Trump Trust Acquires Up to $1.25M in Netflix Debt During Warner Bros. Discovery Bidding War: Filings

President Trump’s trust made a significant investment in Netflix bonds during January as the streaming service was in a tough competition with Paramount Skydance for Warner Bros. Discovery. According to recent government filings, the trust purchased between $500,000 to $1 million in debt on January 2nd, and then added another $100,000 to $250,000 on January 20th. This came on top of the initial $500,000 to $1 million in Netflix bonds acquired in December, right after Netflix’s bid for Warner Bros. Discovery was announced.

In the same vein, President Trump also bought a minimum of $500,000 worth of Warner Bros. stock in December, although this stock didn’t appear to show up in his January filing. The bidding war led to Netflix declining to match Paramount Skydance’s $111 billion deal for Warner Bros. Discovery, prompting Netflix to step aside and clearing the path for the Ellison family to acquire a media powerhouse, encompassing CNN, CBS, HBO, Paramount, and Warner Bros.

The purchase of Netflix bonds wasn’t the only investment by Trump’s trust. He also acquired bonds from several other companies like SiriusXM, General Motors, Occidental Petroleum, Victoria’s Secret, Macy’s, Carnival, Boeing, and Wells Fargo. As previously disclosed, Trump held a certain amount of Netflix stock in 2024. Additionally, he received a residual check from Warner Bros. for cameo appearances in various TV shows and movies.

It’s worth noting that despite these financial moves, the White House has assured that there are no conflicts of interest as President Trump’s assets are managed by his children and financial advisors. Regarding the proposed takeover of Warner Bros. Discovery by Netflix, the deal fell through due to antitrust concerns, with Trump’s administration officials not backing the move. Moving forward, there are still ongoing shifts in the media landscape, with CNN potentially being under new ownership following any deal involving David Ellison and his promises to maintain the network’s editorial independence.