Trump Jr.'s 1789 Capital to invest $300M more in Polymarket at $21B valuation
Donald Trump Jr.'s investment firm 1789 Capital is investing about $300 million more in Polymarket as part of a reported $1 billion funding round that would value the prediction market at $21 billion. Forbes also reports that Trump Jr. serves as a strategic advisor to both Polymarket and rival Kalshi, deepening ties between the Trump family and the regulated prediction market sector. The development follows a prior meeting between Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan, Trump Jr., and 1789 Capital founder Omeed Malik.
The fresh $300 million gives Polymarket capital to match Kalshi's $1.12 billion war chest just as both platforms face rising regulatory pressure. Trump Jr.'s dual advisory roles create a direct channel between a political family and two competing CFTC-registered exchanges. For Kalshi, the shared Trump tie means its rival now has comparable partisan shielding in any Republican-led enforcement shift.
ICE already holds a $1.6 billion Polymarket stake, so 1789's entry diversifies governance influence rather than concentrating it. The investment also tests whether a politically linked fund can help Polymarket solve its unresolved banking access after JPMorgan debanked it. For traders, the funding race between these two venues now shapes which platform can absorb compliance costs and expand liquidity fastest.