Latest news with #AmericanUniversity
Mint
33 minutes ago
- Entertainment
- Mint
Who is Judge Judy? The no-nonsense judge who turned real cases into must-watch TV
Long before she became a household name, Judith Sheindlin was already shaking up the justice system. Better known by her courtroom alias, Judge Judy, Sheindlin transformed the legal television genre with her no-nonsense approach and sharp wit, serving justice from the bench—first in family court, and later, in millions of living rooms across the globe. Judge Judy made her television debut in 1996 after a 60 Minutes segment catapulted her into the public eye. At the time, she was known for her stern demeanour and zero tolerance for nonsense in Manhattan's family court. Originally appointed as a judge in 1982 by Mayor Ed Koch, she became supervising judge just four years later, overseeing emotionally charged cases involving child abuse, domestic violence, and juvenile crime. After more than two decades on the bench, she stepped into the spotlight with 'Judge Judy', an arbitration-based court show that would span 25 seasons. Though the programme was not an actual courtroom proceeding, Sheindlin did resolve real disputes as an arbitrator — a role that allowed her more flexibility than a traditional judge. She wasn't bound by the rules of civil procedure or evidence, which only added to the show's brisk and often explosive drama. Sheindlin's legal journey began in the early 1960s, when she became the only woman in her law class at American University's Washington College of Law. She then transferred to New York Law School, graduating with a juris doctorate in 1965. Her career trajectory defied expectations from the start: from cosmetics law to prosecution of violent crimes, she never shied away from uncharted territory. Her transition from legal anonymity to public figure was not planned—but it was earned. With multiple Daytime Emmy Awards to her name, and a Lifetime Achievement Emmy in 2019, Sheindlin's influence on both the judiciary and entertainment worlds is undeniable. 'Judge Judy' and its successor, 'Judy Justice', may be television shows, but the disputes are very real. The production team—according to long-time executive producer Randy Douthitt—scours court records across the U.S., thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. These cases are then pitched to the parties involved, who agree to have their matter settled by Sheindlin in a televised format. Douthitt noted that producers look for disputes with personal stakes and emotional tension—"a bit of a mini soap opera"—to captivate the audience. And yet, the decisions rendered on these shows are binding legal outcomes, making Sheindlin's arbitration a real form of alternative dispute resolution, albeit dramatised for television. Her latest venture, 'Justice on Trial', revisits controversial past cases with expert commentary and dramatic reenactments, further blurring the line between entertainment and serious legal critique. Beyond her television empire, Sheindlin has left an indelible mark on the legal education landscape. Since 2022, she has donated $5 million annually to fund full scholarships for ten women at New York Law School, covering tuition, books, and summer fellowships. It's a powerful gesture that echoes her own early struggles and achievements in a male-dominated legal environment.
