Recent reporting has thrust the White House into a fresh political firestorm after it emerged that a member of the United Arab Emirates’ royal family invested heavily in a cryptocurrency company tied to President Donald Trump’s family just days before he took office.
According to multiple news outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, an Abu Dhabi-based investment vehicle backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan purchased a 49 percent stake in World Liberty Financial, a crypto venture co-founded by members of the Trump family, for roughly $500 million. The deal was signed in January 2025, about four days before President Trump’s second inauguration.
Sheikh Tahnoon, who serves as the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and heads several state-linked investment firms, has significant influence over Emirati economic strategy. His involvement in the transaction has led critics to question whether it represents more than just a private business arrangement.
Media accounts of the deal highlight several points that have raised eyebrows among lawmakers and policy observers in the United States. First, although the investment was disclosed only recently, the transaction was completed well before the Trump administration’s 2025 decision to grant the UAE access to advanced American made AI chips technology previously restricted over national security concerns. The timing has prompted accusations that foreign capital may have influenced policy decisions.
Critics, including Senator Elizabeth Warren and other Democratic lawmakers, have called for a congressional investigation into the matter. Warren described the overlap between the investment and subsequent policy shifts as “obvious corruption” in statements circulated among policy analysts and on social media, asserting that the American public deserves transparency about whether foreign money helped shape U.S. government actions.
Defenders of the president and representatives of World Liberty Financial argue that there is no conflict of interest. White House officials and spokespeople for the crypto firm have maintained that President Trump and his family were not directly involved in negotiating the deal, and that the president’s assets are managed through a trust overseen by his children. A company spokesperson also dismissed suggestions that the investment influenced U.S. policy on AI chips or national security issues as unfounded.
World Liberty Financial, launched in late 2024 by the Trump family and their associates, has quickly become a major revenue source for the Trump business network. Reports indicate the company generated tens of millions in revenue through token sales and strategic partnerships. However, the rapid injection of foreign capital and links to state-linked investors have intensified scrutiny over how digital asset ventures intersect with presidential influence and international diplomacy.
As this story continues to unfold, political analysts say the controversy could have lasting implications for how future administrations handle the separation between private business interests and public office. For now, calls for transparency and oversight are likely to grow louder, particularly as new details about the deal and related foreign policy actions continue to emerge.
