US President Donald Trump has denied knowledge of a $500 million investment by Abu Dhabi’s Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan into the World Liberty Financial crypto platform. The investment, reported to purchase a 49% stake just before Trump’s inauguration, has drawn scrutiny from regulators and politicians concerned about foreign influence.
President Donald Trump stated he has no involvement in a major deal for the World Liberty Financial crypto platform. “I don’t know about it,” Trump told reporters, adding that his family handles such investments.
A recent report revealed Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan purchased a 49% stake in WLFI for $500 million. The agreement was finalized four days before Trump’s presidential inauguration, according to documents and sources.
The first $250 million installment from the sheikh’s Aryam Investment 1 was directed to various parties. Roughly $187 million went to Trump-family entities, while $31 million went to an entity tied to two of the platform’s founders.
This transaction makes Aryam the largest shareholder in the crypto company. It raises questions about foreign influence, as Trump and his three sons are listed among WLFI’s nine founders.
Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren had previously criticized Trump’s crypto ties. She urged a banking regulator to delay WLFI‘s bid for a bank charter until the president divested his interest.
The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency rejected Warren’s request for special treatment. The agency stated the application would receive the same rigorous procedural review as any other.
WLFI spokesman David Wachsman echoed this sentiment in a statement. “The idea that, when raising capital, a privately held American company should be held to some unique standard… is both ridiculous and un-American,” he said.
Sheikh Tahnoon is chairman of Abu Dhabi AI firm Group 42 and maintains US diplomatic relations. His company received US approval to purchase advanced chips from Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices in December.
