US President Donald Trump has reportedly added more Netflix bonds to his investment portfolio. The purchases came amid intense corporate maneuvering, as Paramount pursued Warner Bros. Discovery. Netflix briefly entered the fray before backing away from a potential deal.
Donald Trump buys Netflix debt, reports claim
Financial disclosure forms released by the White House on March 4 detail two major purchases of Netflix debt by Donald Trump. In January, the president invested between $600,000 and $1.25 million in Netflix bonds, following a December acquisition of $500,000 to $1 million in the streaming company’s debt. The December purchase came shortly after Netflix announced its ambitious plan to acquire Warner Bros.
What makes these transactions particularly interesting is their timing. These happened as Paramount aggressively pursued Warner Bros. Discovery. While the December filing showed Trump holding Warner Bros. Discovery debt, the latest disclosure contains no such holdings.
Netflix had entered the bidding for Warner Bros., but ultimately stepped back. According to Axios, Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos was scheduled to meet with Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles at the White House, but the meeting was called off due to a last-minute scheduling conflict.
That same evening, after Netflix decided against increasing its offer for Warner Bros., Sarandos and Donald Trump connected by phone. Netflix walked away from the deal with a $2.8 billion breakup fee and maintained its investment-grade credit rating—something neither Warner Bros. nor Paramount could claim.
The Netflix purchases represent just a portion of Trump’s recent investment activity. The disclosure also shows acquisitions of SiriusXM bonds valued between $600,000 and $1.25 million, along with various municipal bonds and corporate debt from manufacturers and energy companies.
A White House official explained to The Hollywood Reporter that the investment strategy follows established market indexes. The official emphasized that “neither President Trump nor any member of his family has any ability to direct, influence, or provide input regarding how the portfolio is invested or when investments are bought or sold. All investment decisions are made entirely by independent managers.”
