Donald Trump’s social media company Trump Media managed to go public last week only after it had been kept afloat in 2022 by emergency loans provided in part by a Russian-American businessman under scrutiny in a federal insider-trading and money-laundering investigation.
Through leaked documents, the Guardian has learned that ES Family Trust operated like a shell company for a Russian-American businessman named Anton #Postolnikov.
Trump stands to gain billions… from the merger between TrumpMedia & Tech & the blank-check co [#SPAC] #DWAC, which took the parent company of #TruthSocial public.
The new details are drawn from docs incl’g: #PaxumBank recs showing #Postolnikov having access to the trust’s acct, papers that created the trust showing as its settlor a lawyer in St Petersburg, #Russia, & 3 yrs of its #financial transactions.
The concern surrounding the #loans to #Trump Media is that #ESFamilyTrust may have been used to complete a transaction that Paxum itself could not.
Paxum DOES NOT OFFER LOANS in the #US as it lacks a US #BANKING#LICENSE & is not regulated by the #FDIC.
Postolnikov, the nephew of #AleksandrSmirnov, an ally of the Russian president, Vladimir #Putin, has not been charged w/a #crime. In response to an email to Postolnikov seeking comment, a lawyer in Dominica representing #PaxumBank threatened legal action for reporting the contents of leaked docs.
…#ESFamilyTrust was established on 18 May 2021, creation papers show. Postolnikov’s “user” access to the acct was “verified” on 30 Nov 2021 by a #PaxumBank mgr in Dominica.
…the investment in #TrumpMedia proved huge: while precise figures can only be known by #Trump Media, ESFamilyTrust’s stake is worth $20m to $40m even after the sharp decline of the share price after a poor earnings report.
The #ESFamilyTrust acct also appears to have benefited #Postolnikov personally. As the #criminal investigation into the merger intensified towards the end of last yr, the trust recorded several transfers to Postolnikov w/the subj “Partial Loan Return”.
In total, the doc showed that the trust transferred $4.8m to #Postolnikov’s acct….
The reason for the #ESFamilyTrust’s creation remains unknown. Aside from the #money that went to #TrumpMedia, the trust’s statements show the trust has directly invested money w/only two other companies: $10.8m to Eleven Ventures LLC, a #VC firm, & $1m to Wedbush Securities, a #wealth management firm.
Last month, #federal prosecutors charged #MichaelShvartsman, a close assoc of #Postolnikov, w/ #MoneyLaundering in a #SupersedingIndictment after previously charging him & 2 others in Jul w/ #InsiderTrading#DWAC shares…
At least part of the #evidence against Shvartsman came from a CI for DHS, court filings show: in one March 2023 meeting w/the informant & an associate, Shvartsman mentioned a friend who owned a bank in Dominica & made bridge loans to #Trump Media.
Trump Media saved in 2022 by Russian-American under criminal investigation
Last year The Guardian reported on $8 million loans made in 2022 to Trump Media that went through Paxum Bank from ES Family Trust run by Anton Postolnikov, nephew of Putin ally Aleksandr Smirnov
Today's story adds new info, including that loans had promissory notes that would put ES Family Trust stake in Trump Media at $20-$40mil