Trump Media, which operates Truth Social, to merge with fusion firm TAE Technologies in $6 billion all-stock deal
Trump Media & Technology Group said Thursday (Dec. 17) that it will merge with nuclear fusion company TAE Technologies in a stock transaction valued at more than $6 billion; It’s a surprise move that will make the combined entity one of the first publicly traded fusion energy companies.
Under the deal, Trump Media, the parent company of US President Donald Trump’s Truth Social platform, and privately held TAE Technologies will each own approximately 50% of the combined company. The transaction values TAE’s stock at $53.89 per share, the companies said.
Former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, who left Capitol Hill in 2021 to become CEO of Trump Media, will serve as co-CEO of the new company alongside TAE Technologies CEO Michl Binderbauer.
“We are taking a major step toward a revolutionary technology that will cement America’s global energy dominance for generations,” Nunes said in a statement.
Market reaction
Shares of Trump Media & Technology Group, which have fallen nearly 70% so far this year, rose nearly 20% in premarket trading following the announcement.
Trump remains the controlling shareholder of Trump Media and holds approximately 41% of the company’s outstanding shares.
A rare public fusion game
TAE Technologies focuses on nuclear fusion, an emerging energy technology that aims to replicate the process that powers the sun and stars by fusing lightweight atomic nuclei to release large amounts of energy. Unlike nuclear fission, fusion does not produce long-lived radioactive waste, making it a long-sought target for clean energy advocates.
The merger will position the combined company as one of the first publicly traded firms focused on fusion energy, a sector that remains largely in private hands.
Background of the policy
The announcement comes as U.S. policymakers seek to accelerate fusion development. In October, the U.S. Department of Energy released a “road map” aimed at accelerating the commercialization of fusion technology and supporting the growth of the domestic private sector fusion industry.
Post-merger structure
Following the transaction, Trump Media & Technology Group will become the holding company for TAE subsidiaries such as Truth Social and TAE Technologies, as well as TAE Power Solutions and TAE Life Sciences.
The companies did not disclose a timeline for completing the deal, which is subject to regulatory and shareholder approvals.
