals; Financial Times reporting on World Liberty Financial and the TRUMP/MELANIA tokens; Chainalysis and CoinDesk data on meme‑coin economics; CBS News and The New Republic coverage of ballroom donors; Public Citizen’s reports on federal contractors; and TechCrunch, Yahoo Finance, and Financial Times reporting on 1789 Capital’s portfolio companies.
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