The Trump family reportedly received $187 million from an Abu Dhabi royal-backed investment firm four days before Trump’s inauguration and months before the UAE secured access to 500,000 advanced AI chips annually.

Sheikh Tahnoon Invests $500M In WLFI

According to the Wall Street Journal, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser, backed a $500 million investment for 49% of World Liberty Financial (CRYPTO: WLFI) through his firm Aryam Investment 1 on January 16, 2025.

Eric Trump signed the agreement. Trump family entities received $187 million of the first $250 million installment.

Meanwhile, $31 million went to Steve Witkoff’s family entities and another $31 million went to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro.

The timing raised red flags. 

Weeks earlier, the administration named Witkoff U.S. envoy to the Middle East, marking the first time a foreign government official bought a major stake in an incoming president's company.

The AI Chip Push

Sheikh Tahnoon—called the “spy sheikh”—oversees a $1.3 trillion empire spanning AI and surveillance operations. 

His top priority was securing the U.S. AI chips that Biden had blocked over fears the technology could reach China through his AI firm G42, which had close ties to sanctioned Chinese tech giant Huawei.

However, Trump’s election reopened negotiations. 

Following the World Liberty investment, Tahnoon met multiple times with Trump and Witkoff.

In March, he visited the White House and pledged $1.4 trillion in U.S. investment over a decade.

Two months later, the payoff arrived. The administration committed to give the UAE 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips annually. This is enough to build one of the world’s biggest AI data center clusters.

Notably, roughly one-fifth would flow to G42.

The Board And Binance Deal

The deal placed two Aryam executives—Peng Xiao and Martin Edelman, both G42 officials—on World Liberty’s five-person board alongside Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff.

In May, Zach Witkoff announced MGX, a Tahnoon-led firm, would use World Liberty’s USD1 stablecoin to complete a $2 billion investment in Binance (CRYPTO: BNB)—the largest-ever crypto company investment.

What wasn’t disclosed: MGX and World Liberty shared leadership through the same G42 executives on both boards. 

The $2 billion commitment boosted USD1’s ranking and gave World Liberty a cash reserve generating about $80 million annually in Treasury interest.

The Constitutional Question

Legal experts said the deal could violate the Constitution’s emoluments clause. This provision prevents government officials from being controlled by foreign governments.

Kathleen Clark, a law professor and former ethics lawyer, called it a potential bribe and warned it signals the federal government is for sale. 

Moreover, Ty Cobb, who served as White House lawyer in Trump’s first term, said don’t do business deals with families of foreign country leaders because it damages American foreign policy credibility.

The White House pushed back. 

David Wachsman, a World Liberty spokesman, said the investment had nothing to do with the chip deal.

President Trump and Witkoff had no involvement since taking office, and the deal didn’t grant access to government decision-making.

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