Mystery Mega-Donors, $100K Watches: Inside Trump’s Controversial Meme-Coin Gala

More than 200 deep-pocketed holders of the $TRUMP meme coin converged on Trump National Golf Club in Virginia for a black-tie dinner that critics have branded an “orgy of corruption.” Attendees burned an estimated US $148 million in token purchases to secure seats; the top 25 wallets—worth US $111 million—shared a pre-dinner VIP reception, while the four largest investors received limited-edition Trump Tourbillon watches retailing at US $100,000 each. Outside the gates, demonstrators waved placards reading “America is not for sale” and demanded the guest list be released.

Blockchain sleuths say two Trump-controlled entities still hold 80 % of outstanding $TRUMP coins and have raked in roughly US $320 million in fees since January—a windfall Democrats call “a race to the bottom for presidential grifting.” China-born crypto mogul Justin Sun topped the donor list with an US $18.5 million wallet, even as Senate Democrats cited his presence—and that of pseudonymous adviser “Ogle”—as proof the event blurred ethical lines. White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt defended the affair, insisting all presidential assets sit in a blind trust managed by Trump’s children.

The backlash is galvanizing calls on Capitol Hill to ban sitting presidents from cashing in on digital assets. Sen. Elizabeth Warren warned that opaque foreign money could sway U.S. policy, while Wyoming Republican crypto-champ Cynthia Lummis admitted the soirée gave her “pause.” For now, Trump’s meme-coin empire marches on: analytics firms report 60 “whale” wallets have booked nearly US $1.5 billion in gains, while roughly 600,000 smaller holders are down almost US $4 billion—an illustration, critics say, of how presidential power is being repackaged into speculative profit.

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