Catenaa, Wednesday, February 04, 2026- An investment vehicle backed by UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan quietly acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million just days before President Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration, according to a Wall Street Journal investigation.
The transaction was finalized four days before the inauguration and was not publicly disclosed.
The buyer was Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi based entity linked to Tahnoon, who is the brother of UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed.
Eric Trump signed the agreement on behalf of the crypto venture, the Journal reported.
Half of the purchase price was paid upfront.
Records reviewed by the Journal show that $187 million went to Trump family controlled entities, while at least $31 million flowed to firms tied to the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder who later became US special envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff’s son, Zach, serves as the project’s chief executive.
Executives from G42, the Emirati technology group chaired by Tahnoon, took board seats at World Liberty following the deal.
The investment made Aryam the largest outside shareholder and explains a previously unexplained reduction in the Trump linked firm’s ownership stake during 2025.
The disclosure has renewed scrutiny of World Liberty’s ties to UAE interests, particularly as related firms later completed large crypto transactions using the project’s stablecoin.
Democratic lawmakers have raised concerns about potential conflicts tied to the timing of those deals and US policy decisions.
World Liberty Financial and the White House said the investment did not influence government actions and that Trump was not involved in daily operations.
