1789 Capital, the venture capital firm with Donald Trump Jr. as a partner, has seen its assets under management skyrocket from $200 million to $3.5 billion in just one year by leveraging an America-first investment strategy.
Building A Generational Financial Platform
The Palm Beach, Florida-based firm's explosive growth follows a massive dealmaking spree focused on leading privately held companies in artificial intelligence (AI) and defense technology.
The VC is capitalizing on shifting geopolitical dynamics and policies favoring domestic tech manufacturing.
Paul Abrahimzadeh, a partner at 1789 Capital, told Financial Times that the ultimate goal is to scale the fund to $10 billion over the next few years, establishing its footprint well beyond the current political cycle. Abrahimzadeh described the firm’s expansion as building a "generational American financial platform."
Benzinga reached out to 1789 Capital for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
The Core Of ‘Patriotic Capitalism’
At the heart of the firm's identity is an investment philosophy tailored to the current political climate—an investment thesis dedicated strictly to domestic growth and decoupling from foreign adversaries.
"We were the first fund to commit to driving American exceptionalism in the private market: Patriotic Capitalism," Abrahimzadeh said, adding that the fund’s enduring thesis is to "only invest in America." The firm argues that its proximity to Washington provides a crucial competitive edge that traditional Silicon Valley venture funds lack.
According to Abrahimzadeh, "Understanding the political landscape is important when you're allocating capital." He noted that while West Coast tech hubs might not view political navigation as a core competency, "founders want and need to understand geopolitical and macro factors that impact their businesses."
Silicon Valley Giants And Mar-a-Lago Connections
The fund’s multi-billion-dollar ascent has been fueled by stakes in some of the tech industry’s most highly valued private entities, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI, defense startups Anduril and Hadrian Automation, software firm Databricks, and chip designer Groq.
The firm’s most lucrative windfall comes from chipmaker Cerebras Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CBRS), which recently debuted on Wall Street at a $60 billion valuation. 1789 Capital initially invested in the company when it was valued at just $8 billion.
This intersection of high finance and political access was highlighted by Mohsen Moazami, president of Groq's international business, who first met the 1789 partners at a Mar-a-Lago dinner attended by the president and Elon Musk.
Moazami noted that Donald Trump Jr. is a massive asset to the firm whose name "cannot be ignored," though he offered a note of structural caution for the future: "if the pendulum swings [politically] you may get a magnifying glass on you."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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