SPY +1.61%
BND +0.30%
QQQ +3.34%
DIA +0.65%
VNQ +0.87%
GLD -0.97%
BTC +6.15%
AAPL +1.40%
GOOGL +3.11%
NVDA +2.30%
MSFT +0.58%
META +12.05%
AMZN +1.45%
TSLA +3.24%
UBER +0.39%
GS +1.14%
BAC -0.28%
JPM -1.65%
BRK.A -1.44%
COST +0.11%
XOM -3.50%
BABA +5.03%
WMT +1.07%
SPCX +1.03%
DIS +1.37%
F -0.72%
Live a richer life.
  • Discounts and special offers
  • Subscriber-only articles and interviews
  • Breaking news and trending topics

Already a subscriber?

By signing up, you accept Moneywise's Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

Not interested ?

Home
News
Top Stories
President Donald Trump and his sons Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. Damien Eagers/PA Images via Getty Images

'SICK conspiracy': Trump dismisses calls to rein in AI as his sons cash in on AI-linked defence and technology investments

Rinna Diamantakos
Sep 22, 2026
Share
Email
Facebook
X
LinkedIn
Reddit
Follow us
Newsletter
Instagram
Facebook
Tiktok
X
Youtube

Follow us on Google for more Moneywise news

Add us on Google

As artificial intelligence continues to race ahead, President Trump has made it clear he doesn’t intend to apply the brakes any time soon.

Trump has embraced a hands-off approach to AI regulation, resisting calls to reign in the rapidly developing technology and implement federal guardrails. But as the president pushes to accelerate an industry expected to reshape the global economy, another part of the story is unfolding much closer to home: the Trump family is building business interests — and profiting — off of AI.

Trump’s pro-AI stance

The president has downplayed the need for his administration to put any restrictions on AI, even going so far as to call concerns around the technology a conspiracy.

The money news that actually matters.

By signing up, you accept Moneywise Terms of Use, Subscription Agreement, and Privacy Policy.

“The only control or ‘guardrails’ that AI needs is a STRONG AND SMART (High IQ!) PRESIDENT, and the U.S.A has that, in spades,” Trump posted on Truth Social on Sept. 14. “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers.”

The comment came after Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, published an essay arguing AI companies should deliberately “slow the pace” of development. The guardrails Amodei spoke of were then endorsed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.

Advertisement

Trump has argued restricting the development of the technology would harm competition, claiming that the U.S. is currently beating China in the AI race and guardrails could jeopardize that lead. But the Trump family also has a personal stake in the industry through business ventures and stock investments.

Must Read

Don Jr. and Eric stand to gain from AI

According to the Washington Post, the president’s sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric are both investors in several AI and data center ventures.

Donald Trump Jr. is a partner at 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm that closed a $1.2 billion deal focused on real estate ventures, including digital infrastructure like data centers. In a statement shared with The Post, a 1789 spokesperson said Donald Trump Jr. was operating as a private citizen and not in a “government capacity.”

He and Eric have both joined the investment firm Dominari Holdings and helped launch American Data Centers, an AI infrastructure venture. The deal came just weeks after their father announced a $20 billion data center pledge from Emirati billionaire Hussain Sajwani, as well as $500 billion in planned private AI investment.

But the business interests of the two brothers extend well beyond data centers. Both Donald Trump Jr. and Eric have ties to the defence technology industry, most notably through the rare-earth magnet startup Vulcan Elements. According to the Guardian, 1789 Capital took a stake in the company — whose products are used in AI datacenters — three months after it was awarded a $620 million loan from the Pentagon.

According to The Post, Eric is also an investor in companies related to defence and robotics, including Space-Eyes, which uses AI to process data from satellites.

Advertisement

A Washington Post analysis in July also found 15 companies tied to the brothers’ investment funds. Those companies have generated at least $3.2 billion in federal business since they joined — but SpaceX and the AI-powered defence technology firm Anduril account for 97% of that figure.

Trump’s own investments

The president also has deep ties to AI. Since returning to the White House, Trump’s investment accounts have made nearly 30,000 securities transactions, with many involving companies that supply the chips, energy and infrastructure required to power AI systems. Government filings show Trump has purchased shares in Dell Technologies, Micron Technology and GE Vernova, all companies whose profits are tied to AI-related development and spending.

Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, has also moved further into the technology and energy sectors. The company merged with a nuclear-fusion venture that plans to develop power plants in response to rising electricity demand, including demand driven by AI.

Truth Social is also investing in AI-related products and has announced it will be licensing access to the social media platform’s posts to AI labs.

Trump made more than $2 billion on his investments in 2025, but has since denied claims that his role as president has anything to do with it, instead attributing the gains to the highs of the stock market.

“You know why I’m profiting, because the stock market’s going up,” Trump told reporters in July. “Everybody’s profiting.”

You May Also Like

Share this:
Rinna Diamantakos Contributing Editor

Rinna Diamantakos is a contributing editor at Moneywise.com. A versatile journalist, she has experience as a writer, editor and producer. Her work has focused on politics, business and financial news.

more from Rinna Diamantakos
Trump points after addressing attendees on the first day of the 2026 Republican National Convention.

News • Sep 14

Pardon brokers caught on hidden camera saying they could help a felon get a pardon from Trump for $300,000

President Trump on the left, and on the right, former President Barack Obama.

News • Sep 11

Trump warned not to let Obama 'buy the election' with 'free money.' Now he's offering $5K for every adult if GOP wins

Explore the latest

Disclaimer

The content provided on Moneywise is information to help users become financially literate. It is neither investment, tax nor legal advice, is not intended to be relied upon as a forecast, research or investment advice, and is not a recommendation, offer or solicitation to buy or sell any securities, enter into any loan, mortgage or insurance agreements or to adopt any investment strategy. Tax, investment and all other decisions should be made, as appropriate, only with guidance from a qualified professional. We make no representation or warranty of any kind, either express or implied, with respect to the data provided, the timeliness thereof, the results to be obtained by the use thereof or any other matter. Advertisers are not responsible for the content of this site, including any editorials or reviews that may appear on this site. For complete and current information on any advertiser product, please visit their website.

†Terms and Conditions apply.