who shorted trump stock — named shorts & timeline

Who shorted Trump stock

This guide explains who shorted trump stock and why those short positions mattered for traders and the company. In plain language you will find: what the question "who shorted trump stock" refers to, how short selling and puts work, the main disclosed short positions (notably Qube Research & Technologies), filing errors that caused confusion, market reaction and volatility, regulatory context, and a concise timeline of major public events. Readers will come away able to interpret public disclosures about DJT shorting activity and understand the limits of available data.

Note: This article focuses on short positions taken against Trump Media & Technology Group (ticker DJT) in U.S. equity markets and related public disclosures. It does not cover political commentary.

Background: Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT)

Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT) is the parent company of the social platform Truth Social. The company completed a public listing through a merger with a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC), a path that attracted retail attention and large early trading volumes. As of April 2025, press coverage described DJT as having a relatively small free float and sharp price volatility compared with large-cap stocks. The combination of a prominent founder, activist retail interest and limited freely tradable shares has made the stock a focus for speculative activity and short sellers.

As readers ask who shorted trump stock, it helps to remember these structural facts: DJT’s listing via SPAC-like mechanism concentrated ownership with major holdings tied to the founder’s related entities, and a relatively thin public float amplified price moves when buyers or sellers concentrated their activity. Reporters and market-data providers have repeatedly linked that structure to the outsized swings that made DJT attractive for both bearish and bullish traders.

Sources reporting on DJT’s structure and market attention include Reuters, Business Insider and Newsweek, which described the merger path, large founder-related holdings and episodes of volatile trading in 2024–2025.

What “shorting” means

When someone asks who shorted trump stock they are asking which market participants positioned to profit if DJT’s share price fell. Two common mechanisms allow traders to express a negative view on a stock:

• Borrow-and-sell short (short selling): A trader or fund borrows shares from a lender (typically through broker arrangements), sells them in the market, and later buys back the shares to return them. Profit occurs if the repurchase price is lower than the sale price; losses occur if prices rise. Brokers may charge borrow fees, and availability of borrow depends on supply of shares (hard-to-borrow names can have high fees).

• Put options: Buying put options gives the holder the right (but not the obligation) to sell the underlying shares at a set strike price before expiration. Put buyers profit if the underlying falls below the strike minus the option premium paid. Puts can offer leverage with defined downside (the premium paid), and they do not require borrowing shares.

Short positions may also be implemented synthetically via derivatives or structured trades. Importantly, short interest statistics reported by exchanges or market-data providers measure short positions but do not always identify the ultimate economic actor behind a position. When people ask who shorted trump stock, public filings and foreign disclosure registries are often the only ways to link a position to a named firm.

(References: general market coverage by Reuters, Associated Press and Business Insider on short-selling mechanics and option usage.)

Major disclosed short positions in DJT

When investigating who shorted trump stock, reporters and regulators focused on named disclosures that tied an identifiable firm to a material bearish economic exposure.

Qube Research & Technologies — ~$105 million position

As of April 2025, the most prominent named short reported against DJT was Qube Research & Technologies. According to press reports, Qube disclosed a roughly $105 million short position in Trump Media & Technology Group; the filing indicated that stake represented about 2.5% of the company’s free float. The disclosure was first noted via a filing in Germany’s Bundesanzeiger and was covered by major outlets including Reuters, Business Insider and market-data services.

This Qube disclosure is the primary public example of a named institutional short tied directly to DJT. When readers search who shorted trump stock, Qube’s name often appears first because its disclosure identified the firm and provided an approximate dollar amount and a percent of free float, enabling clear attribution.

Other reported short interest and aggregate figures

Beyond named disclosures like Qube’s, aggregated short-interest data from market-data providers and exchanges showed elevated levels of bearish exposure at times. Reporting cited figures from providers such as LSEG and Nasdaq indicating that short interest in DJT at certain points accounted for a notable share of the available float. In addition, press coverage described active participation by hedge funds, professional bearish traders and a large number of retail traders and option buyers trading puts — all contributing to periods of heavy volume and wide bid/ask spreads.

Because many short trades are implemented via derivatives or routed through broker-dealers, aggregate short-interest statistics can show the scale of bearish positioning without naming every institutional actor. When determining who shorted trump stock, aggregated metrics provide useful context but are not a substitute for named regulatory disclosures.

(References: aggregate short-interest reporting in Reuters and Business Insider; AP and PBS coverage of retail and institutional activity.)

How these short positions became public

Public visibility into who shorted trump stock has come through several regulatory and reporting channels:

• Foreign short-position registries: In the Qube case, a short position was revealed through Germany’s Bundesanzeiger filings. Some large asset managers and trading firms are required to disclose net short positions in certain jurisdictions when thresholds are exceeded; those filings can identify the firm and the size of the position. The Qube disclosure was picked up by international media because the filing named the firm and quantified the exposure.

