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Meet the millionaires who started a GoFundMe for Donald Trump: Elena and Grant Cardone are raising funds to pay the former president’s fine – while Grant ‘goes broke’ twice a year to pay less tax

STORYGloria Fung
Wealthy Maga fan Elena Cardone – the wife of entrepreneur, property mogul and financial influencer Grant Cardone (both pictured) – has caused controversy by raising money on GoFundMe to help pay the US$454 million Donald Trump owes in fines and interest, having been convicted of financial fraud. Photo: @elenacardone/Instagram
Wealthy Maga fan Elena Cardone – the wife of entrepreneur, property mogul and financial influencer Grant Cardone (both pictured) – has caused controversy by raising money on GoFundMe to help pay the US$454 million Donald Trump owes in fines and interest, having been convicted of financial fraud. Photo: @elenacardone/Instagram
Donald Trump

  • Donald Trump was found guilty of financial fraud and ordered to pay around US$454 million, spurring Maga fan Elena Cardone to raise more than US$1 million in under three weeks for the former president
  • Elena’s husband, Grant Cardone, is a property mogul and financial influencer – who shared on TikTok that his wealth preservation strategy involves ‘going broke’ twice a year to avoid paying taxes

Amid rising interest rates, inflation and a weak job market, the current economic climate has left many struggling to stay afloat. So when a super-rich couple in the US started a crowdfunding campaign for a fellow one-percenter, it didn’t take long for expressions of outrage and distaste to appear online.

Grant and Elena Cardone in a Valentine’s Day post shared with their followers this year. Photo: @grantcardone/Instagram
Grant and Elena Cardone in a Valentine’s Day post shared with their followers this year. Photo: @grantcardone/Instagram
The wealthy elites in question are Grant and Elena Cardone, and none other than former US president and current presidential candidate Donald Trump. Trump and his wealth need no introduction, of course. The Cardones, however, might be a less-known name to most.
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While the couple are active on social media, they recently made headlines when Elena set up a GoFundMe for Trump. The reason? On February 16, the former president was ordered to pay a nearly US$355 million fine, plus around US$100 million in interest, by a New York court in a civil fraud case, per AP News.

“You have to love and take care and love yourself first, before you can love someone else,” Elena Cardone advised her followers in February. Photo: @elenacardone/Instagram
“You have to love and take care and love yourself first, before you can love someone else,” Elena Cardone advised her followers in February. Photo: @elenacardone/Instagram

Just days after the verdict, Elena had raised more than half a million for the former president, whose net worth Forbes estimates at US$2.6 billion. Netizens have criticised the move as seemingly taking advantage of ordinary people.

Still, that hasn’t stopped the Cardones from continuing their campaign for the 2024 presidential candidate. At the time of writing, the “Stand with Trump” GoFundMe page has raised more than US$1.3 million thanks to more than 23,000 donors.

Elena and Grant Cardone in February. Photo: @grantcardone/Instagram
Elena and Grant Cardone in February. Photo: @grantcardone/Instagram

As for how Trump will get his hands on the cash, Elena says she is working with the former president’s team to “ensure that he can and will accept the funds raised” and to “navigate this process carefully and legally”, per Yahoo! Entertainment.

So, besides being major Maga fans, who are the Cardones?

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