See - Sada Elbalad
a day ago
- Entertainment
- See - Sada Elbalad
Ahmed El Fishawy to Star in Film "Saffah Al-Tagamoa"
Yara Sameh Egyptian actor Ahmed El Fishawy is attached to star in the film "The Fifth Settlement Murderer" ("Saffah Al-Tagamoa"), where he plays Karim Selim, known in the media as the Saffah Al-Tagamoa. El Fishawy announced the news on social media, alongside sharing the poster of the film. "Wait for Karim in 'Saffah Al-Tagamoa," a film written and directed by Mohamed Salah Al-Azab and produced by Ahmed El Sobky," he wrote on Instagram . This is the second project to be developed about the murderer. In June 2024, Azab, the scribe of the crime TV series "Saffah Al Giza", is penning the series. The 8-episode show is produced by Ahmed El Sobky and has actor Hassan El Raddad lined up to take the lead role. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ahmad AlFishawy (@fishawyofficial) Dubbed "the Fifth Settlement Murderer", in connection with a luxurious gated community on the outskirts of Cairo where he lived and killed his victims, a 36-year-old man, named Karim Selim, holder of a US passport, admitted during interrogation that he killed an unidentified number of women, other than the three whose bodies were discovered earlier this month. In the following weeks, the bodies of the women were discovered separately, each unclothed in deserted areas in provinces outside Cairo, as their clothes were extracted in other faraway areas afterward. The autopsy reports suggest that the three women were killed by the same person, as all showed similar signs of torture, including strangulation and flogging wounds. The evidence against the perpetrator also included a fingerprint on one of the women's clothes. Laboratory tests of the components of their stomach and blood further indicated narcotics in their system. Following investigations and the examination of CCTV footage in the areas leading to the location of the bodies, security forces managed to identify and apprehend the suspect. The authorities confiscated two mobile phones and a laptop belonging to him on which he videotaped the incidents committed inside a soundproof room at his flat allocated for his practices. The videos in question showed him performing intercourse with his victims after they died. During interrogation, the suspect confessed that he knew his victims online, some of whom he claimed were courtesans. The suspect asked them to come over to his home ,where he performed unusual sexual activities with them before he forced the women to consume drugs and killed them. The suspect acquired a college degree from the most prestigious university in Egypt, the American University in Cairo, and had worked as a teacher at an international school before he quit his job. He created a TikTok channel where he taught American English. read more New Tourism Route To Launch in Old Cairo Ahmed El Sakka-Led Play 'Sayidati Al Jamila' to Be Staged in KSA on Dec. 6 Mandy Moore Joins Season 2 of "Dr. Death" Anthology Series Don't Miss These Movies at 44th Cairo Int'l Film Festival Today Amr Diab to Headline KSA's MDLBEAST Soundstorm 2022 Festival Arts & Culture Mai Omar Stuns in Latest Instagram Photos Arts & Culture "The Flash" to End with Season 9 Arts & Culture Ministry of Culture Organizes four day Children's Film Festival Arts & Culture Canadian PM wishes Muslims Eid-al-Adha News Israeli-Linked Hadassah Clinic in Moscow Treats Wounded Iranian IRGC Fighters Arts & Culture "Jurassic World Rebirth" Gets Streaming Date News China Launches Largest Ever Aircraft Carrier Videos & Features Tragedy Overshadows MC Alger Championship Celebration: One Fan Dead, 11 Injured After Stadium Fall Lifestyle Get to Know 2025 Eid Al Adha Prayer Times in Egypt Arts & Culture South Korean Actress Kang Seo-ha Dies at 31 after Cancer Battle News "Tensions Escalate: Iran Probes Allegations of Indian Tech Collaboration with Israeli Intelligence" Sports Get to Know 2025 WWE Evolution Results News Flights suspended at Port Sudan Airport after Drone Attacks Arts & Culture Hawass Foundation Launches 1st Course to Teach Ancient Egyptian Language
Economic Key
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Key
Brouq Developments to Launch New Residential Project in New Cairo
Al Sayed, Brouq Developments Chairman, and businessman Magdy Abdel Ghani announced Brouq's preparations to launch a new residential hotel project in New Cairo, located in one of the city's most distinguished locations, and the company will announce the project's full details in the coming period, coinciding with the official launching. In this context, Eng. Ibrahim Al Sayed, stated that the project is strategically located next to the American University, amidst a group of integrated urban projects, which gives it a significant competitive advantage, enhances its success chances in attracting a distinct segment of clients seeking a sophisticated and integrated lifestyle within a sophisticated urban environment. He added that the project is among the company's plan to expand its real estate portfolio within the Egyptian market, which embodies its vision in offering a real estate