New York
CNN
—
Truth Social owner Trump Media & Technology Group has finalized its deal to go public, creating a massive windfall for former President Donald Trump that doubles his net worth.
After Trump Media announced it will make its stock market debut on Tuesday, Trump for the first time joined the list of the world’s 500 wealthiest people on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.
Bloomberg estimated Trump’s net worth spiked by $4 billion on Monday alone, giving him a fortune of $6.5 billion.
The closing of the merger between Trump Media and Digital World Acquisition Corp. amounts to a multi-billion dollar windfall for Trump, who is the chairman and dominant shareholder of the new company.
News of the merger’s completion propelled shares of Digital World up 21%. Buying continued Monday afternoon, boosting Digital World 39% higher on the day to around $51. At current prices, Trump’s stake is valued at about $4 billion. However, there are lock-up restrictions that would likely prevent Trump from selling or even borrowing against the value of that stock for months.
Trading of the new company under the ticker symbol “DJT” on the Nasdaq Stock Market is set to begin on Tuesday, the companies said.
Devin Nunes, the CEO of the combined company, said in a statement that the business will move to “reclaim the Internet from Big Tech censors.”
“We will continue to fulfill our commitment to Americans to serve as a safe harbor for free expression and to stand up to the ever-growing army of speech suppressors,” Nunes said.
Shares of Digital World Acquisition Corp (DWAC), the shell company that now owns Truth Social, surged more than 20% on Monday. The stock is up over 170% over the past six months.
Experts warn that the market is overvaluing Trump Media given the company’s fundamentals.
Trump Media generated just $3.4 million of revenue through the first nine months of last year, according to SEC filings. The company posted a net loss of $49 million over that span.
Meanwhile, Truth Social’s user base is shrinking – more so than that of X, the company formerly known as Twitter.
The number of Truth Social’s US monthly active users on iOS and Android is down 39% year-over-year, according to Similarweb data shared with CNN earlier this month.
In anticipation of its merger with Trump Media, trading of DWAC shares had embodied the same kind of frenzy shown in Tupperware’s stock surge last July, or that of meme stocks AMC Entertainment and GameStop during the height of the pandemic. On Truth Social, there are more than 8,000 members in a chat group titled “The DWAC Shareholder Group,” where users discuss the shareholder vote to approve the merger and post memes and supportive messages.
Contributing: CNN’s Elisabeth Buchwald and Krystal Hur.
This story has been updated with additional context.
FAQ:
Q: What are the financial implications of Trump Media’s merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp?
A: The merger between Trump Media Group and Digital World Acquisition Corp resulted in a significant windfall for former President Donald Trump, doubling his net worth. The market responded positively, with shares of Digital World surging and Trump’s stake being valued at about $4 billion. However, there are lock-up restrictions in place that may limit Trump’s ability to sell or borrow against his stock for a period of time.
Q: What concerns have experts raised about the valuation of Trump Media?
A: Experts have warned that the market may be overvaluing Trump Media, citing the company’s relatively low revenue and significant net loss in recent financial filings. Additionally, the user base of Truth Social, owned by Trump Media, has shown a decline compared to other social media platforms.
Q: How has the market reacted to the merger and trading of DWAC shares?
A: Trading of DWAC shares leading up to and following the merger with Trump Media exhibited a high level of speculative trading activity reminiscent of meme stock frenzies seen in the past. While the stock surged, experts caution that the fundamentals of the company may not justify its market valuation.
