Trump denies knowledge of UAE sheikh’s $500M stake in World Liberty

United States President Donald Trump has denied any knowledge of reports that a company linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial.

Summary

• President Trump denied knowledge of a $500 million stake acquired by a UAE royal in World Liberty Financial.
• The deal, reportedly signed by Eric Trump, was finalized just four days before Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.

“I don’t know about it,” Trump said during a recent media appearance. “I know that crypto is a big thing.”

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

Investments in World Liberty raise questions

WLFI has had its share of controversies, but the latest claims by The Wall Street Journal have once again drawn scrutiny. Citing documents related to the Trump-family-backed venture and sources familiar with the transaction, the WSJ claimed a secretive deal amounting to nearly $500 million had taken place behind the scenes.

Notably, the investment was structured across multiple installments, with the first tranche from the Tahnoon-backed company, Aryam Investment 1, reportedly totaling $250 million. Of that, $187 million was sent to entities linked to the Trump family. Another $31 million was allocated to entities tied to World Liberty founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro.

As of the time of publication, WLFI has neither denied nor confirmed the reported transaction. But if accurate, it would make Aryam the company’s largest external shareholder, and community members are concerned over the potential influence of a foreign government on a company closely tied to the U.S. president.

Was the timing a coincidence?

Information cited in the WSJ further suggested that the deal was signed by Eric Trump on January 16, and the timing has become a major focal point, as it occurred just four days before Donald Trump was sworn in.

Sheikh Tahnoon is the UAE’s national security advisor and maintains a close diplomatic relationship with the United States. He chairs AI conglomerate Group 42, which was recently approved by the U.S. Department of Commerce to purchase advanced chips from Nvidia and AMD.

Just weeks before the chip deal, MGX, a firm also led by Sheikh Tahnoon, used the USD1 stablecoin to facilitate a multi-billion dollar investment into crypto exchange Binance.

Meanwhile, it’s worth recalling that back in June 2025, the Trump family’s DT Marks DEFI LLC reduced its stake in WLFI from 75% in December 2024 to just 40%. At the time, there was widespread speculation that the sale had netted as much as $190 million, with Donald Trump personally pocketing a substantial portion.

The recent revelations may help explain the ownership change, but questions around influence and transparency remain unresolved for the time being. Yet both Trump and the WLFI project have faced increasing scrutiny from lawmakers over possible conflicts of interest.

Earlier this month, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren urged regulators to halt their review of WLFI’s banking charter application over unresolved conflicts of interest involving President Donald Trump.