Truth Social, former President Donaldâs Trumpâs clone of Twitter, has a fraction of the users of competitors like Reddit and X. The company has never turned a profit, and just happens to be the place where Trump is currently posting.
But on the NASDAQ, the stock exchange where Truth Social became a publicly traded company today, there’s a different story: Truth Social has become a certified meme stock. Trump supporters seem to have conflated their support for the former president with the stock itself, and are buying en masse.
The stock quickly rose more than 40 percent after being listed and trades under a ticker of Trumpâs initials, DJT. The company is now valued at more than $6.8 billion. The value, however, could change quickly; the stock was so volatile that it temporarily halted soon after it was listed. The companyâs financial performance has been underwhelming. It posted $3.3 million in revenue and lost $49 million in the first three quarters of 2023, according to regulatory filings.
Still, Trumpâs fans have posted on Reddit, X, and Truth Social about how they plan to hold the stock in defiance of traditional investing logic. Previous meme stocks like Gamestop and cryptocurrency culture have helped provide the script, but the rhetorical formula is simple: short sellers will perish, this stock is going to the moon, and donât sell no matter what.
âLetâs go baby! Trump 2024 to the moon,â one user posted on reddit, followed by the rocket ship emoji.
In another Reddit thread, stockholders discussed at what price they would sell shares in the company. âAt least waiting for the election win,â one user posted, with the tag Diamond DWAC, a reference to âdiamond hands,â a desire to hold a stock despite volatility.
â$150 maybe⦠but probably waiting for the launch of TMTG+ streaming and also stories videos,â another replied. âOr when our founder is The Leader of The Free World (again) and most reported on person on the world with the most attention on him and his platform. So maybe neverâ¼ï¸â
Reddit user deepfuckingbagholder speculated the company could eventually be worth 1 trillion dollars. When another user replied, saying that valuation would be virtually impossible, deepfuckingbagholder wrote back: âThis stock represents the value of Trumpâs brand and I personally believe it can achieve that valuation.â
Truth Social is, predictability, a hotbed of conspiracy theories. Electron denialism, vaccine skepticisim, and the great replacement theory are all prominently featured on the site. The company has also been marred in controversy since it began, following Trumpâs ban from Twitter after the January 6 riot at the Capitol. A former senior employee filed a whistleblower complaint with the SEC, and other former employees have sued the company, alleging a breach of contract. Shareholders voted to take the company public last week, merging Trump Media and Technology Group with a publicly traded holding company, Digital World Acquisition Corp.
The outsized valuation of Truth Social has made Trump incredibly rich. His net worth rose $4 billion to $6.5 billion, making him one of the worldâs 500 richest people, according to calculations by Bloomberg News. Trump is restricted from selling shares in the company for about six months, so his net worth could still tank, however, if the price of Truth Social falls.
On Truth Social, one user said a prayer.
âBless all the patriots invested in #DJT,â GothamGal wrote. âBless this investment, and make us successful so that we may do your will and bring glory to you. Bless and protect our president DJT, and our country. In Jesus name.â
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