- - Trump Family-Affiliated World Liberty Financial Generated $1.4 Billion In 16 Months

Parshwa TurakhiyaFebruary 12, 2026 at 1:01 AM

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World Liberty Financial (CRYPTO: WLFI) has generated at least $1.4 billion for the Trump and Witkoff families since November 2024—more than Donald Trump‘s real estate empire generated in eight years.

The $1.4B Payday

According to a Wall Street Journal feature, World Liberty earned the Trump family at least $1.2 billion in cash over 16 months, plus $2.25 billion in paper gains from crypto holdings.

The Witkoffs earned at least $200 million.

For context, Trump’s real estate empire took eight years to generate $1.2 billion in cash between 2010 and 2017.

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World Liberty’s disclosures show 75% of WLFI token sales flow directly to a Trump entity, 12.5% to Witkoffs, and 12.5% to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro.

President Trump owns 70% of that Trump entity while unnamed family members own 30%.

The Abu Dhabi deal accelerated the windfall.

On January 16, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s lieutenants purchased 49% of World Liberty for $500 million.

The Trump family received $187 million upfront while Witkoff entities got $31 million, creating immediate liquidity beyond the token sales.

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The Alt5 Mechanism

World Liberty took a different approach to generating cash by buying a controlling stake in Alt5 Sigma (NASDAQ:ALTS).

The small Nasdaq-listed firm then raised $750 million from investors at $7.50 per share and directed almost all that money into buying WLFI tokens at 20 cents—60% above what private investors recently paid.

Unlike Strategy (NASDAQ:MSTR) buying Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) on open markets, Alt5 bought tokens directly from World Liberty.

The money flowed to founders: over $500 million to Trump entities and $90 million to Witkoffs.

Major hedge funds including Point72 ($37 million investment) and Soul Ventures ($85 million) began shedding holdings as Alt5 shares fell over 75% to $1.70.

WLFI tokens dropped to 10 cents.

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American Bitcoin’s Journey

Eric Trump holds a $90 million stake in American Bitcoin (NASDAQ:BTCM), which raised $220 million in June at a $1 billion valuation.

Cantor Fitzgerald—run by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick’s 28-year-old son Brandon—served as lead investment bank.

When it listed publicly in September, shares soared above a $5 billion market cap. American Bitcoin now trades around $1.30, down over 80%.

The White House maintains “there are no conflicts of interest” and the companies operate independently from their fathers.

World Liberty spokesman David Wachsman said the firm is “focused on deploying world-class products” with no conflicts.

Image: Shutterstock

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