Melania Trump is famous for either creating or riding a controversy to the top. This month, the former glamour model turned businesswoman opted to take one of her biggest dramas straight to the bank and cash in majorly.
Donald Trump’s wife bluntly spoke to her critics who often mock her for being work-shy and for fleeing her duties as first lady by using a body double to represent her at certain public events.
After Melania Trump entered politics, there was ongoing speculation that she sometimes used a body double for public appearances. These rumors suggested she preferred to remain in New York and Florida with her son, Barron Trump, rather than travel for her role.
Some have pointed out that sometimes Mrs. Trump’s features and body language changed during outings. People always find Melania Trump suspicious when she is overly affectionate with Donald Trump.
The ‘Fake Melania’ Crypto Launch
Melania Trump’s business page on X posted an AI video featuring a body double resembling Melania Trump in a long black coat and high heels at Trump Tower.
The brief clip opens with the camera set on the decor, and the likeness of a body double materializes in a pixelated cloud, posing for the audience, who either applaud or cringe.
The viral clip was originally posted by the official account of the Melania Trump cryptocurrency, $MELANIA. Melania Trump unveiled the Solana-based meme coin on social media shortly before Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
She invited her millions of followers to visit her website, operated by her Florida-registered company, MKT World LLC, which she also used for earlier NFT and portrait ventures.
Lawsuits and The ‘Pump-and-Dump’ Scandal
Melania Trump’s latest business venture has been mired in controversy and legal challenges. The $MELANIA token has been extremely volatile since its launch, with The Guardian reporting that it soared to a market capitalization of $6.14 billion to $13 billion within hours of its debut.
However, the coin’s value plummeted rapidly afterward, with reports indicating it had lost over 90% of its peak worth within weeks, and was down over 99% from its all-time high by late 2025. On inauguration day, the coin’s all-time high was around $13.05, but its value has since dropped significantly.
In March 2025, Melania Trump was linked to a federal class-action lawsuit accusing the architects behind $MELANIA of running a “pump-and-dump” scheme.
According to the Guardian: “The complaint does not name the first lady as a conspirator, but says that she was merely used as ‘window dressing for a crime engineered’ by [the coin’s creators].”
Melania Trump’s specific earnings from $MELANIA have not been disclosed. However, Forbes and the Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump family collectively earned over $1 billion in pre-tax profits from various cryptocurrency ventures in the past year.
In summer 2025, Barron Trump, then 19, raked in around $150 million via the Trump family’s stake in the cryptocurrency company World Liberty Financial (WLFI), which launched in late 2024.
A Warning About AI
While Melania Trump and her husband are using AI for headlines and to generate a fortune, the first lady recently revealed in a speech that there are reasons to be concerned and hopeful about the usage of artificial technology.
Melania Trump made a rare public appearance at the White House, telling the crowd: “The robots are here, and it is our responsibility to prepare America’s children. Our future is no longer science fiction. During this primitive stage, it is our duty to treat AI as we would our own children – empowering, but with watchful guidance.”
Mrs. Trump is still a big hit with the MAGA crowd.
