CEO of nuclear fusion firm Trump Media is merging with: High-velocity capital is critical to build quickly and efficiently. The concerns are secondary

The financially struggling Trump Media & Technology Group’s shocking, $6 billion merger with a nuclear fusion developer represents either a bet on more taxpayer dollars being invested in the first fusion player to go public—soon owned in part by the Trump family—or a belief that an influx of capital will speed up the launch of clean, limitless electricity that eventually will transform the global grid.

Trump Media’s struggling stock had plummeted nearly 70% year-to-date prior to the announcement. But the stock value spiked over 40% on the deal news with the market cap rising back above $4 billion on Dec. 18—even though TAE Technologies doesn’t plan to bring its first power plant online until 2031 to start generating revenues.

TAE Technologies CEO Michl Binderbauer recognizes the potential negative perception, but he told Fortune he’s eager to speed up the clean energy revolution that he is confident will come with the so-called merger of equals with Trump Media, which will become a Truth Social media, cryptocurrency, and fusion power conglomerate.

“In the end, if we get more scrutiny because of the deal we did, I actually don’t mind that,” Binderbauer said. “It’s perversely sounding, but I welcome it in a way because we let the technology speak....