Trump Sons Build a Billions-Deep Defense Tech Portfolio

As Pentagon money surges into cutting-edge weapons and drones, President Trump’s sons are now major players in the very companies winning those taxpayer-funded deals.

Story Snapshot

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have stakes in more than a dozen defense tech firms landing billions in Pentagon contracts.
Investigations say Trump-linked companies received about $3.7 billion in federal funds during the second Trump term.
The brothers are key investors in new military drone ventures like Powerus and Israeli firm Xtend.
Critics warn of conflict-of-interest risks, while the Trump camp insists the sons are passive investors and contracts are merit-based.

Trump Sons Build a Billions-Deep Defense Tech Portfolio

Washington Post analysis and follow-up reporting find that Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump have invested in more than a dozen defense technology firms that together secured at least $3.2 billion in direct Pentagon contracts since their father’s return to the White House. Those same firms hold about $3.1 billion in future options and access to exclusive bidding on far more long-term work, meaning their value grows as the administration ramps up spending on warfighting tools. A separate review by MS NOW and others estimates that companies linked to the brothers have received roughly $3.7 billion in federal funds during this second Trump term, highlighting how closely their investment portfolio tracks the expansion of the defense budget.

Most of that money flows through big names like SpaceX and Anduril Industries, which already had deep ties to the Pentagon and the MAGA movement. Reports say about 97 percent of the direct funding in the Washington Post tally comes from those two firms, yet even after removing them, at least 13 smaller startups still lock in around $1.8 billion in long-term Pentagon commitments. Those younger companies work on everything from autonomous drones and rocket motors to rare earth magnets and “smart factory” systems, placing the Trump sons in the middle of a broad push to modernize the military with artificial intelligence and automation.

Drone Deals, Mergers, and Strategic Bets

The sharpest focus is on drones, where Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. have backed companies aiming to fill key gaps in U.S. unmanned systems. Military Times reports that the brothers are “notable investors” in Aureus Greenway Holdings, a Trump-linked golf course company now merging with Powerus Corporation, a drone maker that wants to produce autonomous aircraft for the U.S. military. Around the same time, Eric Trump made a strategic investment in Israeli drone firm Xtend, which develops an artificial intelligence operating system to let drones carry out complex missions at low cost. Responsible Statecraft and other outlets note that these drones have already been battle-tested overseas, raising their attractiveness to Pentagon planners.

Donald Trump Jr. goes beyond simple investment in at least one case, serving on the advisory board of Unusual Machines, a drone parts startup. A Forbes-cited analysis says he received shares valued in the millions, followed by at least $15.2 million in military-related contracts for the company, including a direct U.S. Army procurement. Reports also tie Trump Jr. and his investment group 1789 Capital to other national security firms such as Vulcan Elements, which produces rare earth magnets, and Firehawk Aerospace, which builds rocket motors, further weaving the Trump family into the industrial base feeding the Pentagon’s expanded tech agenda.

Conflicts of Interest, Legal Gaps, and MAGA Defenses

Ethics experts and Democratic lawmakers argue these investments create a “more profound conflict-of-interest” because Trump Jr. is both a close political advisor and a profit-seeking investor in companies shaped by his father’s policies. Senator Elizabeth Warren and colleagues have pressed the Department of Defense on why it lacks strong safeguards to prevent potential Trump family conflicts in defense contracts, pointing to portfolio companies of 1789 Capital winning tens of millions in Pentagon awards after Trump Jr. joined the fund. A ProPublica investigation, echoed by public radio reporting, highlights one striking case: a $620 million Pentagon loan to Vulcan Elements, where the White House allegedly called defense officials to speed the deal for a company tied to Trump Jr.

Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump invest heavily in defense tech as their father’s administration pours money in

The companies have collectively generated $3.2B in direct govt business since the sons invested and additional $3.1B in future contract optionshttps://t.co/ojqaqJqpJt

— Wendy Siegelman (@WendySiegelman) July 14, 2026

At the same time, there is no public evidence that the Trump sons directly ordered contracts or broke any law. Companies say their deals were won on merit, and some note that government work began before Trump investments, which blurs claims of cause and effect. Trump Jr.’s spokesperson insists he is a passive investor who “does not interface with the federal government” on behalf of these firms, while Eric Trump’s team stresses he has “absolutely no involvement” in daily operations or contracting. The deeper problem, according to nonpartisan analyses, is a gap in U.S. law: strict conflict-of-interest rules bind federal employees, but nothing stops a president’s children from investing in companies that seek government contracts, leaving taxpayers and troops to trust private promises instead of clear guardrails.