Related Fund Abnormal Betting, Minister Shorting Crude Oil, What Was the Trump Family Doing Before the Airstrike on Iran

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Recently, the globally renowned wealth media Forbes released the 2026 list of ultra-high-net-worth individuals worldwide. The current U.S. President Trump’s personal assets have increased from $5.1 billion to $6.5 billion, a rise of $1.4 billion annually, approximately 9.6 billion RMB. His global ranking has risen 55 places to 645th. The media also considers him the wealthiest sitting U.S. president in history.

Since the U.S. attack on Iran on February 28, international energy markets, crypto markets, and prediction markets have experienced intense volatility. Trump and his family members have leveraged their resources and policy connections to profit significantly in finance. His core political allies, investment fund managers, and key government officials have also increased their wealth through various long and short trading operations.

Trump is called by Forbes the wealthiest sitting president in U.S. history. Image source: Oriental Wealth Network

19-year-old Barron holds 10% of tokens; Kushner locks in $125 million management fee

During his second presidential term, Trump’s wealth has grown substantially. The main driver is his strategic positioning in the cryptocurrency sector, alongside steady appreciation of traditional assets.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Trump’s decentralized financial service platform World Liberty Financial (WLFI) saw at least $1.2 billion in cash inflows over 16 months, with an additional $2.25 billion in book gains. Just from token issuance, $550 million was recorded. Later, his family sold 49% of the platform to an Abu Dhabi investment firm for $500 million. The Financial Times analysis shows that the themed token launched before Trump took office generated at least $350 million in fees from issuance and trading. Forbes estimates his current crypto holdings at about $570 million, accounting for nearly 40% of his family’s total assets, roughly $2.9 billion. This proportion was nearly zero a year ago.

In traditional assets, Trump’s golf and resort properties appreciated by about $325 million. Overseas real estate licensing income from Middle Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia surged 580% year-over-year to $45 million. Additionally, the New York appellate court canceled his $454 million civil fraud fine, and combined with interest, his liabilities of $517 million were cleared, indirectly boosting his net worth. His themed token experienced extreme volatility: after issuance in January 2025, it soared to $73.43, but by March 2026, it fell below $3, a decline of over 96%. Insiders cashed out over $600 million, with early large holders, including the Trump family, locking in profits.

Trump, leveraging his presidential status, ties his family business to U.S. diplomacy. Image source: Phoenix TV

Trump’s children and son-in-law have disclosed clear financial gains and assets. His eldest daughter Ivanka’s wealth mainly relies on her husband’s resources and inheritance, with no disclosed profits from core family stock or bond market speculation.

19-year-old Barron Trump’s personal net worth reaches $150 million, mainly from WLFI. In September 2024, he became a co-founder of the project, holding 10% of family-related company DT Marks Defi LLC, which received 22.5 billion $WLFI tokens. He also enjoys 75% of the revenue after the first $15 million profit from the project. These rights have gradually translated into actual earnings, accumulating to $150 million.

Eric Trump’s net assets are $750 million, with notable gains in crypto holdings, including a 7.5% stake in American Bitcoin. He also shares in WLFI project profits and earns additional income from Middle Eastern licensing. In January 2026, he sold 49% of WLFI for $187 million, further expanding his wealth.

Donald Trump Jr.’s net worth is $500 million, mainly from crypto projects and SPAC mergers. He invested “tens of millions of dollars” into prediction platform Polymarket through his venture capital firm 1789 Capital, and sits on its advisory board. He is also a paid strategic advisor to competitor Kalshi, creating clear conflicts of interest. Before the Iran attack, Polymarket saw suspicious bets; Donald Jr.’s association raised insider trading concerns.

Jared Kushner’s net worth is $1 billion, mainly from his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, which has raised $4.6 billion. His family’s real estate holdings and appreciation also form the core of his wealth. Kushner used his influence in the Trump administration to raise funds, with plans to increase capital by $3 billion from Saudi Arabia, and $1 billion each from the UAE and Qatar, totaling over $5 billion.

Under an agreement with Saudi PIF, Saudi Arabia invested $2 billion, with Kushner earning a fixed management fee of $125 million over five years, and 20% of profits exceeding 8%. This provides stable income. Kushner also reportedly used naked short selling and cross-market options to short related companies, earning at least $5.7 billion. His intertwined public and private dealings have drawn criticism from U.S. ethics authorities for potential rent-seeking behavior.

Peter Thiel leads $200 million investment in Polymarket, early bets net over $550,000

Trump’s key political allies and fund managers often leverage government connections to capitalize on policy shifts and market volatility, increasing their wealth. The new Trump administration includes nine billionaires with a combined net worth of $382.2 billion, some of whom profit through related business and financial transactions.

Viktor Vekselberg, a core Trump ally and co-founder of WLFI, has seen substantial gains. Although his personal profits are not publicly disclosed, as a key platform supporter, his wealth growth is closely tied to crypto projects. Vekselberg served as U.S. Middle East envoy, with prior business ties intersecting with his diplomatic role.

Peter Thiel, a renowned investor, led a $200 million investment in Polymarket at a $1 billion valuation. Notably, the platform is closely linked to the Trump family; Donald Trump Jr. invested and serves on its advisory board.

