Abu Dhabi royal known as ‘spy sheikh’ bought massive stake in Trump crypto firm: report
An Abu Dhabi royal figure, known as the “spy sheikh,” allegedly acquired a significant stake in the Trump family’s cryptocurrency company for $500 million in a confidential transaction just four days before President Trump assumed office.
Subsequently, the Trump administration permitted the United Arab Emirates access to 500,000 advanced AI chips annually, a stark departure from the export restrictions imposed during the Biden administration, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.
Reportedly, Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE’s national security adviser and brother of the country’s president, struck a deal with the Trump family to acquire a 49% ownership in World Liberty Financial. The transaction, signed by Eric Trump, involved a payment of $187 million upfront to the Trump family, with an additional $31 million allocated to entities associated with Steve Witkoff, a co-founder of World Liberty and a close friend of Trump.
Questions arose regarding potential violations of the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which prohibits the president from profiting from foreign governments through his business ventures, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Sheikh Tahnoon’s AI company, G42, had previously faced scrutiny from US lawmakers due to its connections with sanctioned Chinese entities like Huawei.
Following Trump’s re-election, Tahnoon engaged in multiple meetings with Trump, Witkoff, and other US officials, including a visit to the White House. Subsequently, the Trump administration granted the UAE access to 500,000 advanced chips annually, with a significant portion designated for G42.
The sale of the 49% stake would position Tahnoon’s firm, Aryam Investment 1, as the largest shareholder in World Liberty Financial. Additionally, two executives from Aryam, who also held prominent roles at G42, would join World Liberty’s board.
Prior to the announcement of the UAE chip deal, Zach Witkoff, CEO of World Liberty, disclosed that MGX, another company backed by Tahnoon, would utilize World Liberty’s stablecoin for a $2 billion investment in Binance. This move propelled World Liberty’s stablecoin, USD1, up the ranks of the largest stablecoins.
In a separate development, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025, a decision influenced by individuals close to UAE royals who had advocated for Zhao’s pardon.
Furthermore, Tahnoon’s MGX is involved in the operation of TikTok in the US through a joint venture negotiated during the Trump administration. MGX also participates in Stargate, a $500 billion data center project in collaboration with OpenAI and SoftBank.
Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, secured a $1.5 billion investment for his firm from a company supported by Tahnoon in 2024, as per The Wall Street Journal.
