Where did Mr. Trump get the money to pay the nearly 450 million USD fine?
During the appeal of two civil lawsuits in New York, Donald Trump may have to sell some shares and real estate to pay a fine of more than 438 million USD. 
In just a few weeks, former US President Donald Trump was sentenced to two large financial penalties. On February 16, a New York judge ordered him to pay 355 million USD, prohibiting him from operating a business or borrowing from banks in this state for three years, on charges of illegally inflating assets to obtain bank loans. products or preferential insurance policies.
On January 26, a New York jury concluded that Mr. Trump must pay former journalist E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in compensation for repeatedly making malicious comments aimed at her.
These two civil cases cost the former US president about $438 million, and this is only a part of the fines he may have to pay in many other lawsuits. Two large fines in New York account for nearly one-sixth of Mr. Trump's net worth of about $2.6 billion, according to Forbes estimates.
Mr. Trump announced to appeal both cases, but while waiting for the appeal results, he will have to pay this fine. The annual interest on penalties pending appeal is 9%. The appeal process can take months or even years.
If he refuses to pay the fine, Mr. Trump could be charged with contempt of court and receive additional fines. The New York government may also seek to confiscate his assets in this state to enforce the judgment. If your appeal is successful, the fine amount paid will be refunded.
438 million USD is a large amount of money, but it is unlikely to cause Mr. Trump to declare bankruptcy. "A billionaire like Donald Trump can pay a million USD every day for 10 years and still have money in the bank. It must be the highest fine that is satisfactory," said Roberta Kaplan, lawyer for former journalist Carroll. .
Mr. Trump can pay all in cash, or pay a small amount with collateral and interest, but it is difficult to find a guarantor due to concerns about legal troubles related to the former president. A ban on bank loans or business licensing in New York could also severely limit his ability to raise cash.
In 2023, Mr. Trump said he had more than $400 million in cash, but Forbes said he invested most of this money in bonds and bills, with a small portion in stocks and mutual funds. To pay the fine, Mr. Trump may have to sell most of these investments.
He can also sell the real estate he holds. In 2023, he sold the golf course in the Bronx. In 2022, he sold the Old Post Office building in Washington, which was later renovated into a hotel. Court documents show the 2022 deal netted Trump $131.4 million before taxes
He can also sell shares in the social networking platform Truth Social to earn large sums of money. The platform's stock soared when Mr. Trump ran for president this year. The former US president's stake in Trump Media & Technology Group, which owns the social network Truth Social, is estimated to be worth about 4 billion USD.
Mr. Trump has stepped up his campaign fundraising campaign from the legal troubles he is facing. However, US federal law prohibits candidates from using campaign funds for personal purposes. The two lawsuits in New York are also not related to the election campaign or trial based on his status as president or political candidate.
But AP reported in October that his Save America political action committee (PAC) spent $37 million on legal fees, accounting for more than half of the PAC's total spending. Mr. Trump is the Republican candidate who raised the most money in the fall of 2023, raising $45.5 million in the third quarter of last year.
