Donald Trump’s top ally, Howard Lutnick, made waves on Saturday by claiming he raised a staggering USD 5 billion in a single day through the sale of 1,000 "immigration gold cards," each priced at USD 5 million. Speaking on the 'All-In Podcast,' Lutnick — who also serves as the US Commerce Secretary — explained that Trump envisions the program scaling massively. Out of an estimated 37 million potential buyers worldwide, Trump believes they could ultimately raise USD 5 trillion by selling one million of these exclusive cards.
Initially unveiled about a month ago as an alternative to the existing EB-5 investor visa, Trump’s "gold card" — or "Trump Card," as it was dubbed during the podcast — is designed to attract wealthy individuals to the United States by offering them an expedited path to residency. According to Lutnick, the concept originated from Trump himself during a meeting with billionaire investor John Paulson. Lutnick, tasked with bringing the plan to life, said, "I figured out how to do it," emphasizing his role in executing Trump’s vision.
The funds raised so far, Lutnick confirmed, have been directed towards reducing the colossal US national debt, which currently hovers around USD 36.2 trillion. He reiterated that the primary objective of the gold card initiative is to help cut the federal deficit — a point he previously stressed in an interview with Fox News last month.
On Tuesday, Trump praised the program’s early success, comparing the gold card to an "upgraded green card." He expressed confidence that the initiative would strengthen the US economy by attracting affluent individuals who would bring capital, create jobs, and contribute significantly to the tax base.
"We’re going to see wealthy people coming into our country by buying this card," Trump told reporters. "They’ll be wealthy, and they’ll be successful, and they’ll be spending a lot of money and paying a lot of taxes and employing a lot of people, and we think it’s going to be extremely successful."
The bold initiative, while drawing praise from Trump’s supporters, has also sparked intense debate among economists and immigration experts. Some argue that it commodifies American residency, potentially creating a system where only the ultra-rich can fast-track their way to living in the US, bypassing the more traditional immigration pathways. Others, however, see it as an innovative, pragmatic approach to tackle the mounting national debt while driving economic growth.
Lutnick remained optimistic, hinting that interest in the program continues to grow. He previously claimed that around 250,000 people had shown interest in buying a gold card — a figure that could translate to USD 1.25 trillion if realized. Whether the program achieves its ambitious USD 5 trillion target remains to be seen, but it’s clear that Trump’s latest initiative has captured global attention — and plenty of controversy.
