A fifteen-foot-tall, gold-covered statue of a former President is nearing completion, poised for installation at his Florida golf course. The colossal figure, nicknamed ‘Don Colossus,’ represents a significant investment – a staggering $300,000 – and a curious tale of ambition and shifting fortunes.
The statue captures a powerful moment: the President with a clenched fist raised in the air. This pose directly references a photograph taken after a near-miss incident at a 2024 rally, where a bullet grazed his ear, forever freezing that instant in time.
The project originated with a group of cryptocurrency investors who intended it as a ‘tribute’ to the leader. However, the statue quickly became intertwined with a digital currency called $PATRIOT, a ‘meme coin’ hoping to capitalize on the President’s perceived interest in the burgeoning world of crypto.
A new pedestal has already been constructed at the Florida golf course, fueling speculation that an unveiling is imminent. The former President himself reportedly messaged one of the statue’s organizers, Pastor Mark Burns, with a simple, enthusiastic declaration: “It LOOKS FANTASTIC.”
Yet, the story takes a darker turn when examining the fate of the $PATRIOT coin. Despite the golden endorsement of its namesake statue, the cryptocurrency plummeted in value shortly after its launch, leaving investors with significant losses.
Adding to the complications, the sculptor behind ‘Don Colossus,’ Alan Cottrill, claims he is still owed $75,000 for the intellectual property rights to his creation. A dispute over ownership casts a shadow over the celebratory image.
The Trump family has attempted to distance themselves from the cryptocurrency itself. Eric Trump publicly stated on social media, “We appreciate the support and enthusiasm, but we want to be crystal clear — we are not involved in this coin.”
However, internal communications paint a different picture. Messages from Pastor Burns reveal the former President actively requested images of the statue adorned in gold leaf. This suggests a level of engagement that contradicts the public disavowal.
Further evidence indicates White House schedulers were “actively looking” for a date to host a grand unveiling ceremony for the statue, suggesting a planned event with the former President in attendance. The preparations hint at a desire to embrace the spectacle despite the surrounding controversies.
This isn’t the first foray into cryptocurrency for the former President. Prior to a potential second inauguration, he launched another digital currency that briefly reached an estimated market capitalization of $6.3 billion. This represents a dramatic shift from his earlier, publicly stated skepticism.
In the past, the former President openly criticized Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, dismissing them as lacking inherent value and being “based on thin air.” He even labeled Bitcoin a “scam” and expressed concerns about its competition with the U.S. dollar.