product that redefines the concept of luxury housing, as it has been carefully designed to provide a residential experience that combines tranquility, quality, and privacy, besides providing all the essential and recreational services that meet client needs. He emphasized that Brouq, is an Egyptian-Gulf alliance, relies on the extensive experience of its founders which extends over two decades in Gulf and North African markets, besides owning an ambitious investment plan that seeks to have a strong and sustainable print in the Egyptian real estate market. He pointed that the new project includes fully finished units with various sizes, and will offer flexible payment plans and competitive advantages, which will be announced in details during the official launching phase. Ibrahim Al Sayed assured that the project represents a promising investment opportunity, emphasizing that the company continues to implement its expansion plan by leveraging its strong track record, extensive experience, and high financial solvency. It is worth noting that Brouq Developments Company implemented a number of distinguished projects abroad, including: 'Brouq Tower', 'Al Rayyan', 'Al Hilala Residence', and 'Al Brouq Residence', in addition to its projects inside Egypt, such as: Spark Capital Insight, Bling Capital Center, and Terraside Business Park. تم نسخ الرابط
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
For Sale: Trump leveraging power of his office to reap profits for family businesses
If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term, it's this: He's leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history. ADVERTISEMENT From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government. "He is president and is supposed to be working in the public's interest," said James Thurber, an emeritus professor at American University, who has researched lobbying, campaign finance and political corruption for decades. "Instead, he is helping his own personal interest to grow his wealth. It's totally not normal." The sums amassed by the Trump Organisation, the collection of companies controlled by the president's children, are far greater than those collected by the family during the president's first term, when patronage of his hotels, resorts and golf courses was de rigueur to curry favour with the famously transactional commander-in-chief. The second time around, the Trump family's ambitions are far grander, stretching from cyberspace to far-flung regions across the globe. One of Trump's cryptocurrencies is conservatively estimated to have pulled in at least $320 million since January, while another received a $2 billion investment from a foreign government wealth fund. A third has sold at least $550 million in tokens. ADVERTISEMENT His sons have jetted across the Middle East to line up new development deals, while his daughter and son-in-law are working with the Albanian government to build a Mediterranean island resort. Even first lady Melania Trump has inked a $40 million documentary deal with Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, was a frequent target of Trump during his first presidency and whose companies contract extensively with the federal government. ADVERTISEMENT The dealmaking is a rejection of Trump's first-term pledge to "drain the swamp" in Washington and dwarfs the influence peddling efforts of former President Joe Biden's family, whom Trump and his allies attacked as the "Biden Crime Family". While Democrats have condemned Trump for his overlapping roles as a beneficiary and president, he is not likely to face any immediate repercussions for such extensive conflicts-of-interest. ADVERTISEMENT Congress is controlled by fellow Republicans, and his administration is stocked with loyalists who have dismantled many guardrails of oversight. Last summer, the Supreme Court, with a conservative majority cemented by Trump, ruled that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. Even in the rare cases where Trump's allies have urged caution, the president has ignored them. That's what happened when he accepted a $400 million "beautiful, big, magnificent, free airplane" from the Qatari government. Trump said the Boeing 747 "would go directly" to his presidential library upon leaving office. ADVERTISEMENT "It's the Mount Everest of corruption" said Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. Since Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, presidents have gone to great lengths to avoid the appearance of such conflicts. