Depending on who you ask, Donald Trump Jr is either a whipsmart titan of industry, or a none-too-bright Nepo Baby who parties a little too hard.
The folks at US drone company Unusual Machines are obviously in the former camp, having announced in recent days that Don-Don has joined their advisory board, describing him in the press guff as a “globally recognised business leader” and “best-selling author”. Junior is also an investor in the company.
And the move has paid off in the short term, with the company’s stock soaring following the announcement.
On Tuesday in the US it closed at $5.68 (A$8.74) before hitting a Wednesday high of $11.45 (A$17.60), representing a 101 per cent jump.
By Wednesday, ahead of Thanksgiving, and after the day traders had cleaned up and walked away, it closed at $9.77 (A$15.02) before drifting out to $9.48 (A$14.57) in after hours trade (correct as of time of writing).
“Don Jr. joining our board of advisors provides us unique expertise we need as we bring drone component manufacturing back to America,” said Allan Evans, Unusual Machines CEO.
(L-R): Elon Musk, Donald Trump, Don-Don, Mike Johnson (standing) and RFK Jr. (Donald Trump Jr/X)
“He brings a wealth of experience and I look forward to his advice and role within the Company as we continue to build our business.”
In a statement Don-Don said: “The need for drones is obvious. It is also obvious that we must stop buying Chinese drones and Chinese drone parts.
“I love what Unusual Machines is doing to bring drone manufacturing jobs back to the USA and am excited to take on a bigger role in the movement.”
The company said Junior’s appointment “comes at a pivotal moment for Unusual Machines, following the recent release of our Brave F7 FPV Flight Controller. This achievement underscores the company’s commitment to onshoring US drone component manufacturing”.
“By reducing reliance on foreign-made products and strengthening domestic supply chains, Unusual Machines is helping to safeguard US technological leadership in the drone industry.”
Unusual Machines manufactures and sells drone components and drones “across a diversified brand portfolio, which includes Fat Shark, the leader in FPV (first-person view) ultra-low latency video goggles for drone pilots”.
The company says it also retails small, acrobatic FPV drones and equipment directly to consumers through the Rotor Riot ecommerce store.