• Short-interest reports by market-data providers: Exchanges and data vendors publish aggregated short-interest figures on schedules that vary by venue and jurisdiction. These reports disclose the total number of shares reported shorted but typically do not name the individual traders or funds responsible.

• SEC and company correspondence: In some cases, the company (or its investors) will request regulatory review of trading patterns or report suspicious trading to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Public statements by the company or media coverage of such requests can bring attention to potential short-selling activity without revealing every short seller’s identity.

Because some disclosure regimes operate outside the U.S., a named short in a foreign registry can reveal activity in a U.S.-listed stock that would not otherwise be identifiable in domestic public filings. That dynamic explains why reporters tracing who shorted trump stock often cited the Bundesanzeiger and similar filings.

(References: Reuters and Business Insider explanations of how the Qube position was disclosed via Germany’s Bundesanzeiger.)

Market reaction and impact on DJT share price

Announcements about named short positions and broader bearish activity coincided with sizeable price swings in DJT. Periods when reporters asked who shorted trump stock were often the same windows when the stock experienced heavy intraday moves, rising option volumes and swings between rapid declines and partial recoveries.

Key market impacts observed in coverage:

• Volatility spikes: DJT’s intraday volatility rose markedly around the dates when large bearish positions were disclosed or when significant retail buying of calls and puts occurred. Limited free float amplified price moves when either side concentrated orders.

• Price declines and rallies: Disclosed bearish positions and heavy put buying have been reported alongside sharp declines at times, while sustained retail demand or short-covering trades produced sharp rebounds.

• Paper gains for short sellers: Media coverage noted that some bearish traders made substantial paper profits during price declines. Conversely, traders holding short positions faced severe losses during sudden rallies.

• Borrow and fee dynamics: Hard-to-borrow status and elevated borrow fees were reported at times for DJT, making prolonged borrow-and-sell shorts more costly. That dynamic contributed to the popularity of put options for expressing bearish views, since puts avoid borrow fees while offering leverage.

(References: AP and PBS reporting on volatility and borrow costs; Business Insider coverage of option flows and retail trading.)

Notable filings, errors, and misinformation

Not every public filing or social-media claim accurately reflected the true scale of bearish activity. Several notable items added confusion to the question who shorted trump stock.

Austin Private Wealth filing error (July 2024)

A high-profile example involved an erroneous filing by Austin Private Wealth in July 2024 that initially appeared to show an enormous put position in DJT. PolitiFact and other fact-checkers reported that the original filing incorrectly indicated 12 million put contracts, which would imply a vastly larger exposure than possible. The firm later corrected the filing: the accurate figure was 12 contracts (equal to 1,200 underlying shares), not 12 million.

Austin Private Wealth said the original 13F/option filing was malformed due to a vendor or multiplication error and the firm amended the record. This episode illustrates how raw filings can be misleading without verification — and how errors can cascade into viral claims about who shorted trump stock.

(References: PolitiFact fact-check and amendments reported in July 2024.)

Social media claims and fact-checking

Beyond filing errors, social-media narratives linked short selling to specific company events or alleged conspiracies. Fact-checkers and reporters repeatedly debunked or clarified viral claims by consulting filings, exchange data and official corrections. These corrections emphasized that aggregate short-interest figures and verified filings — rather than unverified screenshots or multiplied figures — provide the more reliable basis for answering who shorted trump stock.

(References: PolitiFact, Business Insider reporting on corrections and viral claims.)

Allegations of improper activity and regulatory responses

Trump Media publicly requested that the U.S. SEC investigate what it described as "suspicious" short selling activity and raised concerns about potential naked shorting. Press coverage in April 2025 described the company’s request for regulatory scrutiny following the publicization of large bearish positions and unusual trading patterns.

The SEC typically does not comment on particular investigations or investigatory requests in public. Reuters reported that the SEC declined to comment publicly on whether it would open an inquiry in response to Trump Media’s request. Historically, allegations of naked shorting or market manipulation can trigger SEC and exchange-level probes when there is corroborating evidence of violations.

When readers look into who shorted trump stock, it is important to distinguish between legitimate short-selling strategies (which are legal and common) and alleged improper activity that would merit regulatory review. Publicized requests for investigations often spur media attention but do not by themselves establish wrongdoing.

(References: Reuters and Yahoo coverage of Trump Media’s request to the SEC and the SEC’s posture.)

Legal and regulatory framework relevant to shorting DJT

Several legal and regulatory rules shape how shorting occurs and how much of it becomes visible publicly:

• U.S. bans on naked short-selling: U.S. rules generally prohibit naked short-selling (selling short without the ability to borrow the shares) and require brokers to locate a source of borrow before executing a short sale in most circumstances.

