The Middle East region now occupies a strategic position as the largest contributor of foreign revenue for Donald Trump's business empire. The latest report from the Wall Street Journal reveals that these transactions, worth trillions of rupiah, are dominated by activity in the cryptocurrency sector and luxury property development.
One of the main triggers for the revenue surge was the sale of half of Trump's stake in the crypto company World Liberty Financial. This transaction involved an entity affiliated with Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, an influential figure from the royal family of the United Arab Emirates. From the deal, Trump reportedly pocketed US$ 263 million, equivalent to IDR 4.73 trillion.
In addition to the digital sector, Trump's real estate business line also showed impressive performance in the Gulf region. Through partnerships with two local developers, several skyscraper construction projects and Trump-branded golf courses have been realized over the past three years. This serves as clear evidence that the Trump Organization's foreign licensing agreements are experiencing a significant upward trend compared to previous years.
Data shows a surge in licensing revenue from US$ 8 million in 2023 to US$ 59 million in 2025. This growth aligns with the expansion of its project portfolio in various countries, including India, Vietnam, and Romania. On the other hand, crypto assets as a whole made a massive contribution to revenue, valued at over US$ 1.4 billion, which includes sales of meme coins as well as World Liberty Financial tokens.
Despite recording fantastic profits, this phenomenon has not escaped public scrutiny. Data from Chainalysis shows that the surge in the value of Trump-branded meme coins stands in stark contrast to the condition of hundreds of thousands of retail investors who have suffered significant losses due to sharp volatility in the crypto market.
