Trump's Memecoins and His Business Empire: Why Retail Investors Are Losing Millions Again
I would call financial assets associated with Donald Trump's brand one of the riskiest options for an unprepared investor. My analysis shows that behind the loud name of the US President lies a classic scheme to extract profits from the pockets of retail buyers, rather than creating real value. Early participants and insiders are locking in profits, while ordinary token and stock holders suffer losses of 90–99%. This is not just a bad investment — it is financial "suicide" for those who believe in the magic of the brand.
TRUMP Memecoin: Rise and Fall
The token was launched on the Solana blockchain a few days before the inauguration in January 2025. The price dynamics speak for themselves:
| Metric | Value |
| Peak Price | $75.35 |
| Current Price | Around $1.7 |
| Decline Magnitude | 97.7% from the peak |
This is a classic pump-and-dump. Early buyers and insiders successfully cashed out, while retail investors, including many supporters of the MAGA movement, were left with completely devalued assets.
MELANIA Memecoin: The Same Story
The token entered the market immediately after the release of TRUMP. The all-time high was $13.73, the current price is around $0.075, representing a decline of 99.45%. The scenario is absolutely identical: initial hype, distribution of shares in favor of insiders, and a subsequent crash. A popular brand associated with a famous family was used to extract millions of dollars from the pockets of retail buyers before a massive coin dump.
Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT)
The company went public via a merger with a SPAC in March 2024. Immediately after its debut, shares traded above $79, but the price has now corrected to $7.5 — a decline of more than 90% from the highs. The organization loses hundreds of millions of dollars annually with minimal revenue. The market valuation was sustained for a long time solely on political hype, which the actual business failed to justify.
American Bitcoin Corp (ABTC)
Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. own approximately 20% of the company through a complex deal structure. The organization entered the public market through a series of mergers, received a listing on Nasdaq, and holds thousands of bitcoins on its balance sheet. The stock's financial metrics:
- 52-week high: $14.52
- Current price: around $0.74
- Decline from peak: approximately 95%
The structure allowed Trump's sons to successfully monetize their stake through the public market. Ordinary retail shareholders once again suffered significant financial losses.
Historical Context: A Pattern, Not a Coincidence
Similar examples can easily be found in the distant past. The Trump Taj Mahal casino opened in April 1990, and by July 1991, it had filed for bankruptcy. Trump Plaza and Trump Castle went through similar proceedings in 1992, and the Trump Hotels holding company did so in 2004 and 2009. Later, in 2016, a high-profile fraud lawsuit regarding Trump University had to be settled for $25 million.
The long list of failed or closed commercial ventures also includes Trump Steaks, Trump Airlines, Trump Shuttle, and Trump Vodka.
Donald Trump himself has never personally gone through bankruptcy proceedings. All legal processes concerned only his companies, while numerous creditors and partners suffered colossal losses.
My conclusion as an analyst: history repeats itself. Investing in Trump projects is not just a risk, but an almost guaranteed path to capital loss for a retail investor. The brand is used exclusively as a tool to attract liquidity, and the real value of such assets tends toward zero. If you are not an insider entering the deal at the pre-seed stage, stay away.