At Trump's crypto dinner: Tuxedos, luxury cars and a former NBA star

President Donald Trump held a private event Thursday night for 220 crypto investors who had bought into his meme coin, defying bipartisan concerns from lawmakers that he was selling access to accumulate personal wealth.

STERLING, Va. — President Donald Trump held a private event Thursday night for 220 crypto investors who had bought into his meme coin, defying bipartisan concerns from lawmakers that he was selling access to accumulate personal wealth.

Crypto enthusiasts, including former NBA star Lamar Odom, attended the dinner at Trump National Golf Club in northern Virginia, just outside Washington. About 100 demonstrators lined the road to the entrance, trying to shame attendees with chants and signs such as “Trump is a traitor,” “Crypto corruption” and “America is not for sale.”

Odom, a former Los Angeles Laker, walked past the protesters carrying an umbrella, according to a post on his X account in which he promoted his own meme coin. Other people arrived in luxury SUVs with tinted windows, and many wore tuxedos for the event billed as “black-tie optional.”

Former pro basketball player Lamar Odom arrives at Trump National Golf Club in Sterling, Va., on Thursday.Maansi Srivastava for NBC NewsTo secure a seat, the mostly anonymous attendees had to be among the top 220 holders of the $TRUMP coin, with the average participant spending $1.8 million, according to the blockchain analytics firm Nansen.

Two Trump-affiliated companies own 80% of the $TRUMP coin project. While their ability to sell is restricted in the short term, the project’s creators get a fee for every trade. Those fees have added up to more than $324 million since January, according to the research firm Chainalysis. The precise amount going to Trump personally is not known.