58 Elite Investors Reap $1.1 Billion From Trump Coin as 764,000 Face Losses

WASHINGTON — A tiny elite of just 58 cryptocurrency wallets have amassed more than $1.1 billion in profits from President Donald Trump’s meme coin, while approximately 764,000 wallets — mostly small investors — have lost money on their investments, according to a bombshell analysis by blockchain firm Chainalysis. The stark disparity, revealed in data shared with CNBC, raises troubling questions about wealth concentration in the controversial presidential token ahead of a planned dinner for top holders.

The findings come as the White House prepares to host an “intimate private dinner” on May 22 at Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C., for the top 220 holders of the $TRUMP meme coin. The exclusive event, which also includes a special reception for the 25 wallets with the largest balances and a White House tour, has drawn intense scrutiny from lawmakers and ethics experts questioning the propriety of selling presidential access based on investment size.

Small Investors Left Holding Losses

While approximately 2 million wallets have purchased the $TRUMP token since its January launch, the vast majority of financial gains have flowed to a remarkably small number of investors. The 58 wallets that made over $10 million each represent just 0.0029% of total investors but have captured billions in value, creating what critics describe as a dramatically uneven playing field.

“Most of the wallets that lost money held smaller amounts of the token,” according to the Chainalysis analysis cited by CNBC, indicating that everyday investors have borne the brunt of the token’s price volatility. The token’s value has fluctuated dramatically since its January debut, at one point reaching a market capitalization of $15 billion before losing much of that value in subsequent weeks.

Financial experts have expressed alarm about both the ownership concentration and promotional tactics behind the token. The $TRUMP meme coin surged more than 50% in value after the dinner announcement, according to CBS News, a price movement that further enriched large holders while potentially attracting new investors unaware of the extreme profit disparities.

Presidential Access for Sale?

The exclusive dinner has become a flashpoint in Washington, with critics arguing it creates a direct pathway for buying access to the president through cryptocurrency purchases. The event promises participants an opportunity to “Hear close-up, from President Trump, about the future of Crypto!” according to the official token website.

The $TRUMP token’s value jumped as much as $5.32, or 58%, to $14.32 immediately following the dinner announcement, CBS News reported. This substantial price movement highlights the market-moving power of presidential announcements related to personal business ventures, a scenario without precedent in modern presidential history.

The dinner eligibility will be determined by tracking the average holdings of $TRUMP owners from April 23 to May 12, creating what the website describes as a “fierce” competition for limited spots. This structure has prompted concerns about whether wealthy individuals or foreign entities could purchase tokens specifically to gain private presidential access.

Insiders Continue to Profit Despite Token Restrictions

The ownership structure of the $TRUMP token raises additional questions about conflicts of interest. According to disclosure documents, CIC Digital LLC, an affiliate of The Trump Organization, and Fight Fight Fight LLC own 80% of the meme coins, with only 20% of the token’s total supply currently in circulation.

The remaining 80% is reportedly controlled by these Trump-affiliated entities under a three-year vesting schedule, with insiders agreeing not to sell their allocations for “another few months,” CNBC reported. Despite these restrictions, insiders have already earned substantial revenue from the token.

“Since January, more than $324 million in trading fees have been routed to wallets tied to the project’s creators,” according to Chainalysis data cited by CNBC. These fees are automatically directed to specific addresses through the token’s code, allowing the development team to profit from ongoing trading activity regardless of price fluctuations.

Congressional Scrutiny Intensifies

The extreme profit disparity revealed in the Chainalysis data has caught the attention of lawmakers from both parties. The Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations has launched a formal probe into the token’s ownership structure and revenue model, with particular focus on whether the dinner constitutes an inappropriate mixing of presidential duties with personal financial gain.

Democratic Senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren have also formally requested an ethics investigation, characterizing the dinner as potential “pay to play” corruption. Even some Republican senators have expressed reservations about the event, creating rare bipartisan concern over a presidential business venture.

The controversy has extended beyond the dinner itself to include the broader regulatory implications of presidential involvement in cryptocurrency. Lawmakers have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest as the president oversees appointments to agencies responsible for cryptocurrency regulation while personally profiting from digital assets.

With the May 22 dinner approaching, market observers anticipate further volatility in the token’s price as investors jockey for positions in the top 220 wallets. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of smaller investors continue facing losses on their initial investments, highlighting the financial risks of politically-linked meme coins.