- The deal was signed in January 2025, just 4 days before Donald Trump started his second term.
- Buyer, Aryam Investment 1 (connected to Sheikh Tahnoon), paid $250 million up front.
- Sheikh Tahnoon is the UAE’s national security adviser and a brother of the UAE president.
World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency venture tied to the Trump family, sold a 49% stake for $500 million to an investment fund backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The deal was signed in January 2025, just four days before Donald Trump started his second term. The buyer, Aryam Investment 1 (connected to Sheikh Tahnoon), paid $250 million up front. About $187 million went to Trump family businesses, and over $31 million went to companies owned by other founders, including Steve Witkoff’s family.
It’s reported that the sheikh had long sought access to advanced US-made AI chips (previously restricted due to national security concerns). Months after the crypto investment was made, the Trump administration agreed to sell around 500,000 of those advanced chips annually to the UAE.
The deal was not previously disclosed publicly, leading to questions about why foreign money was invested immediately before Trump assumed office.
Critics argue this may be an unprecedented case of a foreign official investing in a sitting president’s business, which could create a conflict of interest affecting America’s international relations.
In light of this news, some US lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, have called the deal corrupt and want an investigation into whether the chip sales were tied to the investment.
Representatives for World Liberty Financial and the White House reject any connection between the investment and US policy, stating that President Trump’s assets are held in trusts and that all policy is determined solely by the national interest.
Who Is the “Spy Sheikh”
Sheikh Tahnoon is the UAE’s national security adviser and a brother of the UAE president. He controls major investments through government and private funds such as G42 and MGX.
Tahnoon has a reputation for intelligence ties and global deals, which is why some media outlets and critics refer to him informally as a “spy sheikh.”
Some of the AI chips from the aforementioned deal went to Tahnoon’s company, G42, which has been looked at closely for past alleged ties to Chinese tech giant Huawei, raising further questions.
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