On Thursday Melania Trump announced that she is launching her own NFT platform after premiering her first offering: a painting of herself. “I am proud to announce my new NFT endeavor, which embodies my passion for the arts and will support my ongoing commitment to children through my Be Best initiative,” Trump said in a statement. A portion of the proceeds from the sale will go to educating children aging out of foster care in computer science skills (though how large that portion will be is unclear).
Her first NFT offering, titled Melania’s Vision (2021), is a watercolor of the former First Lady’s eyes by French artist Marc-Antoine Coulon. In an Instagram post, the artist said, “I am very glad and honored to collaborate in this operation with Mrs. Melania Trump. This collaboration has taken place under the best possible auspices with full artistic confidence and with great efficiency and understanding on both sides of the common expectations for such a charitable operation.”
Melania’ Vision also comes with an audio component, a recording of Trump that serves as a “message of hope” in which she says, “My vision is: look forward with inspiration, strength, and courage.” Melania’s Vision costs one Solana, a form of cryptocurrency like Ethereum, but can also be bought with a credit card for $150. The sale is live through December 31.
According to the press release, this is just the beginning, with more NFTs to be dropped on Trump’s website regularly. The next drop will launch in January, offering three elements: a “digital artwork, physical artwork, and a physical one-of-a-kind accessory.”
