Major insider slashes nearly all of its stake in Trump’s media firm

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(Reuters) – One of the biggest shareholders in former U.S. President Donald Trump’s media company has all but eliminated its stake following the recent end of selling restrictions.

United Atlantic Ventures, managed by Trump Media cofounder Andrew Litinsky, who had appeared on Trump’s hit reality TV show “The Apprentice,” cut its 5.5% stake in Trump Media & Technology from over 7.5 million shares to just 100 shares, according to a filing late on Thursday.

United Atlantic had been one of the company’s top three shareholders. Republican presidential candidate Trump owns about 57% of Trump Media.

Shares of Trump Media, which operates the Truth Social app, have been volatile over the past five trading sessions following the end of insider trading restrictions related to the company’s March stock market debut.

Shares of the company dipped about 1% on Thursday, ahead of the filing, leaving it with a stock market value of $2.8 billion.

Trump Media’s value ballooned to nearly $10 billion following its Wall Street debut, lifted by retail traders who saw it as a speculative bet on Trump’s chances of securing a second four-year term as president.

Since then, Trump Media shares have steadily lost ground, with share declines accelerating after President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid on July 21.

Trump, whose stake in Trump Media is worth roughly $1.6 billion, said on Sept. 13 that he did not plan to sell his shares, turning the focus to other major stakeholders who could cash out.

A representative for Litinsky did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the stock reduction.

Trump Media has been burning cash and its revenue is about equivalent to that of two Starbucks coffee shops. (This story has been corrected to fix hyperlinks, in paragraphs 7, 8)

(Reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Chris Reese and Bill Berkrot)