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Senior executives from Goldman Sachs, Nasdaq, and Franklin Templeton are set to join federal regulators and U.S. lawmakers at Mar-a-Lago on February 17 for a crypto forum hosted by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, co-founders of World Liberty Financial, the family venture that has generated more than $1 billion in crypto revenue during the Trump presidency.
The event, branded the “World Liberty Forum,” will take place at President Donald Trump’s private club, Mar-a-Lago, and is organized by Trump family-backed crypto venture World Liberty Financial.
The gathering underscores the growing intersection of digital assets, political power and private enterprise at Mar-a-Lago, prompting debate over potential conflicts of interest and the future direction of U.S. crypto regulation.
Expected speakers at the Mar-a-Lago forum include David Solomon, chief executive of Goldman Sachs; Jenny Johnson, chief executive of Franklin Templeton; Lynn Martin, president of the New York Stock Exchange; and Adena Friedman, CEO of Nasdaq.
Federal officials slated to attend include Commodity Futures Trading Commission Chairman Michael Selig, Small Business Administration Administrator Kelly Loeffler and Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.
President Trump is not scheduled to appear at Mar-a-Lago, though he has previously attended crypto-related events tied to family ventures.
The Mar-a-Lago forum is being hosted by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, co-founders of World Liberty Financial, alongside Zach and Alex Witkoff. Organizers say the event will focus on the “future of finance and technology,” bringing together business leaders and policymakers at Mar-a-Lago to discuss digital markets and regulatory frameworks.
In a statement, World Liberty spokesman David Wachsman said the forum is “about deepening relationships and extending U.S. dollar dominance in the digital economy,” comparing it to established gatherings such as the Milken Institute Global Conference and Sun Valley. He added that media would be invited, speakers were not compensated, and announcements would be shared publicly.
World Liberty Financial has also indicated it will invite prominent online promoters of its tradable crypto token, WLFI, and its USD1 stablecoin to the Mar-a-Lago event.
Representatives for the CFTC, Goldman Sachs, Franklin Templeton, NYSE and Nasdaq either declined to comment or did not respond to requests. An SBA spokesperson said Loeffler is “attending the event in her personal capacity” and directed further questions to World Liberty. A State Department spokesperson stated that “a core component of Mr. Helberg’s mandate is to engage the nation’s most prominent business leaders.”
The convergence of Trump family business interests, federal regulators and financial executives at Mar-a-Lago has drawn scrutiny from legal and ethics experts. Six specialists interviewed by Reuters described the event as unusual, though they differed on whether it constitutes a serious constitutional issue.
Chris Swartz, a former attorney at the U.S. Office of Government Ethics who served during both Trump administrations, said the optics are problematic.
“Any reasonable person would have serious questions about the propriety of this event,” — Chris Swartz, Senior Ethics Counsel, Democracy Defenders Action.
Swartz expressed concern about the appearance that the Trump family could benefit commercially from proximity to public office through a business promoted at Mar-a-Lago.
Others, however, argued that such overlaps are not unprecedented. Andy Grewal, a law professor at the University of Iowa, said business leaders frequently seek alignment with sitting administrations.
“The presidency has inescapable conflicts. It’s up to the voters to decide who they believe will or will not ethically handle those,” — Andy Grewal, Professor of Law, University of Iowa.
World Liberty’s Wachsman rejected the criticism, stating: “There is nothing unprecedented about leaders in finance, technology, and government convening to discuss the future of critical markets,” adding that “characterizing standard cross-sector dialogue as a ‘conflict of interest’ misrepresents both the event and its participants.”
World Liberty Financial, launched just before the 2024 U.S. presidential election by President Trump and his three sons, has become a significant component of the family’s business portfolio. According to a Reuters analysis, the Trump family has generated more than $1 billion from crypto-related ventures during the president’s first year in office.
Much of that revenue stems from World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin, which is backed by the U.S. dollar and has surpassed $5 billion in circulation, making it the fifth-largest stablecoin globally, according to Wachsman. The prominence of World Liberty Financial heightens the stakes of hosting a high-profile industry forum at Mar-a-Lago, where policymakers and market participants intersect.
In January 2025, days before President Trump’s inauguration, an investment vehicle linked to a member of the Abu Dhabi royal family acquired a 49% equity stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, a deal first reported by The Wall Street Journal and later confirmed to Reuters by Wachsman which was later denied by Trump.
White House officials have rejected suggestions of impropriety tied to the Mar-a-Lago event. Anna Kelly, a White House spokeswoman, said the president’s assets are held in a trust managed by his children and that “there are no conflicts of interest.” White House Counsel David Warrington added that “the president has no involvement in business deals that would implicate his constitutional responsibilities.”
As beneficiary of the trust controlling the Trump Organization, President Trump is expected to have access to income generated by these ventures after leaving office.
The Mar-a-Lago forum thus represents more than a routine industry conference. It places crypto policy, financial power and presidential family business interests in close proximity at Mar-a-Lago, ensuring that scrutiny over transparency and governance will likely continue alongside debates about the future of digital finance.
