U.S. President Donald Trump claims he was not informed about a massive $500 million investment by the Abu Dhabi royal family in World Liberty Financial, the crypto platform co-founded by his family. This transaction, revealed by the Wall Street Journal, occurred just four days before Trump’s inauguration and raises serious questions about potential conflicts of interest.
A Strategic Investment with Geopolitical Ramifications
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a prominent member of the United Arab Emirates royal family and national security advisor since 2016, acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million through Aryam Investment 1. This transaction makes the Emirati entity the largest shareholder of the crypto platform.
Of the first $250 million payment, $187 million was allocated to entities linked to the Trump family, while $31 million was directed to a firm associated with co-founders Zachary Folkman and Chase Herro. According to Forbes, Trump’s share in this transaction would amount to approximately $260 million before taxes, while his three sons would collectively receive about $100 million.
Sheikh Tahnoon: Much More Than a Simple Investor
Nicknamed the « spy sheikh » due to his role in intelligence, Sheikh Tahnoon manages a business portfolio estimated at $1.3 trillion supporting the UAE’s national security interests. He chairs several major financial institutions, including:
- Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), a sovereign wealth fund worth $790 billion
- First Abu Dhabi Bank, the UAE’s largest bank
- Group 42 (G42), an artificial intelligence conglomerate based in Abu Dhabi
- International Holding Company (IHC), the largest entity listed on the Abu Dhabi stock exchange
In December 2024, his company G42 received authorization from the U.S. Department of Commerce to acquire advanced chips from Nvidia and AMD, highlighting his favorable position with U.S. regulators.
World Liberty Financial: A Spectacular Valuation
Founded in 2024, World Liberty Financial has experienced a meteoric rise. Before the Emirati investment, a business entity linked to Donald Trump and his family, DT Marks DEFI LLC, held approximately 60% of the company. The Trump family receives 75% of net revenues generated by WLFI token sales, as well as a share of profits from the USD1 stablecoin.
The public launch of the WLFI token in September 2025 generated a spectacular valuation. Public documents reveal that the Trump family holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens. When the token reached a peak of about 40 cents, the Trump family’s stake represented approximately $5 billion on paper.
By December 2025, the Trumps had already realized a profit of $1 billion on token sales, while retaining $3 billion in unsold tokens. Some estimates suggest that the Trump family’s total cryptocurrency-related wealth could reach $11.6 billion.
Multiple Emirati Links with World Liberty Financial
Sheikh Tahnoon’s investment is not the only financial link between the United Arab Emirates and World Liberty Financial. In June 2025, another UAE-based fund, the Aqua 1 Foundation, announced the purchase of $100 million worth of WLFI tokens, becoming one of the platform’s largest known public investors.
Earlier in the year, MGX, an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund also linked to Sheikh Tahnoon, used World Liberty Financial’s USD1 stablecoin to facilitate a $2 billion investment in Binance, the leading cryptocurrency exchange. These multiple transactions illustrate the Middle East region’s growing interest in cryptocurrencies and blockchain.
Denounced Conflicts of Interest
Trump’s involvement in World Liberty Financial while serving as President of the United States has sparked strong criticism. Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren called in January 2025 for federal banking authorities to suspend review of World Liberty Financial’s banking charter application until Trump divests his holdings.
In November 2025, the House Judiciary Committee published a damning report stating that Trump directly benefited from his own political decisions regarding cryptocurrencies. The report describes the situation as a « new era of corruption » and states: « President Trump and his family have pocketed billions of dollars through corruption of unprecedented scale. »
In March 2025, Elizabeth Warren denounced the Genius Act, a law aimed at creating a regulatory framework for stablecoins, as opening « the path to a gigantic presidential conflict of interest. » She stated that « for the first time in U.S. history, this also makes our president, Donald Trump, the regulator of his own financial product. »
Troubling Geopolitical Implications
Sheikh Tahnoon’s investment comes in a troubling geopolitical context. A few weeks after finalizing the $500 million investment, the Trump administration ignored national security concerns and committed to providing 500,000 of the most advanced artificial intelligence chips per year to the United Arab Emirates.
Sheikh Tahnoon has used his positions to advance the UAE’s ambition to become a major player in the AI revolution. G42 is already partnering with OpenAI to build a new supercomputer based in the UAE. Nvidia has opened an AI and robotics research lab in Abu Dhabi, and in May 2025, the U.S. and UAE signed an agreement to build the largest AI campus outside the United States.
The relationship between Sheikh Tahnoon and the Trump administration extends beyond World Liberty Financial. In 2024, a company backed by Tahnoon and the Qatari government invested $1.5 billion in an investment company owned by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law.
Aggressive Expansion Despite Controversies
World Liberty Financial continues aggressive expansion of its activities despite controversies. In August 2025, Eric Trump joined the board of directors of ALT5 Sigma Corporation, a Nasdaq-listed company, which raised $200 million to create a $1.5 billion treasury in WLFI tokens.
In January 2026, World Liberty Financial filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency to create World Liberty Trust, National, a national banking institution for stablecoin operations. This proposed bank aims to serve institutional clients by issuing and redeeming USD1, as well as offering digital asset custody services.
The company has also announced strategic partnerships to identify and support promising blockchain projects, develop the Aqua Fund, and create « BlockRock, » a platform aimed at tokenizing real-world assets to connect traditional investments with the Web3 ecosystem.
White House Denies Any Conflict of Interest
Facing growing criticism, the White House has consistently denied that Trump’s role in his family’s emerging crypto empire poses conflicts of interest. Spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt stated: « The media’s continued attempts to fabricate conflicts of interest are irresponsible and reinforce public mistrust in what they read. Neither the president nor his family has ever engaged, nor will they ever engage, in conflicts of interest. »
After Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, his title on the World Liberty Financial website was changed from « Chief Crypto Advocate » to « Co-Founder Emeritus » with a note stating « Retired upon taking office. » However, this cosmetic modification has not appeased critics, who point out that the Trump family continues to benefit financially from the company through its 60% stake in DT Marks DEFI LLC and its 75% share of token sales revenues.
Conclusion: A Textbook Case of Modern Tensions
The $500 million Emirati investment in World Liberty Financial represents a textbook case of tensions between private commercial interests and public responsibilities in the modern cryptocurrency era. As the Trump administration continues its pro-cryptocurrency policy with the adoption of the Clarity Act and Genius Act, establishing the first federal regulatory framework for digital assets in the United States, questions about potential conflicts of interest and foreign influence will likely continue to spark intense debates within the American political landscape.
This affair raises fundamental questions about governance, ethics, and the separation between personal and public interests in the era of blockchain and cryptocurrencies.
