World Liberty Financial (WLFI) has proven to be a lucrative venture for the Trump and Witkoff families, amassing at least $1.4 billion since November 2024. This figure significantly eclipses the financial returns from Donald Trump”s real estate operations over the previous eight years.
According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, the Trump family alone has received approximately $1.2 billion in cash within a span of 16 months, in addition to unrealized crypto gains totaling $2.25 billion. Meanwhile, the Witkoff family has garnered at least $200 million during the same timeframe.
WLFI”s disclosures indicate that a staggering 75% of the proceeds from WLFI token sales are directed to a Trump-controlled entity, while 12.5% is allocated to the Witkoffs and co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. Notably, President Trump holds a 70% stake in this entity, with the remaining shares distributed among family members.
A pivotal moment for WLFI came in January 2025, when Abu Dhabi-backed investors purchased a 49% stake in the company for $500 million. This deal resulted in an immediate cash influx of $187 million to Trump entities and $31 million to the Witkoff family, as detailed by the New York Times. This transaction occurred just prior to the 2025 presidential inauguration and was linked to the UAE”s strategic interest in acquiring U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) chip technology.
Furthermore, WLFI has generated liquidity through a contentious strategy involving Alt5 Sigma, a company listed on Nasdaq, where WLFI acquired a controlling interest. Alt5 successfully raised $750 million from investors, with a significant portion used to buy WLFI tokens directly from World Liberty at a premium. This maneuver resulted in more than $500 million flowing to Trump entities and $90 million to the Witkoffs. However, the aftermath saw a sharp decline in both Alt5 shares and WLFI tokens.
In a separate context, Eric Trump maintains a substantial stake in another cryptocurrency initiative, American Bitcoin, which experienced a rapid valuation increase followed by a significant downturn post-listing.
Despite the financial successes, the White House has refuted any claims of conflicts of interest, asserting that the operations of these companies are independent of political influence.
