Trump Sons-Backed Powerus to Merge With Golf-Operator Aureus
Deal would take Powerus public as Pentagon readies major drone purchases and critics raise ethics concerns over the Trump family’s expanding defense investments.
MEDIAiteMilitary Drone Company Tied To Trump’s Sons Announces Bizarre Merger With a ‘Golf Course Operator’
TruthoutTrump’s Sons Accused of Trying to Profit Off Iran War With Drone Investment
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Overview
Aureus Greenway Holdings, a golf-course operator backed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, announced a merger with drone maker Powerus to take the drone company public, Aureus said.
The Pentagon plans to spend $1 billion to buy more than 200,000 drones by 2027, creating potential demand for U.S.-made drone companies, according to reporting.
Ethics experts and critics said the Trump family’s intensified business dealings during the president’s second term raise conflict-of-interest concerns, according to reporting.
Powerus, formed in 2025 by Andrew Fox, makes heavy-lift drones with payload capacities reported between 500+ pounds and 675kg and has said it is targeting production near 10,000 drones a month, according to reporting.
Aureus has engaged Dominari Securities to help raise about $9 million for the planned merger and said the deal could be terminated if it does not close by the end of 2026, according to an SEC filing.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources frame the story as a potential conflict of interest by highlighting timing, regulatory changes, and family investments. Editorial choices—loaded words like "conveniently", emphasis on Pentagon contracts and FCC bans, and omission of rebuttals—create a narrative of advantage, while CEO quotes are presented as source content supporting business aims.
FAQ
Powerus is a West Palm Beach, Florida-based drone company formed in 2025 that specializes in developing and scaling autonomous drone systems for military and commercial use in high-risk environments[1]. The company has acquired three smaller drone firms and manufactures heavy-lift drones with payload capacities between 500 and 675 pounds[1]. Powerus is targeting production of more than 10,000 drones per month and has built drones capable of fighting wildfires and hauling heavy loads[3].
The Pentagon has launched a program earmarked to spend $1.1 billion procuring hundreds of thousands of American-made drone systems by 2027[3]. This spending push was created after the Trump administration banned foreign-made drones in December, citing national security concerns, which included Chinese-manufactured drones that had previously dominated the global market[4]. This action created a major commercial opportunity for U.S. drone companies like Powerus to compete for lucrative Pentagon contracts in what has historically been a fragmented and underfunded sector[4].
Ethics experts and watchdogs have raised conflict-of-interest concerns about the Trump family's business dealings during the president's second term. Dylan Hedtler-Gaudette, director of government affairs at the nonpartisan ethics watchdog Project on Government Oversight, said these deals "at a minimum present the appearance of impropriety"[4]. The arrangement puts the Trump family in a position to profit from policies the Trump administration has engineered—the ban on new Chinese drone models and the Pentagon spending push—while holding financial stakes in companies positioned to fill the market gap those policies created[3].
Under the merger agreement, Powerus Corporation will combine with Aureus Greenway Holdings, a publicly traded golf-course operator, into a single entity that will trade under the name Powerus on the Nasdaq[1]. The merger will take the drone company public, providing it with access to capital markets. Aureus has engaged Dominari Securities to help raise approximately $9 million for the planned merger, and the deal can be terminated if it does not close by the end of 2026[1]. Additionally, the South Korean investment fund Korea Climate & Governance Improvement Fund is expected to purchase $50 million worth of Powerus shares by April 6[1].
Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr. are notable investors in Powerus, with funds channeled through American Venture Partners, which is backed by Dominari Holdings, a financial technology and brokerage group headquartered in Trump Tower in New York[1]. Unusual Machines, another drone manufacturer in which Trump Jr. previously held a stake, is also an investor in the venture[1]. Powerus was co-founded by Brett Velicovich, a U.S. Army special operations veteran who has advised drone companies in the U.S. and Ukraine[2]. The U.S. Department of Defense is already listed among Powerus's clients[1].
