US regulators probe Trump social media deal

United States regulators are scrutinizing a deal between Donald Trump's fledgling social media company and an investment vehicle to bring the former president's venture to the stock market, documents showed on Monday.

The companies, once merged, say they plan to launch the social media platform "TRUTH Social" nationally early next year, hoping to rival services like Twitter, which banned Trump over the January US Capitol riot.

Digital World Acquisition Corp, which is partnering with Trump, reported in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission that it received "preliminary, fact-finding inquiries from regulatory authorities, with which it is cooperating."

Already-listed Digital World announced in late October it would merge with Trump Media & Technology Group, allowing the ex-president's venture to be listed without the usual procedures.

The two firms said on Saturday that a group of institutional investors had committed to contributing US$1 billion to the transaction.