💰Secret Deal: $500M Tech Takeover Exposed! 🤯
Crypto
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In January 2025, Aryam Investment 1, supported by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. Initially, $187 million was paid to Trump family-controlled entities, alongside additional funds to companies connected to co-founders and Steve Witkoff. Executives from G42 secured board positions, establishing Aryam as the startup’s largest external shareholder. Following Trump’s election, Sheikh Tahnoon’s efforts to obtain advanced AI chips intensified, marked by meetings with Trump and US officials. World Liberty utilized a stablecoin to invest $2 billion into Binance. Concerns have arisen due to the company’s ownership structure, particularly regarding governance tokens and potential connections to sanctioned entities, prompting calls for a US probe.
UAE Investment Firm Acquires Major Stake in Trump Crypto Startup
Aryam Investment 1, backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, quietly acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency startup linked to former President Donald Trump, just days before his return to the White House in January 2025. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the deal involved a $500 million valuation, with $187 million paid upfront to entities controlled by the Trump family. Eric Trump reportedly signed the agreement, marking a significant investment in the volatile crypto landscape.
Strategic Investment Driven by AI Chip Access
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, brother of the United Arab Emirates president and national security adviser, has been a key figure in Abu Dhabi’s efforts to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence. Following intensified efforts under the Biden administration to secure advanced US-made AI chips, Tahnoon met repeatedly with Donald Trump and senior US officials, culminating in the administration’s commitment to grant the UAE access to hundreds of thousands of AI chips annually. This strategic investment was clearly linked to securing crucial technology.
G42’s Role in Facilitating the Deal
Executives from G42, a prominent AI firm, played a key role in managing Aryam Investment 1 and secured board seats at World Liberty as part of the agreement, making Aryam the startup’s largest external shareholder. This demonstrated a clear alignment between the UAE’s technological ambitions and the crypto startup’s operations, highlighting the influence of key players in the AI sector.
Suspicious Transaction: Binance Investment
Weeks prior to the announcement of the US-UAE chip framework, another Tahnoon-led firm, MGX, utilized World Liberty’s stablecoin to complete a $2 billion investment into Binance. This raised further questions about the company's financial activities and the potential for illicit transactions within the crypto ecosystem.
Allegations of Wrongdoing and Sanctioned Links
The controversy was further underscored by a Democratic-led call for a US probe into alleged links between World Liberty Financial’s token sales and sanctioned foreign actors. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Jack Reed cited claims that WLFI governance tokens were purchased by blockchain addresses connected to North Korea’s Lazarus Group, as well as Russian- and Iranian-linked entities. These allegations significantly heightened concerns regarding the company’s governance and potential misuse of funds.
Control Over Token Revenue: A Conflict of Interest
Adding to the concerns, World Liberty’s ownership structure gives Trump family-linked entities control over the majority of token revenue, fueling ongoing scrutiny and calls for investigation. This direct control over revenue streams presents a significant conflict of interest, particularly given the UAE’s broader geopolitical ambitions and the potential for leveraging this financial instrument for strategic advantage.
This article is AI-synthesized from public sources and may not reflect original reporting.