$TRUMP coin buyers spent $140 million to have dinner with President
Buyers of the $TRUMP meme coin collectively spent over $140 million in pursuit of an exclusive dinner with former President Donald Trump.
The data comes from latest analysis conducted by crypto intelligence firm Inca Digital. The incentive was announced on April 23, with the top 220 holders of the digital currency by May 12 promised an "intimate dinner" with Trump.
The promotion caused a 40% surge in the coin's value, partially rebounding from an 88% crash in previous weeks.
Data shows that individual buyers shelled out anywhere between $53,500 and $16.4 million for a coveted invite.
The top holder, known only as 'Sun VIP,' remains anonymous—as do most participants, with transactions traced to offshore exchanges like Bybit and Gate.io that do not serve U.S. customers.
'A ton of these users sent funds to international exchanges,' said Austin Ryan, marketing director at Inca Digital. 'That suggests many are outside the U.S.'
The Trump dinner offer has triggered concerns among government watchdogs and lawmakers about political access being tied to financial investments in a Trump-branded digital asset.
The $TRUMP coin is partially owned by CIC Digital, an affiliate of the Trump Organization, meaning Trump and his family are likely to financially benefit from the coin's trading volume.
Watchdog group Accountable.US warned about the lack of transparency around the top coin holders. 'They are shrouded by their anonymous crypto usernames,' said Tony Carrk, its executive director.
The dinner is scheduled for 22 May at the Trump National Golf Club in Washington, D.C. The top 25 investors will receive a special VIP reception and tour.
Trump's son Eric previously described the meme coin as 'the hottest digital meme on earth.'
The $TRUMP coin operates through a decentralized exchange, making money via liquidity pools and trading fees.
While decentralization is a core principle of cryptocurrency, critics say the coin's link to Trump's real estate empire blurs ethical lines between politics and finance.
Neither the Trump Organization nor the White House responded to requests for comment.
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