A colossal golden statue of former and current President Donald Trump, standing at an imposing 22 feet tall, is poised to become an unexpected landmark at this year's Group of 20 summit in Miami. The bronze effigy, dubbed "Don Colossus," has been commissioned by a consortium of cryptocurrency investors as a promotional vehicle for their memecoin, $PATRIOT, and will be erected at Trump National Doral, the golf resort owned by the president that is set to host the international gathering.
Artistic Creation and Controversial Commission
The statue is being sculpted by Alan Cottrill, an Ohio-based artist renowned for his presidential portraits and with works displayed in the U.S. Capitol. According to reports from the New York Times, Cottrill was tasked with creating a 15-foot bronze likeness of Trump, which will reach 22 feet when mounted on its steel and concrete pedestal. The cryptocurrency backers specifically requested artistic enhancements, asking Cottrill to refine the president's appearance by reducing signs of aging.
"I had him very lifelike," Cottrill revealed to the Times. "The crypto guys said I had to get rid of some of the turkey neck. I had to thin him down." The sculpture is said to be loosely based on an iconic image of Trump from July 2024, capturing him with a raised fist and wearing an open-collared dress shirt and suit after a narrowly avoided assassination attempt in Pennsylvania.
Financial Dispute Delays Unveiling
Despite completion, the statue remains sequestered at Cottrill's Ohio foundry due to a brewing financial conflict. The artist alleges that the cryptocurrency investors unlawfully used images of his work to market their failing memecoin and now owe him $90,000 of an agreed $150,000 payment. Cottrill has vowed that the statue will not leave his premises until he receives full compensation.
Ashley Sansalone, one of the project's commissioners, countered this claim, assuring that Cottrill would be paid in full prior to the statue's reveal. "Under any business agreement, there's always some funds withheld until the finished product is complete," Sansalone explained, highlighting the tension between artistic integrity and commercial interests.
G20 Summit Venue and Political Implications
The placement of this golden monument at Trump National Doral adds a layer of spectacle to the upcoming G20 summit, scheduled for December 14th and 15th. The Trump administration has been intimately involved in planning the event, having selected the president-owned resort as the venue last September. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is reportedly organizing an agenda focused on deregulation, affordable energy, and technological innovation.
While the White House has distanced itself from the cryptocurrency project and statue installation, insisting that the resort will host the summit "at cost" without profit, the presence of a towering tribute to the sitting president at an international diplomatic meeting is unprecedented in modern American politics. The statue, adorned in pure gold leaf, will notably be smaller than monuments to authoritarian leaders elsewhere, such as the 72-foot statues of North Korea's Kim dynasty.
Broader Context and Public Reaction
This development underscores the blending of political symbolism, private enterprise, and digital currency trends. The involvement of cryptocurrency investors in erecting a presidential statue reflects the growing influence of alternative finance in public displays, while also raising questions about the appropriateness of such tributes at official government events.
As world leaders converge on Miami for the G20, they will be greeted not only by diplomatic protocols but by a gleaming, larger-than-life representation of their host—a testament to Trump's unique brand of showmanship and the evolving intersections of art, politics, and technology in contemporary society.
