• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026

1

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch

2

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

3

Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Donald Trump

With Trump back on Twitter, can Truth Social survive?

Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Christiaan Hetzner
By
Christiaan Hetzner
Christiaan Hetzner
Senior Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
August 20, 2024, 9:29 AM ET
Donald Trump
Donald Trump owns 60% of Truth Social parent company TMTG, whose shares just hit a fresh all-time low amid his flagging political fortunes.Michael M. Santiago—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Donald Trump’s Truth Social once offered a unique draw: exclusive content from the 45th president himself. That edge is now gone.

Recommended Video

In an effort to boost his campaign, Trump has returned to Twitter—now rebranded as X—to re-engage with voters on the platform that helped him win the presidency.

This shift raises questions about the future of Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG), the financially troubled parent company.

TMTG’s viability has been closely linked to Trump’s political profile and his initials, DJT, which also serve as its ticker symbol.

With the loss of exclusive content, Truth Social risks becoming irrelevant in a crowded digital media market.

On Monday, TMTG shares hit a new all-time low, closing down 3.6% at $22.24 since its SPAC merger in March.

This decline precedes the end of a six-month lockup period in late September when Trump could potentially sell his 79 million shares, representing 60% of the outstanding stock.

TMTG could not be reached by Fortune for comment.

Why is Trump back on X?

The decision to return to Twitter/X comes at a critical juncture, as the 78-year-old is losing momentum to younger opponent Kamala Harris. 

With the race neck and neck and a ground campaign he’s outsourced to donors to save costs, he seems to be getting increasingly worried.

Are you better off now than you were when I was president?

Our economy is shattered. Our border has been erased. We're a nation in decline.

Make the American Dream AFFORDABLE again. Make America SAFE again. Make America GREAT Again!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 12, 2024

Previously Trump had returned to X only to post his mug shot after owner Elon Musk reversed the ban imposed by legacy Twitter after Trump incited the violent Jan. 6 Capitol riots.

Not even after surviving an attempt on his life did he return to post the image of him surrounded by Secret Service agents, blood running down his face and fist raised in the air.

But that was when pollsters had him romping to victory.

Trump can no longer afford to limit his reach to Truth Social, a company that refuses to disclose its own user numbers or the number of likely fake accounts run by bot farms. 

In June, Trump joined ByteDance’s TikTok in June, a controversial move given his antagonistic relationship with China, where its parent is based.

But TikTok is a platform for sharing videos, something he is less familiar with.

His presence there is sporadic, his follower count a fraction that of X, and his viewership has dropped with the lack of fresh and engaging content.

On Aug. 12 he marked his return to X ahead of a two-hour-long discussion with Musk and has been regularly posting ever since.

Heavily loss-making TMTG’s business is getting worse, not better

The future of Truth Social remains uncertain, as its financial outlook was already bleak when Trump exclusively used the platform.

The parent company, TMTG, continues to be a financial drain. Its daily operational costs for R&D, staff, and general expenses are 73 times its revenue. Excluding a $226 million noncash impairment, TMTG posted a $118 million net loss over six months on $1.6 million in revenue.

The situation is deteriorating: TMTG’s operating loss for the first half of the year increased 15-fold compared to last year, and revenue shrank by 30% from $2.3 million.

TMTG acknowledges its poor financials but claims its management focuses on enhancing features and user experience rather than key performance metrics. The company does not track or consider average revenue per user, ad impressions, pricing, or active user accounts in its business decisions.

“TMTG may decide to collect and report such metrics if they are deemed to significantly enhance investors’ understanding of TMTG’s financial condition, cash flows, and other aspects of its financial performance,” it said in its 10-Q filing earlier this month. 

Finally, its independent accounting firm, the Colorado-based BF Borgers, was slapped with a lifetime ban for copy-pasting audits and forging dates. The SEC found it had committed “massive fraud” for over 1,500 regulatory filings over a two-and-a-half-year period to June 2023.

One rival, IAC media group chair Barry Diller, didn’t mince words about the startup in early April: “It’s a scam. Just like everything he’s ever been involved in.”

About the Author
Christiaan Hetzner
By Christiaan HetznerSenior Reporter
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Christiaan Hetzner is a former writer for Fortune, where he covered Europe’s changing business landscape.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in

A test of Anduril's Altius drone.
NewslettersTerm Sheet
Defense tech could be entering its awkward teenage years. Is the boom a bubble?
By Allie GarfinkleJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
em
Commentary250 Years of Innovation
America’s 250th birthday has Elon Musk and a record IPO. Its 15th had Alexander Hamilton — and a stock market bubble
By Owen LamontJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
paramount
CommentaryAntitrust
How Paramount’s theater commitments could boost local economies across the nation
By Ike BrannonJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
The true cost of Donald Trump’s $2.2 billion year
NewslettersCEO Daily
The true cost of Donald Trump’s $2.2 billion year
By Diane BradyJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg (left) and CTO Andrew "Boz" Bosworth in Menlo Park, California, on Wednesday, Sept. 17, 2025. (Photo: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg/Getty Images)
NewslettersFortune Tech
Meta prepares to join the cloud infrastructure fray
By Andrew NuscaJuly 2, 2026
2 hours ago
Top CD rates today, July 2, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
Personal FinanceCertificates of Deposit (CDs)
Top CD rates today, July 2, 2026: Lock in up to up to 4.40%
By Glen Luke FlanaganJuly 2, 2026
3 hours ago

Most Popular

As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
Big Tech
As Big Tech showers employees with perks to win the talent war, Nvidia built a nearly $5 trillion company by making people pay for their own lunch
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
7 days ago
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of July 1, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 1, 2026
24 hours ago
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
Newsletters
The Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling hands the U.S. economy a $7.7 trillion win
By Diane BradyJuly 1, 2026
1 day ago
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
Success
Philanthropy leader at Warren Buffett and Bill Gates’ Giving Pledge says children of billionaires are pushing them to give their wealth away faster
By Preston ForeJune 27, 2026
5 days ago
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
Success
Elon Musk on MacKenzie Scott giving away $26 billion of her fortune: 'Sadly,' it makes the world a worse place
By Sydney LakeJune 29, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.