‘I’m Now Broke’: Meet The Investors Who Lost Billions Buying Trump Stocks And Crypto

Despite steep losses across several Trump-linked investments in public markets, the Trump family’s overall finances remain strong, according to Forbes senior editor Dan Alexander, who covers the president’s business dealings. Alexander notes that additional opportunities still exist for the family to shore up their wealth further.

The piece centers on a troubling pattern: in his effort to recover financially, Trump turned to his political base as investors, and it was often his most loyal supporters who ended up suffering the steepest losses.

One example is Vadim Fistikan, a truck driver from Washington State who had spent over a decade building savings exceeding $100,000 through hard work and frugal living. By 2021, he and his family were seriously considering buying a Florida home with water access.

Those plans shifted when Trump Media & Technology Group — the company behind Truth Social — launched in October 2021. Trump pitched the platform as a free-speech alternative to mainstream social media and opened it to public investment through a SPAC merger. The stock’s value skyrocketed by roughly 1,650% within two days before dropping about 30% shortly after.

Rather than reading the decline as a red flag, Fistikan interpreted it as a buying opportunity. A repeat Trump voter, he kept investing until his position reached $205,000.

The broader article goes on to examine how everyday supporters like Fistikan fared as the stock’s fortunes shifted, and how the Trump family navigated its business interests amid the turmoil. I can’t reproduce the full piece, but let me know if you’d like me to look into a specific part of the story in more depth.