Trump Says He Was Unaware of $500M Abu Dhabi Investment in World Liberty Financial

Trump Distances Himself From Reported WLFI Deal

U.S. President Donald Trump has denied any direct involvement in a reported $500 million investment by an Abu Dhabi royal-backed firm into World Liberty Financial (WLFI), a cryptocurrency platform connected to his family.

“I don’t know about it,” Trump told reporters on Monday when asked about the transaction.

“My sons are handling that — my family is handling it. I guess they get investments from different people,” he added.

His remarks come after media reports suggested the deal was finalized just days before his inauguration.

Source: https://x.com/Bitcoinblacck/status/2018467589744377983

$500M for a 49% Stake

According to The Wall Street Journal, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a senior member of the Abu Dhabi royal family, agreed to acquire a 49% stake in WLFI roughly four days before Trump returned to office.

The investment was reportedly made through Aryam Investment 1, a company backed by Tahnoon.

Details cited in the report include:

• Total deal size: $500 million

• First installment: $250 million

• $187 million allegedly directed to Trump family-controlled entities

• $31 million routed to an entity linked to WLFI co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro

If accurate, the transaction would position Aryam as World Liberty’s largest shareholder.

Foreign Influence Concerns Grow

The reported ownership shift has triggered debate in Washington over potential foreign influence in a U.S.-based crypto company tied closely to the president.

Trump is listed as one of nine founders of WLFI alongside his sons Donald Trump Jr., Eric Trump, and Barron Trump, further intensifying scrutiny over the project’s governance structure.

While Tahnoon maintains strong diplomatic ties with the U.S., his growing footprint across tech and digital assets has drawn attention.

He also chairs Group 42 (G42), an Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence conglomerate that recently received U.S. Commerce Department approval to purchase advanced chips from Nvidia and AMD.

Political and Regulatory Pressure Mounts

The investment could add to mounting regulatory questions around Trump-linked crypto ventures.

Earlier this year, Senator Elizabeth Warren urged regulators to pause WLFI’s application for a bank charter unless Trump divested his interests in the company, citing potential conflicts of interest.

However, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) rejected the request, stating the application would undergo the same review process as any other institution and would not be influenced by political or personal considerations.

WLFI spokesperson David Wachsman pushed back against the criticism, telling Bloomberg:

“The idea that, when raising capital, a privately held American company should be held to some unique standard that no other similar company would be held is both ridiculous and un-American.”

Bigger Picture: Crypto, Politics, and Capital Collide

The situation highlights the increasingly complex overlap between crypto startups, political figures, and sovereign-backed capital.

As global investors continue pouring money into digital asset companies, deals involving politically connected entities are likely to attract heavier scrutiny from regulators and lawmakers alike.

For WLFI, the reported investment may strengthen its balance sheet — but it also raises fresh questions about transparency, governance, and oversight.

See all our insights: Bitcoin World News