A Helicopter, Halibut, and ‘Y.M.C.A’: Inside Donald Trump’s Memecoin Dinner

As US president Donald Trump near nan shape astatine his play nine adjacent Washington, DC, connected Thursday night, he pointed to nan crowd, brought his scale digit to his temple—as if to say: You cognize what’s coming—then began to dance. To nan hit of “Y.M.C.A” by The Village People, Trump shimmied, gyrated, and pumped his arms supra his head.

Looking connected were much than 200 group who had been invited to nan Trump National Golf Club for a backstage gala dinner. They had won their seats by purchasing ample quantities of Trump’s ain crypto coin—TRUMP—some holding millions of dollars’ worth.

On nan paper for nan evening was pan-seared halibut pinch a citrus reduction, a filet mignon pinch demi glaze—and, nan attendees hoped, a chance to speak to nan US president. Four of nan guests agreed to show WIRED astir their experience.

By precocious afternoon, nan meal guests had started to select done nan gates of nan play club. By comparison to Trump’s previous banquets, thronging pinch DC insiders and members of nan Silicon Valley elite, nan crypto meal attracted a mismatched postulation of oddballs: independent traders rubbed shoulders pinch crypto executives, diehard Trump fans and moreover master sportspeople—former NBA subordinate Lamar Odom towered overhead. A fistful wore bowties successful Bitcoin orange; others sported golden Trump sneakers.

Just aft 7 pm, nan meal guests gathered astatine nan model to watch Trump descend successful Marine One, his statesmanlike helicopter. A short while later, he appeared from down a bluish velvet curtain to whoops and applause from nan crowd. Had they seen nan helicopter, Trump asked. “Yeah, ace cool!” personification yelled.

From down a lectern astatine 1 extremity of nan eating room, backdropped by 4 US flags, Trump delivered a characteristically winding and digressive reside that sources opportunity lasted astir 25 minutes. At immoderate point, he sewage information to crypto.

“We’ve sewage immoderate of nan smartest minds anyplace successful nan world correct present successful this room,” said Trump. “You judge successful nan full crypto thing. A batch of group are starting to judge successful it … This is really thing that whitethorn beryllium special—who knows, right? Who knows—but it whitethorn beryllium special.”

When Trump first promoted his memecoin successful January, 3 days earlier nan inauguration, nan constricted magnitude released into circulation roseate successful worth to $14 billion. The remaining 80 percent of nan proviso is controlled by CIC Digital LLC—a subsidiary of a conglomerate owned by nan Trump family—and Fight Fight Fight LLC, formed by longtime Trump state Bill Zanker. With small much than a social media post, Trump had added billions of dollars to his insubstantial nett worth. (The worth of nan circulating coins has since slumped to astir $3 billion.)

The squad down nan TRUMP coin announced nan statesmanlike dinner for nan apical 220 holders connected April 23, promising nan apical 25 a close-quarters reception pinch Trump. The attendees would beryllium selected based connected who had held nan astir coins and kept them nan longest betwixt nan announcement day and May 12, nan website explained.