World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has generated at least $1.4 billion for the Trump and Witkoff families since November 2024, far surpassing the cash generated by Donald Trump’s real estate empire over an eight-year period.
Summary
- World Liberty Financial has generated at least $1.4 billion for the Trump and Witkoff families since late 2024.
- Most WLFI token proceeds flow to Trump-controlled entities.
- Related crypto ventures, including American Bitcoin, experienced dramatic post-listing declines
According to the Wall Street Journal, the Trump family received at least $1.2 billion in cash within roughly 16 months, along with an additional $2.25 billion in unrealized crypto gains. The Witkoff family earned at least $200 million over the same period.
WLFI disclosures show that 75% of WLFI token sales flow to a Trump-controlled entity, with 12.5% each allocated to the Witkoffs and co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. President Trump owns 70% of the Trump entity, with the remainder held by family members.
A major catalyst was a January 2025 deal in which Abu Dhabi-backed investors acquired 49% of World Liberty for $500 million, delivering $187 million upfront to Trump entities and $31 million to the Witkoffs.
Eric Trump finalized the deal just before the 2025 inauguration, according to the New York Times. It coincided with UAE efforts to secure U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chips.
The firm also generated liquidity through a controversial mechanism involving Alt5 Sigma, a Nasdaq-listed company in which World Liberty acquired a controlling stake. Alt5 raised $750 million from investors and used most of the proceeds to purchase WLFI tokens directly from World Liberty at a premium price. More than $500 million flowed to Trump entities and $90 million to Witkoffs through this structure. Following the transaction, Alt5 shares fell sharply and WLFI tokens declined.
Separately, Eric Trump holds a significant stake in American Bitcoin, another crypto venture that saw its valuation surge and then collapse post-listing. The White House has denied conflicts of interest, stating the companies operate independently.
