TLDR
- VIP attendees for Trump’s upcoming dinner held an average of $4.8 million in TRUMP tokens
- The top 25 “VIPs” qualify for exclusive reception and special tour at Trump National Golf Club
- Speculation exists that top holder “Sun” ($19M in tokens) could be Tron founder Justin Sun
- New rewards program announced for TRUMP token holders who maintain their balances
- Critics have raised ethics concerns, with watchdog group calling it a “corrupt self-enrichment scheme”
President Donald Trump’s meme coin dinner has attracted wealthy crypto investors who collectively hold approximately $174 million in TRUMP tokens. The upcoming event at Trump National Golf Club in Washington D.C. has sparked both enthusiasm from supporters and criticism from ethics watchdogs.
The top 25 VIP attendees for the May 22 dinner held an average of nearly $4.8 million worth of TRUMP tokens each to secure their spots. These placements were determined through a time-weighted average of holdings between April 23 and May 12.
VIPs will receive an exclusive reception with President Trump and a special tour in addition to dinner. An additional 195 token holders gained more limited access to the event.
How the Competition Worked
Token balances among VIPs varied widely. The largest holder, registered as “Sun,” possessed around 1.4 million TRUMP tokens valued at more than $19 million when the final snapshot was taken on May 12.
This has fueled speculation that the account belongs to billionaire Tron founder Justin Sun. Sun previously purchased $30 million worth of Trump-linked World Liberty Financial’s governance token, but his representatives declined to comment when questioned by media outlets.
The time-weighted calculation method meant users weren’t required to hold tokens until the final snapshot. This allowed some participants like users “Noah” and “Top” to qualify despite selling most of their tokens before the deadline.
According to the leaderboard data, the top 220 wallets collectively held more than 13.7 million tokens as of May 12, worth roughly $174 million at publication time.
New Rewards and Requirements
With the competition concluded, the TRUMP token price has fallen about 8% in 24 hours to $12.78. However, the project team has introduced new incentives to encourage holders to maintain their positions.
The Get Trump Memes account announced a Solana NFT reward for users who keep their leaderboard balances until the dinner. They also unveiled a new Trump “rewards points” program with its own leaderboard and badges.
“The beginning of the Trump rewards points program for TRUMP starts now,” the account posted, adding that the “next era” for the token will be announced at the dinner.
Based on the terms and conditions, each invited guest must complete a background check to attend. The event is described as “Black Tie preferred, but optional” according to project documentation.
Growing Ethics Concerns
The President’s crypto ventures have drawn increasing scrutiny. A Bloomberg report suggested that the majority of tokenholders are based outside the United States, raising potential security concerns and conflicts of interest.
Watchdog group Accountable.US called the TRUMP token leaderboard “the most nakedly corrupt self-enrichment scheme in U.S. presidential history.”
Many US lawmakers have criticized Trump for launching the memecoin shortly before taking office. Some representatives have refused to consider crypto-related legislation until their concerns are addressed, with one senator even calling for Trump’s impeachment.
Companies potentially seeking influence over Trump’s policies have also invested in the memecoin. Freight Technologies announced plans to invest $20 million in the token, suggesting it could affect the president’s trade policies between the US and Mexico.
This isn’t President Trump’s first crypto-related event. During his 2024 campaign, he hosted a dinner for supporters who purchased his “mugshot” non-fungible tokens, which featured a picture of the then-presidential candidate at his surrender to authorities.
If President Trump is unable to attend the May 22 dinner or if the event is cancelled, attendees will receive a limited-edition Trump NFT as compensation according to the project’s terms.
