Donald Trump Jr. is pairing up with financier Omeed Malik to take online gun retailer GrabAGun public.
Malik, who runs investment firm 1789 Capital, told The Post this is just his latest “contrarian” deal to take companies who have been eschewed by traditional financiers public.
Trump, who also joined 1789 Capital in November, will become a special advisor to the company, which sells firearms and accessories online.
“The gun space has been one of the spaces most attacked by woke corporate America,” Trump told The Post — but adds their support for GrabAGun couldn’t come at a better time. “People are more concerned for their security than ever.”
Trump explains that GrabAGun encapsulates 1789’s vision of providing solid, well-oiled businesses — that have been blackballed by most financiers — with financial resources and backing.
“It shows our business model — we are giving a company that has been ostracized bandwidth to operate,” Trump explains.
Malik and Trump have become significant investors in the “parallel economy” — capitalizing on opportunities skipped over by woke investors who prioritize investing in companies promoting environmental, society and governance issues, known as ESG investing.
Instead of ESG, Malik has coined the term EIG for entrepreneurship, innovation, and growth to characterize 1789 Capital’s priorities.
“We are looking to invest in great businesses that aren’t impaired by ESG mandates,” Malik told The Post.
“This is a continuation of building out the EIG ecosystem leading to further synergies amongst its members”… we’re running towards those opportunities.”
The deal values the online firearm retailer at $150 million — the company made more than $100 million last year and is already profitable, a company spokesperson says.
Malik will take the company public through his special purpose acquisition company Colombier Acquisition Corp. II, which will enable the firearms seller to list on the public stock exchange.
Malik and Trump both believe although they may face backlash for the deal, but say their priority is supporting companies that encourage Americans to exercise their second amendment rights.
GrabAGun markets to Millennials and Gen Zers — a growing market with purchases among 18-35 year olds up 57% since 2014.
“The younger demographic will be able to purchase guns the way they want — online,” Trump said — and added that GrabAGun complies with all federal standards that require retailers to perform comprehensive background checks and keep records of all purchases.
In addition to taking GrabAGun public, another company the pair have backed, PublicSq., is providing the technology to facilitate the company’s payments. Traditional credit card companies are increasingly declining to process transactions for firearm sales, which they classify as high-risk.
PublicSq. was the first company Malik took public via a special purpose acquisition company in 2023.
The company aims to become the next big online shopping destination for businesses which commit to values like “freedom,” “family,” and “the Constitution.”
Last year, PublicSq. Announced it was introducing payment processing technology, which GrabAGun is using to facilitate payments.
The company is expected to file paperwork as soon as Monday to start taking the company public on the New York Stock Exchange.
Malik’s 1789 Capital — named for the year the Bill of Rights was adopted — has raised more than $150 million from GOP mega-donor Rebekah Mercer, who backed news site Breitbart, researchers Cambridge Analytica and former Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters.
1789 Capital also made the first investment in the Tucker Carlson Network.
