The Wall Street Journal published a bombshell investigation revealing that UAE national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan—known as the "Spy Sheikh"—secretly purchased a 49% stake in $WLFI World Liberty Financial for $500 million through Aryam Investment. The deal was signed by Eric Trump on January 16, 2025, just four days before Donald Trump's second inauguration.
According to WSJ documents, $250 million was paid upfront: $187 million flowed to Trump family-controlled entities, $31 million to entities linked to Steve Witkoff's family (Witkoff is now US Special Envoy to the Middle East and World Liberty co-founder), and another $31 million to other co-founders. The remaining $250 million was due by July 15, 2025.
What makes this deal explosive is the timing and quid pro quo implications. The Biden administration had blocked Sheikh Tahnoon's attempts to acquire advanced US AI chips, citing concerns about diversion to China through his AI company G42. Two months after Trump's inauguration, following a March 2025 White House meeting between Trump, Witkoff, and Sheikh Tahnoon, the US approved a framework allowing UAE to purchase 500,000 Nvidia AI chips annually—with 100,000 (20%) going directly to Tahnoon's G42.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called the arrangement "corruption, plain and simple" and demanded congressional hearings. This represents the first time a foreign government official has taken major ownership in an incoming US president's business venture.