Will Wilkerson, 38, a former executive who was vice president of operations for the Trump Media and Technology Group who oversaw the development of Truth Social, now works as a barista trainer at Starbucks in North Carolina for a $16-per-work job o’clock.
He was fired by Trump six months ago after giving 150,000 internal documents, contracts and emails to the Securities and Exchange Commission and federal and state investigators.
Wilkerson’s well-paid job at Trump along with stock options had the potential to make him a millionaire, but he decided to distance himself from the Truth Social platform after worrying that investors in the company were at risk of losing their investments.
Despite the earning potential he had while working for Trump, Wilkerson said he’s more focused on doing the right thing.
‘I made the conscious choice. I knew the risks… especially regarding retaliation. But I don’t think I could have sat back and kept quiet, even if I was handsomely compensated for doing so. I’m here and I’m not leaving,” he told the Washington Post. “Ultimately, you know, I just want to do what’s right.”
After contacting investigators in New York and Florida, he accused the Trump Media and Technology Group of violating securities laws, revealing inconsistencies in operating costs that could put shareholders at risk. Wilkerson has now become a federally protected whistleblower.
Will Wilkerson, 37, was fired as executive VP at Donald Trump’s Truth Social after giving 150,000 emails and documents to federal and state investigators
Wilkerson’s well-paid job at Trump along with stock options had the potential to make him a millionaire, but he decided to distance himself from the Truth Social platform after worrying that investors in the company were at risk of losing their investments.
Despite the earning potential he had while working for Trump, Wilkerson chose to prioritize “doing the right thing.”
Among the emails submitted to investigators is an exchange between Wilkerson and co-founder Andy Litinsky, who was reportedly fired in revenge for refusing to transfer a portion of his stock, worth millions of dollars, to former first lady Melania Trump, according to the Na.
Trump had already received 90 percent of the company’s stock in exchange for the use of his name and some minor involvement.
Wilkerson was fired from the company for explaining that he had “invented psychodramas.”
This month, the company’s CEO, former Republican congressman Devin Nunes, sued Wilkerson for libel in a Florida court.
Nunes claims he was subjected to “anxiety,” “uncertainty,” “mental anguish,” and “emotional distress” as a result of Wilkerson’s comments.
Wilkerson applied for hundreds of jobs after he left Truth Social, but he believes the drama surrounding the ordeal led hiring managers to shy away from him, but Starbucks called him back the day after he submitted his resume. He had previous barista experience from the age of 20.
Truth Social had marketed itself as the next big media empire, with plans for social media presence, video streaming, live events, and online payments — rivaling not only Twitter, but also Disney, Google, and Amazon. Wilkerson said the truth within the company was very different
He now works the 5:30 shift at a Harris Teeter grocery store in North Carolina.
Wilkerson told the Post he is happy with his new job. ‘It’s an honest day’s work. I love what I do,” he said. “Obviously I’m not shouting from the rooftops about my past and my status as a whistleblower,” Wilkerson said.
The Post has described Wilkerson as “one of the biggest threats to the future of the Trump company.”
Last October, Wilkerson publicly accused Trump Media and Technology Group of violating securities laws.
He says he couldn’t keep quiet as he said company executives gave misleading information to investors, many of whom are small shareholders loyal to the Trump brand.
Truth Social marketed itself as the next big media empire, with plans for social media presence, video streaming, live events, and online payments — rivaling not only Twitter, but also Disney, Google, and Amazon.
Last October, Wilkerson publicly accused Trump Media and Technology Group of violating securities laws. He says he couldn’t keep quiet as he said company executives gave misleading information to investors, many of whom are small shareholders loyal to the Trump brand.
Wilkerson now works as a barista trainer on the 5:30 a.m. shift at a Harris Teeter grocery store in North Carolina
But Wilkerson, from his position within the company, said it was a different story with bitter power struggles, technical failures and chaotic scrambles for power among Trump allies tainting its potential and leaving some workers weeping at their desks.
“One day, you know, him [Trump] would be in a very, very happy mood,” Wilkerson said. “The next day he read something in the paper and just screamed, was just furious. That’s who we were dealing with.’
Truth Social has seen strong interest, but its user base remains small compared to the growth goals TMTG outlined in its plans when the company told investors the app would reach 56 million users by 2024 and 81 million by 2026.
Truth Social has been downloaded approximately 7 million times on both platforms,
Trump had 5.2 million followers on Truth Social on Saturday, compared to the more than 88 million followers he had on Twitter when the platform suspended him following the Jan. 6 Capitol riots.
Trump Media was originally set to go public following a merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp., but the company has pushed for a vote to delay the merger.
The merger, which is now under investigation by the SEC, is holding back the deal, according to TMTG.
Wilkerson also shed light on inconsistencies in the company’s spending. “The vast majority of SPACs just don’t incur these kinds of expenses… and shareholders could be in danger of being chased by the unpaid sellers,” he said.
“It could be an interesting and somewhat fitting end for Trump’s SPAC: that it ends in failure and liquidation and that its shareholders – presumably many or most of his political supporters – are saddled with the bill.”
If the SEC takes action against Trump’s company, Wilkerson could make millions of dollars through the agency’s whistleblower rewards program, but there’s no guarantee.
Wilkerson says the former president’s media company has a troubled history.
Trump Media’s early hype had turned it into a financial blockbuster with an IPO raising $300 million for Digital World, while a group of private investors pledged another $1 billion.
Investors had pushed the stock price of the SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Company) to a high of $175 thanks to the proposed merger with Trump Media.
In September 2022, shortly before Wilkerson was fired, Forbes magazine estimated that Trump’s stake in Trump Media was his “most valuable asset,” worth approximately $730 million.
But the company’s value has plummeted since then, with each Digital World share now worth about $13.