Shortly after Trump was elected to his second term, Donald Trump Jr. announced he was joining venture capital firm 1789 Capital. After Trump Jr. joined, the firm's portfolio companies reportedly won more than $70 million worth of contracts from the Trump Administration — following a consistent pattern of investment preceding government contract award.
$70M+DOD contracts to 1789 Capital portfolio companies
$400MEric Trump estimated net worth (up from ~$45M pre-election)
$300MDon Jr. estimated net worth (up from ~$45M pre-election)
8×Wealth multiplier for both sons in 12 months
Documented Contracts1789 Capital Portfolio — DOD Awards
| Company | Sector | Contract Value | Trump Connection |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cerebras Systems | AI chips | $45M | 1789 Capital portfolio |
| PsiQuantum | Quantum computing | $10.8M | 1789 Capital portfolio |
| Firehawk Aerospace | Rocket engines | $4.9M | 1789 Capital portfolio |
| Vulcan Elements | Magnets | $10M | 1789 Capital portfolio |
| Foundation Future Industries | Robotics/defense | $24M | Eric Trump, Chief Strategy Advisor |
| Powerus | Interceptor drones | DOD awarded | Eric & Don Jr. equity stake |
The Drone ConnectionPowerus — Foreign Ban Creates Captive Market
Sequence of Events · Dec 2024 – Apr 2026
The Trump administration banned all new foreign-made drones in December 2024 — creating a sudden captive domestic market. The sons subsequently invested in Powerus. Powerus then won its first-ever DOD contract to supply interceptor drones. Powerus is also pitching drone intercepts to Gulf nations to counter Iranian drone attacks — positioning the Trump sons to profit from a conflict their father's administration is simultaneously conducting diplomacy around.
Public Market Instruments — Section 3 · Defense, Drone & AI-Weapons Publicly Traded Instruments
PLTRPalantir TechnologiesNYSE/NASDAQ
LMTLockheed MartinNYSE/NASDAQ
NOCNorthrop GrummanNYSE/NASDAQ
RTXRTX Corp (Raytheon)NYSE/NASDAQ
GDGeneral DynamicsNYSE/NASDAQ
KTOSKratos Defense & SecurityNYSE/NASDAQ
AVAVAeroVironment (drones)NYSE/NASDAQ
JOBYJoby AviationNYSE/NASDAQ
ACHRArcher AviationNYSE/NASDAQ
ITAiShares Aerospace & Defense ETFETF
XARSPDR Aerospace & Defense ETFETF
PPAInvesco Aerospace & Defense ETFETF
⚠ For informational purposes only. Not investment advice. Always conduct independent research.