Golf club firm owned by Trump’s sons merges with drone manufacturer

A golf club company backed by the sons of Donald Trump is merging with drone manufacturer Powerus in a deal designed to take the drone technology company public.The merger with Aureus Greenway Holdings is the latest in Eric and Donald Trump Jr’s growing investments in the drone sector, following last month’s $1.5bn tie-up between Israeli drone maker XTEND and Florida-based JFB Construction Holdings. Drones have become a major procurement priority for the Pentagon and are widely used in Ukraine, where dense air defense systems near the front lines limit the deployment of conventional aircraft.This growing reliance has also drawn significant Silicon Valley funding into drone and military artificial intelligence startups, boosting valuations of US companies such as Anduril Industries and Shield AI.Powerus, which was formed in 2025 by Andrew Fox, makes heavy-lift drones that can carry industrial payloads up to 675kg. The company also offers services to transform existing manned boats into remotely operated or fully autonomous vessels.Fox is expected to serve as chief executive officer and chairman of the combined company, Aureus said in an SEC filing.In connection with the planned merger, Aureus has engaged Dominari Securities to help raise about $9m in financing.Dominari counts both Trump brothers among its shareholders, with roughly 6% stake each.The merger could be terminated by either company if it does not close by the end of 2026, Aureus said.This is the latest in the Trump family’s business moves, carried out even while Trump helms the White House. Ethics experts have raised multiple concerns over the family’s intensified business dealings during Trump’s second term, moving beyond hotels and golf courses and into other industries including crypto, energy and financial services.Typically, US presidents put their financial interests into a blind trust that is managed by an independent third party. Trump opted to give his adult sons control over his businesses as he carries out his second term, which ethics experts say is not enough protection against potential conflicts of interest.Late last year, Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Trump’s Truth Social platform, announced a $6bn merger with a fusion energy technology company, agreeing to give the company $300m in cash to continue developing the nascent technology.In February, a Wall Street Journal report revealed that a member of the Emirati royal family invested $500m into the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company. Soon after, Trump announced that the United Arab Emirates would lift export controls and give the country access to 500,000 of Nvidia’s powerful AI chips.