Abu Dhabi Entity Acquires Major Stake in Trump-Associated Crypto Firm for $500 Million
Major Investment in Trump-Linked Crypto Firm
A UAE-backed investment vehicle has discreetly secured nearly half of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup associated with Donald Trump, just before his return to the White House, as per The Wall Street Journal.
Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi firm supported by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, finalized a deal in January 2025 to obtain a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million, according to the Journal, referencing documents and knowledgeable sources.
Half of the sum was paid initially, with $187 million directed to Trump family-controlled entities, and additional millions allocated to co-founders, including relatives of US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, the report indicates.
The agreement was reportedly signed by Eric Trump. The Journal noted that the deal was not publicly disclosed, despite World Liberty's later revelation of the Trump family's reduced stake.
Sheikh Tahnoon's Expanding Influence
Tahnoon, the brother of the UAE president and the country's national security adviser, has been pivotal in Abu Dhabi's quest to lead in artificial intelligence. Under the Biden administration, his attempts to acquire advanced US-made AI chips were restricted due to concerns over sensitive technology potentially reaching China, especially through companies like G42.
Following Trump's election, these efforts intensified. Tahnoon engaged in multiple meetings with Trump and senior US officials, and soon after, the administration pledged to provide the UAE with access to hundreds of thousands of advanced AI chips annually.
The Journal reported that executives from G42 assisted in managing Aryam Investment 1 and acquired board positions at World Liberty as part of the deal, making Aryam the startup’s largest external shareholder. Before the US-UAE chip agreement was publicized, another Tahnoon-led firm, MGX, utilized World Liberty’s stablecoin for a $2 billion investment into Binance.
World Liberty and the White House have reportedly denied any misconduct. Spokespeople informed the Journal that President Trump was not involved in the deal and it did not influence US policy.
World Liberty Faces Scrutiny
Last year, Democratic senators urged US authorities to investigate alleged connections between World Liberty Financial’s token sales and sanctioned foreign entities. In a November letter to the Justice Department and Treasury, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed cited allegations that WLFI governance tokens were acquired by blockchain addresses linked to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, as well as Russian and Iranian entities.
The controversy is intensified by WLFI’s ownership structure, granting Trump family-linked entities control over the majority of token revenue. Lawmakers argue this presents a direct conflict of interest, as most proceeds from token sales benefit the president’s family.