Trump buys TKO stock while promoting White House UFC event

United States President Donald Trump bought between $15,000 and $50,000 worth of shares in TKO Holding Group — the company that owns UFC and WWE — just weeks before a UFC event at the White House that he has been promoting for months.

According to Trump’s 8 May financial disclosure, published by the U.S. Office of Government Ethics, the documents do not reveal the exact amount he invested. They do show that he purchased the shares on 25 March, a little over two weeks after the Freedom Fights 250 event was publicly announced.

Trump’s personal investments have come under fresh scrutiny this week after the Pentagon revealed it is awarding a $9.7 billion defence contract to Dell Technologies, a company in which Trump has invested millions over the past three months.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle criticised what he called attempts by “[the Fake News]” to create the appearance of conflicts of interest, saying such claims damage public trust. He added that Trump “acts in the best interests of the American public,” and that his assets are held in a trust run by his children. He insisted there are “no conflicts of interest.”

While Trump’s assets are indeed managed through a trust, it is not a blind trust, meaning he can still be aware of and potentially influence its decisions.

UFC is set to host the first-ever professional sports event on White House grounds on 14 June, which is also Trump’s 80th birthday. The event marks the 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding. Construction has already begun on the South Lawn, including seating for around 4,300 people and a large temporary arch known as “The Claw”.

UFC president and CEO Dana White has said the organisation is spending $60 million on producing the event and will also cover $700,000 in restoration costs for the South Lawn afterwards.

The fight card features a lightweight title bout between champion Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje, plus an interim heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. Other matchups include heavyweights Josh Hokit vs Derrick Lewis, bantamweights Sean O’Malley vs Aiemann Zahabi, lightweights Mauricio Ruffy vs Michael Chandler, middleweights Bo Nickal vs Kyle Daukaus, and featherweights Diego Lopes vs Steve Garcia.