Wall Street is finding a new way to gamble on the unpredictability of Donald Trump, with several high frequency trading firms now paying premium prices for millisecond advantages. During its first ever earnings call on Monday evening, Trump Media and Technology Group revealed it has signed more than ten customer agreements allowing these firms to bypass the standard user experience via a direct data feed. These institutional clients are reportedly shelling out between 60,000 and 100,000 dollars per month to receive Truth Social posts slightly faster than the general public.
For the world of algorithmic trading, where fortunes are made or lost in fractions of a second, this head start is invaluable. Because the former president frequently uses the platform to signal shifts in tariff policies or national security decisions—sometimes before his own staff is briefed—a few milliseconds of lead time can allow computers to execute trades before retail investors even see the notification. Interim CEO Kevin McGurn noted that while current revenues from these deals are modest, the company views this as a potentially durable growth engine and is already courting AI companies and major news organizations for similar access.
However, the move has sparked immediate political backlash and concerns over market integrity. Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff have called upon the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether selling early access to presidential communications constitutes an illegal abuse of power. In a letter to SEC Chair Paul Atkins, the lawmakers argued that providing wealthy insiders with a structural advantage erodes faith in the fairness of American financial markets.
This pivot toward data monetization comes at a critical time for Trump Media, which continues to struggle with stagnant growth and mounting losses. While X remains a dominant force with millions of daily users, Truth Social has seen its active user base shrink by roughly 40 percent over the last year. With only 1.7 million dollars in sales last quarter against a staggering 238 million dollar loss, the company seems increasingly reliant on leveraging its founder’s unique influence rather than building a broad social media audience.
