Trump crypto czar Sacks sells over US$200 million in investments
David Sacks, President Donald Trump’s adviser for artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies, and his venture-capital firm Craft Ventures have divested more than US$200 million worth of holdings related to the digital-asset industry, according to a memo released by the White House.
Sacks and Craft Ventures sold all their liquid cryptocurrency holdings, including Bitcoin, Ethereum and Solana, prior to Trump’s inauguration, the memo dated March 5 from White House counsel David Warrington said. Sacks divested his stock in Coinbase Global Inc. and Robinhood Markets Inc. as well as limited-partner interests in crypto funds Multicoin Capital and Blockchain Capital, according to the memo. Craft also sold its interests in Multicoin Capital and Bitwise Asset Management Inc.
At least US$85 million of the more than US$200 million in divestments was attributable directly to Sacks, the memo said, adding that the sales came “at a significant tax cost” because special government employees like Sacks are not entitled to deferments of capital-gains taxes.
The disclosures were made in the memo that provides Sacks with a waiver from conflict-of-interest regulations in order to serve as Trump’s special adviser, or czar, for AI and crypto, a role designed to help guide the president’s digital-asset policies. Sacks was also named as chair of the President’s Working Group on Digital Asset Markets. He joined a slate of ultra-wealthy people who have secured influential seats in the new administration. The combined net worth of 12 of Trump’s richest appointees is nearly US$400 billion.
Trump, a critic of crypto during his first term who went on to become a vocal supporter during last year’s campaign, already has delivered a handful of wins to
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