Aaron Katersky, Lucien Bruggeman and Peter Charalamboussocial media company Truth Social completed a merger Friday morning that could net the former president over $3 billion.-- a special purpose acquisition company -- approved a merger with Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns Truth Social. The company can begin trading as a public company, with the stock symbol DJT on Nasdaq, as early as next week.With Trump owning 58.
1% of the common stock in the company, the former president stands to make over $3 billion from the deal depending on how the stock ultimately trades. Experts say it represents a staggering valuation for a social media company that ranks below major competitors like Facebook, X, and TikTok. However the deal currently includes a lockout provision that prevents Trump from immediately selling or getting loans based on his shares -- potentially limiting Trump's ability to use the windfall as collateral for a bond in hisTrump faces a Monday deadline to secure a financial guarantee to cover the judgment, after a New York judge in February ordered him to pay $464 million in disgorgement and pre-judgment interest when he found the former president and his adult sons liable for using "numerous acts of fraud and misrepresentation" toTrump has denied all wrongdoing and has appealed the decision in the case. A representative for Trump Media & Technology Group did not immediately respond for a request for comment from ABC News