• Disclosure thresholds in some jurisdictions: Certain countries require net short positions to be reported when they exceed defined thresholds (e.g., 0.5% of issued share capital in some EU regimes). Foreign registries such as Germany’s Bundesanzeiger can disclose names and sizes when thresholds are crossed.

• Short-interest reporting limitations: In the U.S., daily or biweekly short-interest aggregates disclose the total number of shares reported short, but these aggregates do not identify the specific firms or individuals behind the positions.

• Derivatives and synthetic exposures: Short positions implemented via options, swaps or other derivatives may not be captured in naked short counts and may not name the ultimate economic actor in public registries.

Understanding these rules helps explain why answers to who shorted trump stock sometimes name a single firm (when a foreign registry reveals it) and sometimes only provide aggregate short-interest figures.

(References: regulatory summaries and reporting in Reuters and Business Insider.)

Timeline of key events (select highlights)

• July 2024: An Austin Private Wealth filing error was reported and later corrected; PolitiFact and others clarified the mistake, noting the corrected figure was 12 put contracts (1,200 shares), not 12 million. This episode created early confusion about who shorted trump stock.

• Throughout 2024–early 2025: DJT experienced episodic high volatility and elevated options volumes as retail traders, hedge funds and option-market participants traded aggressively, drawing media attention to short interest and borrow fees.

• April 2025: A filing in Germany’s Bundesanzeiger revealed that Qube Research & Technologies held a roughly $105 million short position in DJT, representing about 2.5% of the reported free float. News outlets including Reuters and Business Insider reported the disclosure, identifying Qube by name. This became the major publicly named short.

• April 2025 (shortly after the Qube disclosure): Trump Media requested that the U.S. SEC investigate trading patterns it described as suspicious; reporting noted the company’s concerns about potential naked shorting. Reuters covered the request and the SEC’s limitied public comment.

• April 2025: Media outlets reported that aggregated short-interest metrics and derivatives volumes showed sizeable bearish exposure at times, and that price swings produced paper gains and losses for traders on both sides.

This timeline highlights the principal public developments that informed the question who shorted trump stock.

(References by event: PolitiFact July 2024; Reuters, Business Insider, Newsweek, AP coverage in April 2025.)

Open questions and limits of public information

A clear answer to who shorted trump stock is possible only when named disclosures are available (as with Qube) or when firms voluntarily reveal positions. Even then, limits apply:

• Not all short trades are named: Aggregate short-interest reports and derivatives volumes show scale, but they rarely name every trader. Many hedge funds and dealers route trades through intermediaries.

• Derivatives obscure ultimate economic exposure: Options, swaps and synthetic short structures can create bearish exposure without an on-record borrow-and-sell transaction, making attribution harder.

• Foreign disclosure regimes vary: A firm may be required to disclose a net short position in one jurisdiction but not in another; named filings in foreign registries can reveal positions otherwise invisible to U.S. daily short-interest reports.

Because of these limits, the most definitive public answer to who shorted trump stock will typically list the named firms from regulatory filings (e.g., Qube) and supplement that with aggregate short-interest data and reputable media reporting for context.

(References: explanations of disclosure regimes and derivative exposures in Reuters reporting.)

See also

• Short selling
• Put options
• Short interest reporting
• Bundesanzeiger
• SEC market abuse investigations
• Trump Media & Technology Group (DJT)

References and sources

• Reuters — reporting on Qube disclosure and Trump Media’s request to the SEC (April 2025).
• Business Insider — coverage of Qube’s position, market reaction and option flows (April 2025).
• Newsweek — background on DJT and its listing path (2024–2025 reporting).
• Associated Press / PBS — reporting on retail activity, volatility and borrow costs in DJT (2024–2025).
• PolitiFact — fact-check and correction regarding the Austin Private Wealth filing error (July 2024).
• Markets and TipRanks summary articles — aggregated reporting on shorting activity and named disclosures.

Each of the above sources provided dated reporting that framed public understanding of who shorted trump stock and the sequence of disclosures and corrections.

Additional reading and next steps

If you want to monitor short-interest updates and company filings for DJT or other stocks, consider tracking official exchange short-interest releases and foreign registries such as Bundesanzeiger. For secure custody and trading of assets, Bitget offers exchange services and Bitget Wallet for users seeking a platform to explore digital-asset markets; consult Bitget’s resources to learn about market data tools, trading education and wallet security.

To follow developing disclosures about who shorted trump stock, watch three types of publications: (1) regulatory filing registries that can name firms, (2) exchange and market-data provider short-interest reports for aggregate exposure, and (3) reputable news outlets that verify and synthesize those data points.

Further questions? Explore Bitget’s educational center to learn more about options, margin mechanics and how markets report short interest — helpful background when tracking who shorted trump stock.

As of April 2025, the above summary synthesizes reporting from the named sources. This article is informational and not investment advice. For specific filings and the most recent figures, consult official registries and filings.