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan kept assets in a "blind trust," while George H W Bush used a "diversified trust," which blocked him from knowing what was in his portfolio. His son, George W Bush, used a similar arrangement. Barack Obama was an exception, but his investments were mostly a bland mix of index funds and US treasuries. During his first term, Trump even gave a nod toward ethics. He issued a moratorium on foreign deals. But instead of placing his assets in a blind trust like many of his predecessors, he handed the reins of the Trump Organisation to his children, which kept his financial holdings close. This time, he has made no such gesture. His sons, Eric and Donald Jr, are again running the business while Trump is in office. And though the White House says he is not involved in its day-to-day decisions, the trust he has established continues to profit. He promotes his resorts, merchandise and the family's crypto ventures while residing in the White House, often from his account on Truth Social, the social media company he and his allies launched. He's also touted a line of Trump shoes, a Bible, which is made in China, and Trump guitars, one of which is a $1,500 Gibson Les Paul knockoff, featuring "Make America Great Again" fret inlays. Conservative groups and Republican committees have spent at least $25 million at Trump properties since 2015, with most of it coming from Trump's own political organisation, campaign finance disclosures show. Yet, those ventures pale in comparison to his exploits in cryptocurrency, which offers perhaps the clearest example of the conflicts of interest that have come to dominate Trump's second term. Trump was once a crypto sceptic who declared that cryptocurrencies were "not money," were based on "thin air" and seemed "like a scam." By the time he was running again for president, however, he'd become a proponent of the industry. "The difference now is he has realised that it can be his scam," said Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University who specialises in banking and cryptocurrencies. Trump has pledged to turn the US into the "crypto capital of the world" and promised to roll back oversight of the industry. Deregulation, of course, will help his own businesses. At the height of the campaign, Trump announced the launch of his own crypto coin and World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm that would be run by his sons and several business associates. Among those partners was Steve Witkoff, now one of Trump's top diplomatic envoys. The Trump Organisation and World Liberty Financial declined to comment. But it was also rooted in his 2024 campaign. At a crypto event at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in May 2024, he received assurances that industry figures would spend lavishly to get him reelected, The Associated Press previously reported. Asked recently at the White House if he'd consider having his family business step back from its crypto investments to avoid questions about conflicts of interest, Trump said: "We've created a very powerful industry. That's much more important than anything that we invest in." "I don't care about investing. You know, I have kids and they invest in it, because they do believe in it," Trump added of crypto. "But I'm president, and what I did do there was build an industry that's very important. And, if we didn't have it, China would." Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, reiterated that Trump's crypto boosterism isn't driven by self-interest. He "is taking decisive action to establish regulatory clarity for digital financial technology and to secure America's position as the world's leader in the digital asset economy," Fields said. "The Trump administration," Fields added, "is fulfilling the president's promise to make the United States the crypto capital of the planet by driving innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans." Trump is soon expected to sign cryptocurrency legislation approved by Congress on Thursday. Among the provisions is a ban on members of Congress issuing their own brand of a particular type of cryptocurrency. The prohibition does not extend to the president. Fields said it was unfair to equate critics' charges of conflicts of interest against Trump with the president's own suggestions that Biden's family benefited financially while he was in office. He said Trump's policies haven't benefited the president personally and have nothing to do with his family's financial concerns - and said Trump entered the White House an already successful businessman who didn't need a political career to become rich. Even so, Trump's family is poised to benefit financially from the crypto industry's growing clout. It holds a majority ownership stake that entitles them to 75% of earnings from their first coin, released last September, according to World Liberty Financial's website. The coin, $WLFI, was not an immediate success. Then, after the president's election, sales took off. Days before his inauguration, Trump announced a new meme coin, $Trump, during the "Crypto Ball," a Washington gala intended to showcase a regulatory sea change he vowed to usher in. "Time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING!" Trump posted to his X account. "Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW." Trump's meme coin generated at least $320 million in fees Often created as a joke with no real utility, meme coins are prone to wild price swings that often enrich a small group of insiders at the expense of less sophisticated investors. $Trump soared to over $70, but its price soon collapsed, losing money for many. It has hovered around $10 since March. Trump did well, though. By the end of April, the coin had earned over $320 million in fees, according to an analysis by the crypto tracking firm Chainalysis. A third cryptocurrency, a "stablecoin" called USD1, launched in April. There appear to be upsides for Trump's cryptocurrency investors and associates. Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire, has disclosed investing nearly $200 million in the Trumps' various crypto ventures. Amid this spree, the Trump administration announced it had paused a securities fraud case against him. In June, Sun announced he was taking his crypto company, Tron, public after securing financing through a deal brokered by Eric Trump. Last week, Sun posted on Twitter that he was purchasing an additional $100 million worth of Trump's meme coin. Sun is not the only one. Changpen Zhao, a convicted felon who founded the crypto exchange Binance, was part of a megadeal in which a United Arab Emirates-controlled wealth fund invested $2 billion in the Trump stablecoin, USD1, which it used to purchase a stake in Zhao's Binance. The deal gave outsized publicity to World Liberty Financial and instantly made the stablecoin one of the top in the market. It will also allow the Trump family and their business partners to reinvest the $2 billion and collect interest, estimated to be worth as much as $80 million a year. Soon after the purchase was announced, Trump granted the UAE greater access to US artificial intelligence chips, which it had long sought. Binance and Zhao benefited, too. Binance is restricted in the US and entered a settlement with the Biden administration that sent Zhao to jail in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program. Prosecutors said he looked the other way as criminals used his platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism. In May, Trump's Securities and Exchange Commission dropped the final federal enforcement action against Binance. Zhao, who goes by CZ, is now seeking a pardon. The White House says no decision has been made on issuing such a grant of clemency. Trump announced several months ago a new promotion that would trade on his presidency: He was hosting a dinner at his Virginia golf club for the top 220 investors in his meme coin, $Trump, with a special White House tour for the top 25. That fuelled a temporary rise in the coin's value. It also helped enrich the Trump Organisation, which is entitled to collect fees when the coin is traded. A month later, Trump addressed attendees of the dinner, standing before a lectern with the presidential seal. The White House said at the time that it had nothing to do with the meme coin. For decades, campaign contributions and lobbying have been governed by laws that place limits on how much donors can give, require a degree of transparency and limit how politicians can spend the money they raise. Trump's venture into cryptocurrency effectively sidesteps these laws, legal and finance experts say. "It's a lot like the Trump Hotel from the first term, but what crypto has done is dispensed with the need for the hotel," said Allen, the law professor. "Because crypto assets can be made out of thin air, he has found a way of creating an unlimited supply of assets to offer to people who want to give."
4 days ago
- Business
Trump is leveraging power of his office to reap profits for family businesses
WASHINGTON -- If one theme has emerged in President Donald Trump's second term, it's this: He's leveraged the power of his office for personal gain unlike anyone before in history. From crypto coins to bibles, overseas development deals to an upcoming line of cellphones, Trump family businesses have raked in hundreds of millions of dollars since his election, an unprecedented flood of often shadowy money from billionaires, foreign governments and cryptocurrency tycoons with interests before the federal government. 'He is president and is supposed to be working in the public's interest,' said James Thurber, an emeritus professor at American University, who has researched lobbying, campaign finance and political corruption for decades. 'Instead, he is helping his own personal interest to grow his wealth. It's totally not normal.' The sums amassed by the Trump Organization, the collection of companies controlled by the president's children, are far greater than those collected by the family during the president's first term, when patronage of his hotels, resorts and golf courses was de rigueur to curry favor with the famously transactional commander-in-chief. The second time around, the Trump family's ambitions are far grander, stretching from cyberspace to far-flung regions across the globe. One of Trump's cryptocurrencies is conservatively estimated to have pulled in at least $320 million since January, while another received a $2 billion investment from a foreign government wealth fund. A third has sold at least $550 million in tokens. His sons have jetted across the Middle East to line up new development deals, while his daughter and son-in-law are working with the Albanian government to build a Mediterranean island resort. Even first lady Melania Trump has inked a $40 million documentary deal with Amazon, whose