Topline
The Freedom Fuel Network, a private company that launched more than two dozen gas stations across New Jersey and Pennsylvania, is reportedly no longer selling fuel at the sharply discounted price of $3.47 per gallon, which was done in an apparent nod to President Donald Trump.
Key Facts
Several Freedom Fuel stations, including some locations in and around Philadelphia and southern New Jersey, sold gas at around $3.92 as of Monday while nearby competitors charged between $3.89 and $4.09, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The average price for a gallon of gas in Philadelphia was $4.19 as of Tuesday, up from $3.95 last week, matching the statewide average, which is the costliest on the East Coast, according to AAA.
A White House spokesperson told the Inquirer that Freedom Fuel did not receive government subsidies and did not acquire gas at a lower price, noting the company’s lower prices would continue “for as long as the company chooses.”
surprising fact
Randy Brown, a senior special teams coach for the Baltimore Ravens, and former commodities trader Yoni Gontownik formed Freedom Fuel on June 23, a week before Trump promoted the stations, according to Politico. Fourteen of Freedom Fuel’s 25 locations are controlled by companies linked to Shamikh and Syed Kazmi, eight of which are leased from the investment firm Blue Owl Capital, the Associated Press reported. Both Shamikh and Syed Kazmi have reportedly faced claims of unethical business practices in recent years: In 2021, a federal judge in New Jersey ordered the Kazmis to pay more than $600,000 to a fuel supplier that alleged they stole gas.
key background
Trump, who has repeatedly promised lower gas prices, announced the Freedom Fuel Network in a Truth Social post earlier this month. Trump said the gas stations were “taking the lead” at offering lower gas prices, even as costs began to rise again as a peace deal between the U.S. and Iran unraveled. It was previously unclear what company was behind the gas stations, and some analysts warned their lower costs were unrealistic without some form of government subsidy. Patrick De Haan, GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, reportedly said of Freedom Fuel’s price point: “Generally, when losses happen, somebody’s got to pay for it.”