Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, often called the "spy sheikh" and brother to the UAE's president, made a significant move by secretly purchasing a 49% stake in former President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency venture, World Liberty Financial, for $500 million. This deal, made through Tahnoon's Aryam Investment 1, involved an upfront payment of $250 million, with $187 million directed to Trump family entities such as DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC. An additional $31 million was slated for entities linked to World Liberty co-founders Steve Witkoff (who had been named U.S. envoy to the Middle East), Zak Folkman, and Chase Herro.
This confidential acquisition by Tahnoon's representatives occurred just four days before Trump's inauguration last year, and months before the U.S. administration committed to providing the UAE (and specifically G42, one of Tahnoon's AI companies) with access to approximately 500,000 highly advanced AI chips annually. The agreement for AI chips was seen as a major win for the UAE, allowing it to rapidly advance in AI and establish one of the world's largest AI data center clusters. This deal represents an unprecedented instance of a foreign government official securing significant ownership in an incoming U.S. president's company.
The investment also placed two executives from Aryam, who also held senior positions at Tahnoon’s G42, on World Liberty’s five-person board alongside Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff. The full $500 million investment, with the second half due by July 15, 2025, would make Aryam World Liberty’s largest shareholder. The timing and nature of this investment have raised questions, particularly given the subsequent access to sensitive U.S. AI technology, which had previously been restricted under the Biden administration due to concerns over G42's ties to Chinese tech giants like Huawei.
