Trump traded Coupang shares 18 times after taking office; holdings are estimated at $130,000

[Financial News] Donald Trump, President of the United States, bought and sold Coupang shares listed on the New York stock market a total of 18 times through an asset manager from October last year through May this year.
According to foreign media reports on the 5th, Trump has been trading Coupang common shares through two accounts in his name, and the value of the remaining shares is estimated at around $130,000, or about 200 million won. Trump is known to hold stocks worth a total of 1.4 trillion won, including shares in Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of his social media platform Truth Social, making his Coupang holdings relatively small.
Trump's stock trades during his term have been carried out through a delegated asset manager, and his side has said he does not directly manage the investment accounts. However, because Coupang has recently become an important issue in South Korea-U.S. diplomacy and trade, Trump's ownership of Coupang shares could raise concerns over a potential conflict of interest.
Trump's Coupang trading history was revealed in a financial disclosure recently released by the Office of Government Ethics (OGE). The disclosed period covers October last year through May this year, during which Trump made 18 trades ranging from several thousand dollars to less than $100,000 per transaction.
The largest purchase during that period was $280,000 in February this year. Based on the $130,000 sold in May, he appears to currently hold at least $130,000 worth of Coupang shares. However, trading records outside the review period are unknown, and given the size of the transactions, some suggest the activity may have been mechanical buying and selling by an algorithm rather than driven by a specific intent.
It has not been confirmed exactly how much profit Trump made from trading Coupang shares. However, in last year's trading, transactions took place as Coupang's share price plunged amid the company's personal data breach incident, so his returns are estimated to have been modest.
Coupang generates most of its business and revenue in South Korea, but it is listed on a U.S. exchange and classified as an American company. In particular, claims began emerging in U.S. political circles in January this year that the Government of the Republic of Korea was treating Coupang unfairly. In February, closed-door testimony was also held before the House Judiciary Committee regarding Coupang. On the 1st, the committee released a report saying the Government of the Republic of Korea was treating U.S. companies, including Coupang, in a discriminatory manner. Some in South Korea's political circles have criticized Coupang for lobbying the U.S. government and Congress to pressure the Government of the Republic of Korea.
Meanwhile, Jamieson Greer, the U.S. Trade Representative in charge of trade issues involving Coupang, reported that he received $10,000 from Coupang for a lecture and advisory fee on May 17, 2024, while working as a partner at the law firm King & Spalding. Greer also received $20,000 from Hyundai Motor Company for the same purpose at the time. Allison Hooker, Assistant Secretary of State for Political Affairs, also reported that she had provided consulting services to Coupang and received compensation before taking office.
hwlee@fnnews.com Lee Hwan-ju Reporter