Trump will be able to cash out his media company holdings

Us Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is one month away from turning his social media wealth into real money. The question is will he?

The former president will be able to begin selling his $2.6 billion stake in Trump Media & Technology Group Corp. The company's share price has fluctuated wildly since it went public in March through a special purpose acquisition company merger.

Bloomberg reports that Trump has not indicated an interest in selling his stake in Trump Media, which operates Trump's Social media platform Truth Social. And doing so risks giving the impression that Mr. Trump is putting his own interests first -- a criticism often leveled at him by pundits -- while alienating loyal followers. Those followers had poured money into the company's stock earlier this year when Trump's campaign was gaining momentum.

However, the Republican presidential candidate is also facing hefty legal bills, and selling the stake could help cover those costs.

"It's complicated," said Michael Ohlrogge, an associate professor at New York University School of Law who studies the SPAC. He said Trump must balance potential profits with long-term goals such as returning to the White House.

Mr. Ollogue said a large sale by Mr. Trump could be seen as a sign of his lack of confidence in the company. "That in itself might look bad, and it could be a bad thing for him if the stock goes down."