UAE "Secret Investment of $500 Million" in Trump's Family Crypto Company WLFI, Senator Demands National Security Review

Two Democratic Senators have written to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, requesting an assessment of whether the United Arab Emirates government-linked entities’ $500 million investment in World Liberty Financial (WLFI) should undergo a national security review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).
(Background: Trump makes grand promises again: new Federal Reserve Chair Powell can stimulate 15% U.S. economic growth)
(Additional context: Macron criticizes Trump for “aiming to disintegrate Europe”: EU to confront this week)

Table of Contents

• UAE “Spy Prince” secretly acquires stake
• Senators call for CFIUS national security review
• AI chips for encrypted equity swap?

Since November 2024, World Liberty Financial has generated at least $1.4 billion in revenue for Trump and the Witkoff family. According to WLFI’s public disclosures, its revenue distribution is as follows:

• 75% of WLFI token sales revenue flows directly into Trump-controlled entity DT Marks
• Trump personally holds 70% of that entity, with the remaining 30% held by family members
• Witkoff family receives 12.5%, co-founders Folkman and Herro each receive 12.5%

In terms of actual cash, Trump’s family has received at least $1.2 billion, and holds 225 million WLFI tokens. At the current price of approximately $0.23, the book value is about $50 billion.

By comparison, Trump’s real estate empire took eight years (2010–2017) to generate $1.2 billion in cash. Now, a cryptocurrency project has matched that figure in just 16 months.

UAE “Spy Prince” secretly acquires stake

According to an exclusive report by The Wall Street Journal, G42 Group, supported by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE National Security Advisor and member of Abu Dhabi’s royal family, secretly purchased a 49% stake in WLFI for $500 million via an entity called Aryam Investment 1, four days before Trump’s inauguration in January 2025.

The deal was signed by Trump’s son Eric Trump and has never been publicly disclosed. The estimated fund flow is as follows:

• Trump-controlled entity: approximately $187 million
• Witkoff family entity: approximately $31 million

G42 executives later gained seats on WLFI’s board, making Tahnoon’s investment vehicle the largest external shareholder. Notably, CNBC has described Tahnoon as the “Spy Sheikh,” with a background linked to UAE intelligence.

Senators call for CFIUS national security review

According to Block, Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent a letter to Treasury Secretary Yellen raising sharp national security concerns:

This transaction raises significant national security concerns. WLFI states it collects user personal data, and we question whether the UAE or even China could access this data through such arrangements.

The senators specifically pointed out G42’s past collaborations with Chinese companies, and U.S. intelligence agencies have long warned that G42 might provide technology to the Chinese military.

The letter requests that the Treasury Department clarify by March 5 whether CFIUS review has been initiated or if the President has been advised. CFIUS, led by the Treasury, is responsible for reviewing foreign investments involving sensitive technology or data.

AI chips for encrypted equity swap?

Adding controversy to this deal is a timing coincidence. Several months after the UAE’s stake in WLFI, the Trump administration approved the sale of approximately 500,000 advanced AI chips annually to the UAE, with about 20% allocated to G42 under Tahnoon’s control.

This has sparked congressional questions about potential “benefit exchanges”: the UAE royal family investing hundreds of millions via cryptocurrency to the Trump family, then obtaining export licenses for cutting-edge U.S. AI technology.

Additionally, WLFI’s stablecoin USD1, launched in March 2025, has surpassed $5 billion in circulation, generating about $100 million annually in U.S. Treasury bond interest, with 75% flowing back to Trump’s family. The company officially lists Trump and Middle East envoy Witkoff as “honorary co-founders,” though a spokesperson claims they are not involved in the UAE-related transactions.