A previously undisclosed $500 million investment from a senior Abu Dhabi official has granted a UAE-linked entity a 49% ownership stake in the Trump family's crypto venture, World Liberty Financial (WLF). The agreement was signed on January 16, 2025, just four days before Donald Trump began his second presidential term.
The stake was acquired through Aryam Investment 1, an investment vehicle backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE's National Security Adviser and brother of the country's president. Sheikh Tahnoon, often referred to as the "Spy Sheikh," also chairs Abu Dhabi-based technology firm G42.
Of the initial $250 million payment, approximately $187 million was directed to Trump-linked entities, specifically DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC. The remaining funds were allocated for operational purposes within WLF. As part of the transaction, two executives from G42 joined WLF's five-member board, giving Abu Dhabi-aligned interests direct governance representation.
The deal has drawn significant scrutiny due to its timing and subsequent U.S. policy decisions. Within months of the investment, the Trump administration approved the sale of approximately 500,000 advanced AI chips per year to the UAE. These exports had been restricted under the previous administration over national security concerns.
This investment appears to be part of a wider pattern of Emirati engagement with WLF's ecosystem. In May 2025, the UAE state-backed fund MGX reportedly used $2 billion worth of WLF's USD1 stablecoin to facilitate an investment in Binance. A month later, in June 2025, the UAE-based Aqua1 Foundation invested $100 million into WLF's governance token, WLFI, becoming the project's largest single token holder at the time.
The Binance transaction has attracted additional attention due to its reported proximity to a successful petition for a presidential pardon for Changpeng "CZ" Zhao, Binance's founder, which was granted in October 2025. While no direct causal link has been officially established, the overlap has intensified calls for greater transparency.
Both the White House and the Trump Organization have denied any conflict of interest, maintaining that the President has no involvement in WLF's day-to-day operations and that all transactions complied with applicable guidelines.
