Donald Trump Set for Another $1.25 Billion Truth Social Windfall

Donald Trump is on the cusp of a major financial bonus – at least on paper – as long as the share price of Trump Media & Technology Group doesn’t spectacularly fall by the end of trading today. Trump is set to receive another 36 million shares as the owner of his social media site, Truth Social, worth around $1.25 billion at Monday’s price. The former president is entitled to these “earnout shares” as long as the trading price of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, does not fall below $17.50. Currently, it is trading for around double that price.

Trump already holds 78.75 million shares in Trump Media & Technology Group, making him the majority shareholder. The additional 36 million shares would be on top of that, bringing his total stake in Trump Media to more than $4 billion on paper when the earnout shares are included. However, there’s a catch: any shares he owns are subject to a lock-up period that prohibits him from selling them within the next six months.

Despite being embroiled in the ongoing hush money criminal trial, Trump’s financial fortunes continue to rise. He has faced hefty monetary judgments against him this year, including over $500 million ordered by two separate New York judges in different court cases. Yet, with more than $200 million in the bank and zero debt, Trump Media remains committed to its business plan.

The earnout shares are obtained based on specific benchmarks being met over 20 consecutive trading days within a 30-trading-day period. As today marks the 20th day, it’s unlikely that the DJT ticker will fall below the benchmark by the end of the day. Trump Media has the authority to issue a total of 40 million earnout shares as part of the merger deals that combined the company with a publicly traded shell corporation, Digital World Acquisition Corp. Since the merger, the company has been publicly trading under the DJT ticker, opening at around $70 per share on March 26.

In summary, Donald Trump’s already sizable stake in Truth Social is set to jump by more than $1 billion, thanks to these additional shares. While the financial landscape remains complex, Trump’s fortunes continue to be closely watched by investors and the public alike.