Trump Denies Knowledge of Reported $500M Abu Dhabi Stake in World Liberty Financial

Donald Trump denies awareness of a reported $500M Abu Dhabi investment in World Liberty Financial, as scrutiny grows over timing and governance concerns.

US President Donald Trump has denied personal knowledge of a reported multimillion-dollar investment linked to his family. The investment is supposedly in the form of an Abu Dhabi royal purchasing a major stake in World Liberty Financial. In turn, the comments have increased political and financial scrutiny.

Trump Responds to Reports on Abu Dhabi Investment in World Liberty Financial

President Trump spoke to reporters on February 2nd, 2026, about the transaction. He said unequivocally that he knew of no such investment arrangement. Moreover, he has stressed that the running of his crypto project is managed independently by his sons.

JUST IN: 🇺🇸🇦🇪 President Trump says he did not know Abu Dhabi invested $500 million in his World Liberty crypto project.

“I don’t know about it. My sons are handling that, I guess they get investments from people.” pic.twitter.com/AOBosetnpE

— Bitcoin Black (@Bitcoinblacck) February 2, 2026

Trump added that his family takes care of business issues while he pays attention to presidential duties. He recommended that investments can be made from various sources without his involvement. Therefore, he removed himself from the operational and financial decisions in WLFI.

The Wall Street Journal first revealed the investment. According to the report, a part of the deal was a $500 million commitment from an entity linked to Abu Dhabi. Notably, the transaction allegedly closed days before Trump’s second inauguration.

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The owner of the investment was identified as an Abu Dhabi-based company, Aryam Investment 1. The entity is said to be supported by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He is the UAE National Security Advisor.

According to the report, Aryam Investment 1 acquired equity 49% stake in WLFI. The agreement was allegedly signed on January 16, 2025. This date was 4 days before Trump took office again.

Financial information in the report specified individual allocations for payout. An estimated $187 million reportedly was paid, up-front, to Trump family-controlled entities. Additionally, there was an estimated $31 million used for entities associated with co-founder Steve Witkoff.

WLFI functions as a cryptocurrency-oriented financial platform that is connected with the Trump family. The project has gained some attention because of its political associations. Consequently, the reported foreign investment has raised grafts of governance.

Lawmakers Raise Concerns Over Timing and Potential Conflicts

The announced timing of the deal has been criticized by US lawmakers. Critics say the transaction creates potential conflict-of-interest issues. Therefore, demands for further investigation have grown stronger.

Senator Elizabeth Warren described the deal that was reported as corruption-related. She mentioned policy developments after the alleged investment. Specifically, the UAE was later given the green light to buy cutting-edge Nvidia AI chips.

That approval was a reversal of policies under the previous administration. As a result, critics wondered if financial ties affected foreign policy decisions. However, there is no direct evidence made public.

Global issues are on Trump’s plate as president, he said. He mentioned conflicts between Russia and Ukraine while making his remarks. Meanwhile, he repeated that family members run WLFI operations.

These statements have fueled debate on transparency and presidential ethics. Observers complain that there is still a lack of clarity about the separation of business and family offices. As a result, governance questions keep coming up.

A White House spokesman, reacting to the mounting criticism. The spokesperson said there are no conflicts of interest. Furthermore, the administration stressed the idea that decisions are in the American people’s interests.

The spokesperson went on to add that existing ethics frameworks are in place. According to the statement, Trump does not engage in the family business management. Therefore, officials dismissed allegations of improper influence.