Can a Trust Start a C-Corporation or S-Corporation
Yes, a trust (with an EIN) can start a C-Corporation, but not an S-Corporation. S-Corporations do not allow trusts these same rights. The trust cannot serve because only a natural [living] person can serve as a corporate officer. Although a private express trust is sui juris (legally independent), statutory laws can restrict lawful rights. And remember, applying for a statutory entity means there is an agreement to statutory laws and restrictions. The trust can be a shareholder or even the sole shareholder of the C-Corporation, even having the trustee as the originator.
The corporate officers CAN be dummies in states like Nevada. For example, the ownership of the corporation can be kept private with corporate officers named from a pool of people who provide the service of being those corporate officers. This is more expensive but keeps things totally private if that is the goal. Nevada Corporate Headquarters, for example, is one company that offers turn-key private corporation packages, providing the mailing address, mail forwarding, agent for service of process, banking and even the required corporate officer(s) for a fee, all while keeping the ownership information private behind the corporate veil - which in Nevada has never been pierced!