The new Trump team includes nine billionaires with a total net worth of $382.2 billion. Image source: Phoenix TV

Thiel’s investment in Polymarket is not new. In 2024, his founding fund led a $70 million round, and in 2025, an additional nearly $200 million, pushing valuation over $1 billion. The timing coincided with the U.S.-Israel attack on Iran, which led to massive geopolitical bets. In 2025, trading volume soared to $21.3 billion, with over 1.75 million users, nearly half of the prediction market’s total. Thiel’s early positioning could yield significant returns.

After the Iran attack, oil prices surged, benefiting energy investors connected to Trump. Some accounts linked to Trump’s circle made huge profits from early oil and gas asset positions. In prediction markets, suspicious accounts associated with Trump allies placed abnormal bets before the attack, earning large gains.

According to Financial Times and Business Insider, on Polymarket, user “Magamyman” bet on U.S. military strikes on Iran before the attack, earning over $553,000; six other accounts placed concentrated bets within 24 hours, accurately predicting the attack date, netting about $1.2 million; user “Dicedicedice” bet on Iran being attacked before February 28, 2026, and cashed out nearly $150,000.

While the owners of these accounts are not directly confirmed to be linked to Trump allies, California Congressman Mike Levin publicly questioned: given Donald Trump Jr.’s advisory role and ongoing support for Polymarket, these suspicious bets warrant scrutiny for potential insider trading.

Furthermore, Polymarket’s operational model facilitates such suspicious trades. Its core infrastructure is offshore, not allowing U.S. residents to open accounts, and transactions are conducted in cryptocurrencies, offering high anonymity. This complicates tracking insider trading and raises the possibility that Trump allies exploited platform vulnerabilities for profit.

Treasury Secretary shorts oil, Wans’ circle pays $500,000 membership to build power channels

Among Trump’s core officials, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Vice President Pence have used their backgrounds and authority to engage in financial market operations.

Yellen, a veteran hedge fund professional, has decades of experience in currency and trading. In 2013, as chief investment officer at Soros Fund, she profited $1.2 billion over three months by shorting the yen.

After the Iran attack, oil prices soared, markets fluctuated wildly. Yellen indicated she would profit from financial markets and insurance channels. Using the Treasury’s currency stabilization fund, she intervened in crude oil futures shorts, and via the U.S. Agency for International Development, injected put options based on her judgment of short-term disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, aiming to profit from oil price declines.

After the Iran attack, oil prices surged, markets fluctuated. Image source: Futurism

According to Jin10 data, during Yellen’s tenure, she applied hedge fund strategies to government operations, influencing markets through strategic narratives. She adopted a differentiated approach toward Japan and Korea. For Japan’s $7.2 trillion bond market, extreme volatility in long-term bonds (over $2.2 trillion) caused a $41 billion market cap loss, with yields rising over 25 basis points. Yellen attributed this to a “six sigma” event and sought stability guarantees from Japan, shifting focus from diplomatic disputes.

In Korea, she mainly issued verbal support, opposing excessive currency fluctuations and devaluation, to stabilize the won and maintain $350 billion in U.S. investments. She avoided high-pressure tactics.

Yellen’s core assets still stem from her hedge fund career, likely remaining substantial. She has been criticized for delaying asset disposals that could pose conflicts of interest, with officials citing liquidity issues. This reflects her complex asset portfolio.

As a key Trump ally, Vice President Pence’s stock and bond trading activities are not publicly disclosed. He maintains close personal ties with Donald Trump Jr., through a high-end private club “Executive Branch,” founded with Trump Jr. and managed by Chris Bascook. The club caters to high-income supporters of MAGA, with a $500,000 membership fee and strict vetting, providing a private platform for high-level government and business elites to communicate.

[References]

① Forbes: Trump’s net worth increased by $1.4 billion in one year to $6.5 billion, making him the wealthiest sitting U.S. president. Daily Economic News. 2026-03-18.

② Trump family “playing both sides,” paving diplomatic paths, monetizing business | Phoenix Focus. Phoenix TV. 2025-12-11.

③ Frontiers of Financial Academia | Impact of U.S.-Israel Iran Strike—Oil and Financial Markets. Financial Research Center. 2026-03-13.

④ The first fortune of 00s “Chosen One” Barron Trump. Golden Finance. 2025-10-13.

⑤ Trump’s profiteering hits $4 billion. The New Yorker. 2026-01-31.

⑥ Trump has grown $1.4 billion richer in his second term. Here’s how. nj. 2026-03-12.

⑦ Anonymous Polymarket accounts won $1.2 million on suspicious bets before Trump’s Iran strikes. Futurism. 2026-03-02.

⑧ Polymarket defends profiting from war amid suspicious accounts’ big wins. Daily Beast. 2026-03-01.

⑨ “Was there insider trading?” Suspicious bets on Polymarket before Iran airstrikes spark allegations. Asia Business Daily. 2026-03-02.

⑩ A day before the U.S. attack on Iran, 12 Polymarket accounts placed precise bets, “Trump insider trading” reappears? Wall Street Journal. 2026-03-03.

⑪ Mysterious accounts precisely bet on Iran airstrikes, Trump camp faces “insider trading” accusations. Jin10 Data. 2026-03-02.