Trump cashes in while campaigning

As a Manhattan developer with considerable star power, Trump has long cashed in on his fame through licensing agreements. Dozens of deals over the years have resulted in products ranging from Trump Vodka and Trump Steaks to giant skyscrapers emblazoned with his surname. Many debuted well before he launched a political career and most went defunct ahead of his inauguration in 2017.

However, Trump has entered into a flurry of new licensing deals after leaving the White House and while attempting a political comeback, an unparalleled use of a presidential candidate’s name, image and likeness — not to mention time — while seeking the country’s highest office.

The arrangements have netted him millions of dollars, according to financial disclosure documents his campaign submitted earlier this summer. Several of those deals trace back to Wyoming, a state that allows business owners to shield their identities behind a registered agent, a term for someone who can handle a company’s government, tax and legal correspondence.

For example, Trump last year made $7.2 million through a licensing deal with NFT International, LLC, a company that is selling Trump digital NFT, or non-fungible token, “trading cards” and is registered in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

When Trump unveiled a line of shoes earlier this year at a Philadelphia gathering of sneaker aficionados, it turned out to be another licensing deal, this one with 45footwear LLC, a corporation registered by Pierce in Wyoming as well. Attempts to reach 45footwear through an email on its website were unsuccessful.

Trump has regularly plugged these products on the same social media accounts where he shares political messaging with his followers, often with infomercial-style videos shot at Mar-a-Lago with a backdrop that he also uses for campaign announcements.

That was the case last month when Trump, in a Truth Social post 40 days before the election, shared a new line of watches. The timepieces retail starting at $499, but one series – Tourbillon – is priced at $100,000. They come in three different colors and are limited in number to 147.

“You’re going to love them,” Trump wrote. “Would make a great Christmas Gift.”

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