founder, Jeff Bezos, was a frequent target of Trump during his first presidency and whose companies contract extensively with the federal government. The dealmaking is a rejection of Trump's first-term pledge to 'drain the swamp' in Washington and dwarfs the influence peddling efforts of former President Joe Biden's family, whom Trump and his allies attacked as the 'Biden Crime Family.' While Democrats have condemned Trump for his overlapping roles as a beneficiary and president, he is not likely to face any immediate repercussions for such extensive conflicts-of-interest. Congress is controlled by fellow Republicans, and his administration is stocked with loyalists who have dismantled many guardrails of oversight. Last summer, the Supreme Court, with a conservative majority cemented by Trump, ruled that presidents have broad immunity from prosecution. Even in the rare cases where Trump's allies have urged caution, the president has ignored them. That's what happened when he accepted a $400 million 'beautiful, big, magnificent, free airplane' from the Qatari government. Trump said the Boeing 747 'would go directly' to his presidential library upon leaving office. 'It's the Mount Everest of corruption' said Sen. Jeff Merkley, an Oregon Democrat. Since Richard Nixon resigned in disgrace, presidents have gone to great lengths to avoid the appearance of such conflicts. Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan kept assets in a 'blind trust,' while George H.W. Bush used a 'diversified trust,' which blocked him from knowing what was in his portfolio. His son, George W. Bush, used a similar arrangement. Barack Obama was an exception, but his investments were mostly a bland mix of index funds and U.S. treasuries. During his first term, Trump even gave a nod toward ethics. He issued a moratorium on foreign deals. But instead of placing his assets in a blind trust like many of his predecessors, he handed the reins of the Trump Organization to his children, which kept his financial holdings close. This time, he has made no such gesture. His sons, Eric and Donald Jr., are again running the business while Trump is in office. And though the White House says he is not involved in its day-to-day decisions, the trust he has established continues to profit. He promotes his resorts, merchandise and the family's crypto ventures while residing in the White House, often from his account on Truth Social, the social media company he and his allies launched. He's also touted a line of Trump shoes, a Bible, which is made in China, and Trump guitars, one of which is a $1,500 Gibson Les Paul knockoff, featuring 'Make America Great Again' fret inlays. Conservative groups and Republican committees have spent at least $25 million at Trump properties since 2015, with most of it coming from Trump's own political organization, campaign finance disclosures show. Yet, those ventures pale in comparison to his exploits in cryptocurrency, which offers perhaps the clearest example of the conflicts of interest that have come to dominate Trump's second term. Trump was once a crypto skeptic who declared that cryptocurrencies were 'not money,' were based on 'thin air' and seemed 'like a scam.' By the time he was running again for president, however, he'd become a proponent of the industry. 'The difference now is he has realized that it can be his scam,' said Hilary Allen, a law professor at American University who specializes in banking and cryptocurrencies. Trump has pledged to turn the U.S. into the 'crypto capital of the world' and promised to roll back oversight of the industry. Deregulation, of course, will help his own businesses. At the height of the campaign, Trump announced the launch of his own crypto coin and World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm that would be run by his sons and several business associates. Among those partners was Steve Witkoff, now one of Trump's top diplomatic envoys. The Trump Organization and World Liberty Financial declined to comment. But it was also rooted in his 2024 campaign. At a crypto event at his Mar-a-Lago club in Florida in May 2024, he received assurances that industry figures would spend lavishly to get him reelected, The Associated Press previously reported. Asked recently at the White House if he'd consider having his family business step back from its crypto investments to avoid questions about conflicts of interest, Trump said: 'We've created a very powerful industry. That's much more important than anything that we invest in." 'I don't care about investing. You know, I have kids and they invest in it, because they do believe in it," Trump added of crypto. "But I'm president, and what I did do there was build an industry that's very important. And, if we didn't have it, China would.' Harrison Fields, a White House spokesman, reiterated that Trump's crypto boosterism isn't driven by self-interest. He 'is taking decisive action to establish regulatory clarity for digital financial technology and to secure America's position as the world's leader in the digital asset economy,' Fields said. 