Jeff Yass, the founder of Susquehanna International Group, is a Republican mega-donor known for his lightning-fast stock trades that generate small profits in milliseconds. Recently, the company was found to have a 2% stake in a blank-check company that merged with Donald Trump’s social media company. This has sparked speculation about whether Yass may be funneling money to Trump through this investment. However, Susquehanna has stated that it remains neutral on the stock and owns other securities, like options, that offset their stock holdings. The company’s primary focus is on providing bids and offers in the market rather than evaluating the value of investments.
The recently merged company, trading under the ticker DJT, owns Truth Social, where Trump has been active since being banned from Twitter in 2021. Quantitative traders are drawn to retail trading since it is often driven by individual investors rather than larger economic trends. Susquehanna’s stock trading business attracts algorithmic market-makers and quant funds who see it as a gauge of Trump supporters’ sentiment.
Apart from its stock trading business, Susquehanna also has a private-equity and venture-capital arm. The company owns a significant stake in TikTok, which has further fueled speculation about Yass’s potential influence due to Trump’s changing stance on the social media platform. Ultimately, Susquehanna’s role in the stock market is to provide liquidity and make trades rather than investing based on the underlying value of assets.
In conclusion, while some believe that Susquehanna may be manipulating the stock to benefit Trump or his supporters, the company insists that it remains neutral on such matters. Its primary focus is on providing liquidity and making trades to generate profits rather than investing based on political affiliations or ideologies.