Full story
Profits vs. losses
President Donald Trump launched his $TRUMP memecoin in the days leading up to his second inauguration, and 6abc Philadelphia said the venture netted Trump hundreds of millions of dollars last year as overall crypto gains topped $1 billion.
“Even as $TRUMP memecoin investors lost money, Trump reaped the rewards”
6abc Philadelphia reported that $TRUMP catapulted to a $15 billion market valuation and is now worth just $400 million, describing a 97% implosion.
Benzinga France said nearly a million investors who bought TRUMP collectively lost $3.81 billion, with Nansen finding 988,905 wallets—about two-thirds of all TRUMP buyers—were underwater by the end of June 2025.
Benzinga France added that fewer than 500,000 wallets generated profits totaling about $4 billion, while it said the president’s annual financial disclosure revealed he earned about $636 million from the meme coin project in 2025.
6abc Philadelphia said Trump Organization affiliates CIC Digital and Fight Fight Fight LLC control 80% of the coin's supply, and it reported that Trump earned transaction fees each time $TRUMP was bought or sold.
How Trump defended it
6abc Philadelphia reported that Trump told reporters at Joint Base Andrews before a flight to North Dakota, "You know why I'm profiting, because the stock market's going up," adding, "Everybody's profiting."
In a CNBC interview cited by 6abc Philadelphia, Trump defended his crypto gains by saying, "There's nothing illegal. There's nothing wrong with it."
Benzinga France said the White House rejected suggestions that Trump profited at the expense of investors, quoting White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly as saying, "President Trump has proudly made the United States the global crypto capital."
Benzinga France also said Nansen found gains were concentrated among a relatively small group of early buyers who benefited before the token's steep decline, while later retail buyers absorbed most of the losses that followed.
6abc Philadelphia described how Trump’s companies are the majority owners of the tokens and said the memecoins’ price is meaningless to Trump because he earned transaction fees regardless of whether $TRUMP rose or fell.
Supporters face the mess
Forbes described investor losses tied to Trump’s broader financial ventures, saying Vadim Fistikan’s investment in the Truth Social SPAC reached $205,000 and is now worth $30,000.
“Vadim Fistikan started working at 17 and built the kind of savings that usually takes years of overtime, delayed purchases and adult restraint: more than $100,000 by the time he hit his late twenties”
Forbes quoted Fistikan saying, "I’m like, 'Hey, this is a scam,'" and later, "I’m now broke."
The Daily Beast said investors were $7 billion in the hole, and it quoted Chad Nedohin as saying, "We’re just poor cattle to them," adding, "He doesn’t care about anyone."
The Daily Beast reported that Trump Media has cratered 89 percent from its peak, while it said World Liberty tokens have plunged 82 percent and Trump’s memecoin has lost 98 percent of its value.
Futurism said one superfan, Vadim Fistikan, told Forbes that at its peak his investment reached $205,000 and today it is worth $30,000, framing his experience as being on the receiving end of a presidential con job.
