Florida — Bloomberg and Trading Firms Reportedly Pay for Faster Access to Trump’s Market-Moving Posts
Truth Social, the social media platform founded by US President Donald Trump, has reportedly attracted paid subscribers from Bloomberg and two major trading firms for a service that provides faster access to the president’s posts.
People familiar with the matter told Reuters that the subscribers include Susquehanna International Group and Jump Trading, both of which use automated trading strategies in financial markets.
Trump Media and Technology Group launched the accelerated-access service in July, targeting financial institutions and trading businesses. The product distributes posts through an application programming interface (API), allowing computer systems to exchange information directly.
The company has said the service can deliver posts approximately 50 milliseconds faster than standard access. Even a small time advantage can be significant for high-frequency trading firms, as statements from the president can quickly affect financial asset prices.
Subscriptions reportedly cost between $60,000 and $100,000 per month. Trump Media said in August that it had secured more than 10 customer agreements, although Reuters could not independently verify that number.
Bloomberg, Jump Trading and Susquehanna declined to comment on the reported subscriptions.
Trump Media defended the service, describing it as an industry-standard API product that has attracted substantial demand from businesses across multiple sectors. The company also emphasized its commitment to customer confidentiality and accused the reporting of relying on misleading information from anonymous sources.
However, the arrangement has drawn scrutiny because a company associated with a sitting president is selling faster access to his public statements. Since Trump’s posts can move markets, paying subscribers could potentially gain an advantage over investors who receive the same information later.
Reuters cited an example from April, when oil futures fell after Trump announced a ceasefire in the Iran war on Truth Social.
The service has also triggered legal and regulatory concerns. In August, Intercept Media and the Freedom of the Press Foundation filed a lawsuit seeking to stop the White House from publishing official government announcements exclusively on Truth Social while the paid-access service remains available.
The lawsuit contends that restricting access to government information through a financial barrier could raise constitutional issues and benefit wealthy financial institutions. The case is ongoing.
In July, Democratic US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Adam Schiff said they had asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether the service violated securities laws. The SEC declined to comment.
Trump’s family trust holds a 41% stake in Trump Media, with Trump serving as its sole beneficiary. A White House spokesman said Trump and his family were not directly involved in portfolio investment decisions but did not respond to allegations concerning the potential misuse of presidential office.
Trump Media’s shares have declined more than 50% so far this year. The company’s market value has fallen to around $1.8 billion from approximately $8 billion when it debuted in March 2024.
The controversy underscores the importance of speed in automated trading while raising broader questions about equal access to market-sensitive information, particularly when statements from political leaders can trigger rapid changes in asset prices.
Original article


Comments