Marketed as the “most exclusive invitation in the World,” the dinner did more than just stir headlines, it temporarily pumped the meme coin’s value by 60% as investors scrambled to secure an invite.
Held on a Thursday evening at Trump National Golf Club just outside Washington, D.C., the event drew an estimated $400 million in total from attendees, each shelling out an average of $1 million to attend. Yet for most guests, the experience seemed to fall short of expectations.
Only the top 25 $TRUMP “whales” were treated to a private reception with the U.S. President. The rest were left to network amongst themselves while dining on what many attendees described as subpar cuisine and enduring a short speech from Trump, who departed swiftly after addressing the room.
Nicholas Pinto, a business influencer who invested approximately $300,000 in the $TRUMP token, criticized the dinner in scathing terms. He said:
“It was the worst food I’ve ever had at a golf course. The entrée, a surf and turf combo of halibut and filet mignon, was more like a Walmart steak.”
Photos circulating on social media supported his account, showing what resembled a poorly executed airline meal more than a luxury banquet.
Among the few to receive more than a disappointing meal was Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire and entrepreneur.
Sun had reportedly invested $75 million into $WLFI, the Trump family’s digital token for their World Liberty Financial exchange. Despite facing a civil fraud suit from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, his charges were mysteriously frozen following this hefty investment.
Justin Sun Expressing His Enthusiasm For Donald Trump’s Dinner
Source: X (@justinsuntron)
Sun, who claims to be the largest holder of $TRUMP with a stake worth around $19 million, was one of a few elite backers, and two lucky raffle winners, who received a $100,000 gold Trump-branded watch.
However, the U.S. President did not personally hand out these extravagant gifts. Still, Sun flaunted his on X and defended the event in a recent interview:
“All the haters need to really pay attention. There are positive things happening in the industry.”
Outside the event, protests erupted. Demonstrators, including Oregon Senator Jeff Merkley, rallied with signs reading “USA IS NOT FOR SALE” and “DEMOCRACY NOT KLEPTOCRACY.” Many critics demanded transparency, urging the White House to release the full list of dinner attendees, most of whom remain unidentified.
When pressed on the ethics of the event, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed that Trump was attending “in his personal time.” However, he arrived via Marine One, a presidential aircraft, and gave his remarks flanked by American flags and the presidential seal, hardly casual optics.
Anticipation around the event temporarily spiked the price of $TRUMP to nearly $16. However, as the dinner unfolded and disillusionment set in, the token’s value began to drop, falling below $13 by Friday afternoon.
Moreover, various Trump-affiliated companies reportedly control around 800 million of the total coin supply, meaning their stake, at current market prices, is valued at nearly $10 billion.
Despite the token’s inherent volatility, the Trump family and their insiders are insulated from market swings, having already made at least $300 million in transaction fees as the meme coin was traded.
Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for everyday investors. Attracted by the promise of MAGA-themed financial gains, many poured money into $TRUMP only to suffer significant losses.
By February 2025, retail investors had collectively lost over $2 billion as the meme coin crashed after an early surge.
While elite $TRUMP investors walked away with gold watches and proximity to power, many others were left with empty wallets and the realization that they had paid dearly for a seat at the table of what increasingly resembles a modern-day political Ponzi scheme.
For investors and citizens alike, the message seems clear: when political power and crypto intersect, the house always wins, and it usually bears the Trump name.
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