Donald Trump's Truth Social has lost $23 million this year. Its accountants warn it may not survive.
When Truth Social launched in 2022, backers of the social network described it a conservative-friendly alternative to Big Tech platforms that would attract advertisers eager to court former President Donald's Trump's millions of followers. But a new regulatory filing reveals that Truth Social's owner, Trump Media & Technology Group, has booked only $2.3 million in sales through June this year, while losing 10 times that amount.
The disclosure also contains a warning from Trump Media & Technology Group's accountants, who said they have "substantial doubt about the company's ability to continue as a going concern."
The financial details about Trump Media & Technology Group were made public in a Monday filing from Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC), a so-called special-purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, formed to merge with Trump's business. SPACs allow a company to sell shares to the public more quickly than in a traditional initial public offering, which requires more regulatory steps.
The filing marks "a crucial milestone in our journey towards the potential merger with TMTG," DWAC CEO Eric Swider said in a statement on Monday.
The cautionary language by Trump Media's accountants is known as a "going concern" warning, which indicates that an accounting firm believes a company may not have sufficient cash on hand to pay its debts and could default within the next year, according to S&P Global.
To be sure, the warning reflects only snapshot in time, and it's possible Trump Media's pending deal with DWAC could provide the funding that the merged company needs to make good on its obligations and help drive growth.
Trump, who is chairman of Trump Media and owns a stake in the business, has agreed to post on Truth Social prior to any other competing social media service, the filing noted.
Trump Media didn't immediately return a request for comment.
Burning through cash
The financial picture that emerges from filing depicts a company that's facing mounting losses in the face of growing, yet meager, sales. Trump Media reported revenue of $2.3 million for the first six months of 2023, compared with no revenue in the year-earlier period, the filing noted.
With its losses mounting, Trump Media is also burning through cash, ending June with $2.4 million in cash, down from $19 million a year earlier, according to filing. The company reported an operating loss of $23.3 million in 2022, although it recorded a $50.5 million net profit after a change in value tied to its convertible notes.
Trump Media is negotiating its debts with lenders, and the filing includes a warning that its own management has concerns about its ability to pay for the company's liabilities and to meet its obligations to lenders.
"During the 12 months following the signing of these financial statements, management has substantial doubt that the company will have sufficient funds to meet its liabilities as they fall due, including liabilities related to promissory notes previously issued by the company," the filing states.