Since Donald Trump Jr. joined VC firm 1789 Capital after his father won the election, he has been actively monetizing the Make America Great Again (MAGA) ecosystem.
Trump Jr. has been making strategic investments across various sectors, including media, pharmaceuticals, firearms, and cryptocurrency, while also opposing environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) policies, according to the Financial Times.
The venture capital firm was co-founded by Trump donor Omeed Malik, who is also a backer of Substack, and has received support from Rebekah Mercer, a key financial supporter of the conservative news site Breitbart. Other early backers of 1789 Capital include conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, right-wing radio host Clay Travis, and prominent investor Marc Andreessen, as reported by Bloomberg.
Located less than two miles from Mar-a-Lago, the 1789 Capital team remains deeply entrenched in Trump’s political and business circles. The firm has already led a $15 million seed funding round for Tucker Carlson’s new media company, invested over $50 million into Elon Musk’s ventures xAI and SpaceX, backed a beverage company founded by the right-wing YouTube group Nelk Boys, and provided funding for the prediction platform Polymarket, according to Bloomberg.
The firm is reportedly seeking acquisition opportunities under the assumption that a Trump administration will relax financial regulatory rules, an anonymous source told Bloomberg.
Since Inauguration Day, 1789 Capital has raised $500 million and aims to reach at least $1 billion for its first fund by mid-year, with a focus on securing investments from endowments and pension funds in Republican-led states.
Meanwhile, Trump Jr. has taken on board positions with three publicly traded companies, including a drone manufacturer, a conservative-focused marketplace, and a fintech firm, according to Bloomberg and the Financial Times. Additionally, he serves on the board of BlinkRX, a 1789 Capital portfolio company specializing in pharmaceutical deliveries. He is also an adviser to the firearm retailer GrabAGun, which he and Malik are reportedly planning to take public this year. Furthermore, he advises the prediction market platform Kalshi and, alongside his brother Eric, has invested in the biotech company Dominari Holdings. Trump Jr. also remains the sole trustee of Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social.
Many observers were surprised by Trump Jr.’s deeper involvement in the startup and investment sectors following his father’s return to the presidency, Bloomberg reported. However, this move signals the growing economic and social connections between key figures in Silicon Valley and political power players in Washington, D.C.