'The Trump administration," Fields added, "is fulfilling the president's promise to make the United States the crypto capital of the planet by driving innovation and economic opportunity for all Americans.' Trump is soon expected to sign cryptocurrency legislation approved by Congress on Thursday. Among the provisions is a ban on members of Congress issuing their own brand of a particular type of cryptocurrency. The prohibition does not extend to the president. Fields said it was unfair to equate critics' charges of conflicts of interest against Trump with the president's own suggestions that Biden's family benefited financially while he was in office. He said Trump's policies haven't benefited the president personally and have nothing to do with his family's financial concerns — and said Trump entered the White House an already successful businessman who didn't need a political career to become rich. Even so, Trump's family is poised to benefit financially from the crypto industry's growing clout. It holds a majority ownership stake that entitles them to 75% of earnings from their first coin, released last September, according to World Liberty Financial's website. The coin, $WLFI, was not an immediate success. Then, after the president's election, sales took off. Days before his inauguration, Trump announced a new meme coin, $Trump, during the 'Crypto Ball,' a Washington gala intended to showcase a regulatory sea change he vowed to usher in. 'Time to celebrate everything we stand for: WINNING!' Trump posted to his X account. 'Join my very special Trump Community. GET YOUR $TRUMP NOW.' Often created as a joke with no real utility, meme coins are prone to wild price swings that often enrich a small group of insiders at the expense of less sophisticated investors. $Trump soared to over $70, but its price soon collapsed, losing money for many. It has hovered around $10 since March. Trump did well, though. By the end of April, the coin had earned over $320 million in fees, according to an analysis by the crypto tracking firm Chainalysis. A third cryptocurrency, a 'stablecoin' called USD1, launched in April. There appear to be upsides for Trump's cryptocurrency investors and associates. Justin Sun, a Chinese-born crypto billionaire, has disclosed investing nearly $200 million in the Trumps' various crypto ventures. Amid this spree, the Trump administration announced it had paused a securities fraud case against him. In June, Sun announced he was taking his crypto company, Tron, public after securing financing through a deal brokered by Eric Trump. Last week, Sun posted on Twitter that he was purchasing an additional $100 million worth of Trump's meme coin. Sun is not the only one. Changpen Zhao, a convicted felon who founded the crypto exchange Binance, was part of a megadeal in which a United Arab Emirates-controlled wealth fund invested $2 billion in the Trump stablecoin, USD1, which it used to purchase a stake in Zhao's Binance. The deal gave outsized publicity to World Liberty Financial and instantly made the stablecoin one of the top in the market. It will also allow the Trump family and their business partners to reinvest the $2 billion and collect interest, estimated to be worth as much as $80 million a year. Soon after the purchase was announced, Trump granted the UAE greater access to U.S. artificial intelligence chips, which it had long sought. Binance and Zhao benefited, too. Binance is restricted in the U.S. and entered a settlement with the Biden administration that sent Zhao to jail in 2024 after he pleaded guilty to failing to maintain an anti-money-laundering program. Prosecutors said he looked the other way as criminals used his platform to move money connected to child sex abuse, drug trafficking and terrorism. In May, Trump's Securities and Exchange Commission dropped the final federal enforcement action against Binance. Zhao, who goes by CZ, is now seeking a pardon. The White House says no decision has been made on issuing such a grant of clemency. Trump announced several months ago a new promotion that would trade on his presidency: He was hosting a dinner at his Virginia golf club for the top 220 investors in his meme coin, $Trump, with a special White House tour for the top 25. That fueled a temporary rise in the coin's value. It also helped enrich the Trump Organization, which is entitled to collect fees when the coin is traded. A month later, Trump addressed attendees of the dinner, standing before a lectern with the presidential seal. The White House said at the time that it had nothing to do with the meme coin. For decades, campaign contributions and lobbying have been governed by laws that place limits on how much donors can give, require a degree of transparency and limit how politicians can spend the money they raise. Trump's venture into cryptocurrency effectively sidesteps these laws, legal and finance experts say. 'It's a lot like the Trump Hotel from the first term, but what crypto has done is dispensed with the need for the hotel,' said Allen, the law professor. 'Because crypto assets can be made out of thin air, he has found a way of creating an unlimited supply of assets to offer to people who want to give.'
