Title: Donald Trump's Wealth Skyrockets to $6.5 Billion, Joining Top 500 Billionaires

In a surprising turn of events on Monday, Donald Trump's financial situation took a remarkable upswing, defying expectations of peril for his business empire. Instead, it became the most lucrative day ever for the former president's wealth, as it soared by over $4 billion.

The positive twist came as a lifeline from a state appeals court in New York, which reduced the bond amount for a fraud lawsuit against Trump from over $500 million to $175 million. Trump assured that he would cover the reduced sum, thereby avoiding a potential financial crisis tied to the looming deadline.

Adding to his newfound fortune, Trump's social media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, successfully concluded a 29-month-long merger process. This development finalized the official transfer of shares, which are now valued at billions of dollars on paper and exclusively owned by Trump.

With this impressive surge, Donald Trump, 77, has secured a spot among the world's top 500 billionaires on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index with a net worth of $6.5 billion. Eric Trump, the executive vice president of the Trump Organization, expressed gratitude for the achievement and emphasized the company's strength.

Although Trump has been affluent throughout his life, his wealth had predominantly been tied to real estate properties until now. However, his and his company's alleged inflation of property values to obtain favorable loan terms had been a subject of investigation, resulting in potential financial repercussions.

To meet the deadline of either paying a $454 million verdict or posting a bond worth 120% of the judgment while appealing the case, Trump vowed to promptly provide the necessary funds. However, his windfall from the Trump Media merger with Digital World Acquisition Corp. is currently inaccessible, as his shares are locked for approximately six months.

Despite the limitation, the valuation of Trump's 58% stake in DWAC at $3.9 billion has finally been incorporated into Bloomberg's calculation of Trump's net worth. This adjustment marks a considerable leap from the previous estimation of just $22.5 million based on Trump's financial disclosure form.

With this revised fortune, Donald Trump, who is actively campaigning to retake the White House, now boasts a paper net worth comparable to individuals such as Joe Ricketts, Gordon Getty, and Tony James. Bloomberg's wealth index, which has been tracking Trump's net worth since 2015, determines this ranking based on ethics disclosures, public filings linked to critical real estate holdings, and staff reporting.

Trump's unexpected financial upturn serves as a significant boost to his campaign aspirations, while also solidifying his status among the world's wealthiest individuals. Whether this surge in wealth will translate to tangible success in his political endeavors remains to be seen, but for now, Trump has witnessed his fortune reach unprecedented heights.