Charles Esther
Crypto entrepreneur Justin Sun made headlines after receiving a Trump-branded Tourbillon watch worth $100,000 during an exclusive dinner with former President Donald Trump on May 22.
The lavish event gathered 220 top backers of Trump’s meme coin, $TRUMP, and Sun was among the most prominent attendees.
The watch, a part of the Trump family’s luxury business ventures, reflects the deepening ties between Trump and the crypto world.
Justin Sun’s Early Life and Education
Born in a rural province of China, Justin Sun left home early to pursue his education in the strategic board game “Go” in Wuhan.
He later earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Peking University in 2011.
Two years after that, he obtained a master’s in political economy from the University of Pennsylvania.
Sun’s entrepreneurial journey took a significant leap when he enrolled in Hupan University, an elite business school founded by Alibaba’s Jack Ma.
There, he wrote a thesis titled “The Birth of a Decentralized Internet,” showcasing his early interest in blockchain technology.
He graduated in 2018 as the youngest member of the inaugural class.
Breaking into the Crypto Industry
Sun’s career in the crypto industry began with a stint at Ripple Labs, a U.S.-based blockchain startup backed by major venture capital firms.
In 2013, he founded Peiwo, a social audio app that matched users based on interests and voice clips.
However, Chinese regulators removed it from app stores for allegedly disrupting socialist values.
Undeterred, Sun launched Tron in 2017 — a blockchain project aiming to build a decentralized internet.
Tron now boasts over 308 million users and more than 10.4 billion transactions.
By 2018, Tron acquired the file-sharing platform BitTorrent for $126 million, significantly expanding its reach.
In 2022, Sun joined the Global Advisory Board of HTX (formerly Huobi Global), one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.
Personal Branding and Relationship with Warren Buffett
With over 3.8 million followers on X and hundreds of thousands more on Instagram, Sun has cultivated a celebrity-like status.
He’s been photographed with major figures like NBA legend Kobe Bryant.
In 2017, Forbes named him in its 30 Under 30 Asia list for Consumer Technology.
He made headlines in 2019 after bidding $4.57 million in a charity auction for a private lunch with Warren Buffett.
Sun claimed he aimed to convince the bitcoin-sceptic investor of crypto’s value.
Although he postponed the lunch due to kidney stones, sparking conspiracy theories, it eventually happened in 2020 with several other crypto leaders.
Legal Controversies and Investments
In 2023, the SEC charged Sun and three of his companies — Tron Foundation, BitTorrent Foundation, and Rainberry — with selling unregistered crypto securities.
He was also accused of manipulating TRX’s market price and failing to disclose celebrity endorsements, which violated U.S. securities laws.
Despite legal setbacks, Sun invested $30 million in World Liberty Financial (WLF) in December 2024, becoming its largest stakeholder.
Backed by Trump and his family, WLF gained another $45 million from Sun in early 2025.
On X, Sun credited his crypto success to Trump, posting, “If I made any money in cryptocurrency, all credit goes to President Trump.”
A Taste for the Flashy and Absurd
Sun’s flair for eccentric investments is well-documented.
In November 2024, he bought Comedian — a banana duct-taped to a wall by artist Maurizio Cattelan — for $6.2 million.
He then ate the banana during a press event, saying the act highlighted the artwork’s ephemeral nature.
Later, he pledged to buy 100,000 bananas from the original vendor in New York.
His art collection also includes a $15 million Joker-themed NFT, a $78.4 million Giacometti sculpture, a $20 million Picasso portrait, and Andy Warhol and KAWS pieces.
Sun also won a $28 million bid to join Blue Origin’s first spaceflight aboard the New Shepard rocket.
Conclusion
Justin Sun’s life blends opulence, innovation, controversy, and political ties.
From crypto empires to eccentric art and space travel, Sun continues to blur the lines between technology, luxury, and spectacle — now with a $100,000 Trump watch on his wrist to prove it.
