Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq CEOs to Attend Cryptocurrency "Forum" Hosted by Trump's Two Sons

　　Authors: Lawrence Delevigne, Michelle Conlin

　　This Wednesday, prominent Wall Street executives and investors will gather at the Mar-a-Lago Club, former President Trump's private estate in Palm Beach, Florida, to join federal officials and U.S. lawmakers in exploring "the future of finance and technology."

　　Forum Guest List

　　The "World Liberty Forum," hosted by the Trump family-backed crypto company World Liberty Financial, is expected to feature the following speakers:

• Goldman Sachs (GS) CEO David Solomon
• Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, overseeing $1.7 trillion in assets
• President of the New York Stock Exchange Lynn Martin
• Nasdaq CEO Adena Friedman

　　Additionally, Trump appointees will also be present:

• Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Chair Michael Selig
• Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler
• Deputy Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg

　　This event is co-hosted by the President's sons, World Liberty Financial co-founders Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, as well as brothers Zach Witkoff and Alex Witkoff—their father, Steve Witkoff, serves as a White House envoy.

　　Conflict of Interest Controversy

　　Six legal and government ethics experts interviewed by Reuters said this forum is unique in nature, though they were divided on whether it constitutes a serious conflict of interest.

• Critics: Argue that regulators, financial firms, and Trump family businesses sharing a stage presents a conflict of interest, and that officials' attendance could be seen as currying political favor.
• Questioners: Believe there are no constitutional legal issues, as all presidents inherently face conflicts of interest.

　　World Liberty Financial spokesperson David Wachsman stated that the forum aims to "deepen partnerships and cement the dollar's dominance in the digital economy," comparing it to the Milken Institute Global Conference and the Sun Valley Summit. He added that media will be invited, speakers will not be paid, and related announcements will be publicly disclosed. The company also stated on X that it will invite top online promoters of its tradable crypto tokens WLFI and the dollar stablecoin USD1 to attend.

　　CFTC, Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, NYSE, and Nasdaq all declined to comment or did not respond to interview requests.

• The Small Business Administration spokesperson said Loeffler is "attending in her personal capacity" and referred related questions to World Liberty Financial.
• The State Department spokesperson said that one of Helberg's core duties is to engage with America's top business leaders.

　　President Trump himself will not attend this meeting—he did attend a dinner last May held for major buyers of his meme coin.

　　Cryptocurrency Boosts Trump Family Wealth

　　This event marks a convergence of the Trump family's business interests, regulatory agencies, political appointees, pro-Trump lawmakers, and financial executives involved in crypto policy-making.

　　Chris Swartz, former White House Office of Government Ethics attorney and current senior ethics advisor at Defenders of Democracy, expressed concern that the Trump family is using the presidency to profit private crypto businesses. "Any rational person would have serious doubts about the legitimacy of this event."

　　University of Iowa law professor Andy Grewal believes that business leaders aligning with the sitting administration is nothing new. "The presidency inherently comes with unavoidable conflicts of interest, and ultimately it is up to voters to judge who can handle these conflicts ethically."

　　Wachsman responded, "There is no precedent for leaders in finance, technology, and government gathering to discuss the future of key markets," and added, "Labeling routine cross-industry dialogue as a 'conflict of interest' is a misreading of the event and its participants."

　　World Liberty Financial was founded by Trump and his three sons on the eve of the 2024 U.S. presidential election and has become central to the Trump family's wealth, drawing criticism from Democrats and observers who accuse Trump of using public office for private gain.

　　Reuters analysis shows that in Trump's first year in office, the family profited over $1 billion from crypto projects, most of which came from World Liberty Financial. According to Wachsman, the company's core product, the dollar-pegged USD1 stablecoin, has surpassed $5 billion in circulation, making it the fifth-largest stablecoin globally.

　　According to The Wall Street Journal, in January 2025, just days before Trump's inauguration, an Abu Dhabi royal family-linked investment firm acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, a deal later confirmed by Wachsman.

　　White House spokesperson Anna Kelly declared that the president's assets are held in a trust managed by his children, "eliminating any conflict of interest." White House counsel David Warrington added, "The president does not participate in any business transactions involving his constitutional duties." As a beneficiary of the Trump Organization trust, Trump will be able to access the profits generated by these businesses after leaving office.

Editor: Guo Mingyu