From legal battles to cryptocurrency ventures, Donald Trump's journey to financial success
A year back, Donald Trump was in a tight financial spot, dealing with a tumultuous political landscape and a $454 million fraud ruling looming over him in New York. Forbes reported on March 31, 2025, that the New York Attorney General, Letitia James, was seriously considering taking his assets away. She was known to say, “I look at 40 Wall Street each and every day,” hinting at her scrutiny.
His liquid cash had shrunk to $413 million, and his image as a savvy business mogul was getting tarnished due to ongoing legal tussles concerning the supposedly inflated worth of his properties. By April 2024, his business empire was teetering on the edge of a cliff. But Trump, who’s quite the chameleon, wasn’t ready to throw in the towel.
Facing the risk of having their assets taken away right away, Trump’s lawyers decided to focus on stalling and talking things out. They managed to get a win from a higher court, cutting down the amount they had to pay from a whopping $454 million to a more manageable $175 million. This cut was a huge break for Trump.
Playing for time and bargaining has always been one of his go-to strategies, and it often worked out just as well as if he had won the case outright. With the immediate threat of losing his assets gone for now, Trump felt like he had some space to breathe.
With renewed energy, Trump managed to take the company that owns Truth Social public just a day following a significant court decision. Although the platform wasn’t bringing in much money and was losing quite a bit, it quickly became a top pick for investors who were strong supporters of the MAGA movement.
Trump’s next move was all about the drama of cryptocurrency. In October 2024, he started up a company called World Liberty Financial. He was getting into the crypto game, and he talked about how it would change the way we handle money.
But wait, there’s more! He also came up with $TRUMP, which was like a digital coin that was all the rage because it had his name on it. This meme coin was like a currency for his fans and investors who liked to take risks.
By March of 2025, Donald Trump had astonishingly climbed 738 positions on the Forbes Billionaires List, securing the 700th spot with an impressive net worth of $5.1 billion. Despite his fraud-related debt growing to nearly $500 million due to the addition of interest, his newly acquired financial flexibility makes it a concern he can handle.
As the Hindustan Times points out, Trump might not be too bothered if 40 Wall Street isn’t performing well because he’s been busy becoming the most flashy crypto mogul in the U.S., promoting a variety of products such as Bibles, sneakers, and digital tokens with his usual panache.
Betting on Donald Trump’s downfall isn’t usually a smart move, as he continues to show his knack for turning situations to his advantage.
