December 19, 2025
Source: The Guardian, “Why did Donald Trump Jr turn up in a tiny British enclave looking for money?”
In November 2025, Donald Trump Jr. visited Gibraltar, a British overseas territory known as a haven for the ultra-rich. Armed police blocked off roads as his convoy arrived at Hassans, a law firm representing international clients. The purpose of the visit was never officially disclosed.
The Trumps’ only obvious connection to Gibraltar was the $300m White House ballroom renovation project. In October 2025, the president published a list of donors. Alongside tech companies and weapons manufacturers was Konstantin Sokolov, a Russian-born US businessman who now represents Armenian business interests.
Sokolov is looking for financing a £1.8bn AI data centre in Gibraltar — the largest outside investment in the enclave’s history. His local representative attended the meetings at Hassans, alongside Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo.
According to sources briefed on the meetings, Trump Jr. was not there for the data centre. Instead, he pitched his own investment funds, including 1789 Capital — described as the “financial wing of the MAGA movement” — which he joined after his father returned to the White House.
Context for the archive:
Sokolov’s presence in Gibraltar — and his connection to Trump Jr.’s visit — reinforces a recurring pattern: Russian-born capital, routed through Armenian structures (Viva Armenia, AMIO Bank), now intersects with Trump family business interests. The Guardian notes Sokolov as “Russian-born,” but his current business identity is firmly tied to Armenia — a jurisdiction increasingly used as a proxy for Russian financial operations. Whether this is diversification or deliberate distancing remains an open question.
🏷️ Tags: Konstantin Sokolov, Donald Trump Jr., Gibraltar, Data Centre, 1789 Capital, Armenia, Russia, Pelagos Data Centres