World Liberty's UAE investors, its new bank charter and a lawsuit: what the record shows
A UAE royal's investors bought 49% of the Trump and Witkoff families' crypto firm, then backed its bank. Regulators approved it; Democrats and an early investor object.
Four days before Donald Trump's second inauguration, an investment firm tied to one of the most powerful men in the United Arab Emirates signed a deal to buy 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million. The crypto company had been founded by members of the Trump family and the family of Steve Witkoff, who would soon become the president's Middle East envoy. The deal was not public for more than a year.
Since then, the same Emirati investor group has turned up again. It is behind the largest stake in the holding company for World Liberty's planned national trust bank, which won preliminary approval from a Trump-appointed regulator in August 2026. The company is also fighting a lawsuit from one of its earliest investors, who says it hid its Emirati ties from a federal court.
This article sets out what the public record shows about the deal, the bank charter and the lawsuit, and how each side has responded. Witkoff's personal finances, including the $106.9 million his holding company paid him in his latest reporting year, are covered in a separate article on his ethics filings. Jared Kushner's business record is covered in our earlier overview.
The January 2025 deal#
The Wall Street Journal first reported the deal on Jan. 31, 2026. According to CNN's summary of the Journal's reporting, the buyers were lieutenants of Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Tahnoon is the UAE's national security adviser, a brother of its president and the manager of its largest wealth fund.
The Journal reported that:
- The deal was signed by Eric Trump, the president's son.
- The buyer, a company called Aryam Investment 1, received a 49% stake in World Liberty.
- The buyers paid half up front. Of that, $187 million went to Trump family entities and at least $31 million went to entities tied to the Witkoff family.
- Two senior officers at companies backed by Tahnoon joined World Liberty's board.
- Tahnoon was pressing the United States for access to advanced AI chips at the time.
World Liberty confirmed the investment. A spokesman, David Wachsman, said: "Neither President Trump nor Steve Witkoff had any involvement whatsoever in this transaction and have had no involvement in World Liberty Financial since taking office."
Wachsman denied any link to chip policy. "Any claim that this deal had anything to do with the Administration's actions on chips is 100% false," he told CNN. He said the company made the deal "because we strongly believe that it was what was best for our company as we continue to grow." He added that holding a private American company to "some unique standard that no other similar company would be held is both ridiculous and un-American."
The White House also rejected the conflict claims. "President Trump's assets are in a trust managed by his children. There are no conflicts of interest," spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. White House counsel David Warrington said Witkoff "has not and does not participate in any official matters that could impact his financial interests" and "has also divested from World Liberty Financial, notwithstanding his ability and willingness to recuse."
Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, speaking on ABC's "This Week," said there was "nothing unprecedented about the Trump Organization going out and trying to make investments."
Critics were blunt. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., wrote: "Corruption, plain and simple." Richard Stengel, an Obama-era State Department official, wrote that "never before has a foreign government official taken a major ownership stake in an incoming U.S. president's company."$
How much the Trump and Witkoff sides received#
The first figures came from the Journal's account of the up-front payment. Later reporting relied on Trump's own disclosure. CNBC reported in August 2026 that the deal "directed $263 million to Trump family entities, according to Trump's 2025 annual financial disclosure." CNN reported that Trump also earned more than $526 million from the sale of World Liberty tokens in 2025, according to disclosure forms.
Source: CNN, Aug. 17, 2026, CNBC, Aug. 27, 2026
Show the numbers
| Source of income | Amount |
|---|---|
| Sales of World Liberty tokens | $526M |
| Sale of World Liberty equity to UAE-led investors | $263M |
The public record on the Witkoff side is thinner. The Journal's "at least $31 million" covers only the up-front half of the payment. A House Democrat later noted that the Journal could not determine how the second half, due by July 15, 2025, was distributed. Witkoff's own ethics report for 2026 shows that his holding company paid him $38.1 million in cryptocurrency, but it does not say where that came from.
The chip question#
The core allegation from critics is not that the deal was illegal on its face. It is that a foreign official with business before the U.S. government put money into a company owned by the president's family and his envoy's family, and later got policy he wanted.
Rep. Ro Khanna$, D-Calif., the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, laid out that argument in a Feb. 4, 2026 letter to Zach Witkoff, the co-founder of World Liberty and Steve Witkoff's son. The letter says:
- Tahnoon also controls G42, a UAE AI company that the Biden administration had barred from directly buying the most advanced chips over concerns about ties to China.
- In November 2025, the Commerce Department approved an export license for tens of thousands of advanced AI chips to G42.
- MGX, another Tahnoon-controlled firm, invested $2 billion in the crypto exchange Binance in 2025 using World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin, which helped make USD1 one of the world's largest stablecoins.
- Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao in October 2025, a month before the chip licenses.
The letter argues that "these transactions, investments, and pardons do not just bear the appearance of impropriety, but of illegality." It cites the federal conflict-of-interest law that bars officials such as Witkoff from taking part in matters where they have a financial interest, and the Constitution's foreign emoluments clause. It also concedes that "reasonable minds can disagree" on how best to run export controls.
These are allegations in a letter from a minority member. They have not been tested in any hearing or court. The letter asked World Liberty to answer a list of questions and turn over documents by March 1, 2026. No public reply from the company was found. CNBC reported in August that the administration had since eased limits on how many chips G42 could buy.
The bank charter#
On Aug. 14, 2026, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency granted preliminary conditional approval for World Liberty Trust Company, National Association. The decision was signed by Stephen A. Lybarger, a senior deputy comptroller.
According to the decision:
- The bank would be based in Bay Harbor Islands, Florida, and owned by WLTC Holdings LLC.
- It would issue and redeem USD1 for institutional clients, taking over that role from BitGo, the current issuer and custodian. It would also hold digital assets for customers.
- It "will not issue, custody, or deal in WLFI tokens," World Liberty's governance token.
- It must keep at least $20 million in core capital.
- The approval expires if capital is not raised within 12 months or if the bank does not open within 18 months.
- Final approval will not be granted until all preopening requirements are met. Until then, the OCC can change, suspend or cancel the approval.
The trust bank cannot take deposits or make loans, CNN reported. USD1 had more than $4 billion in circulation at the time.
Three investors signed passivity commitments, promising not to try to control the bank. They are StringZ Holding RSC (DE) LLC; DT Marks SC LLC, a Trump family entity whose commitment was signed by Eric Trump; and AMGUS, LLC, whose commitment was signed by World Liberty co-founder Zachary Folkman.
What the OCC said about conflicts#
The OCC received seven comments from four commenters. Four comments raised conflicts of interest involving the president's family, Alexander and Zachary Witkoff, and Emirati investors. Some argued that the bank could get favorable treatment because the comptroller is a presidential appointee.
The agency answered that the comptroller and staff "acted consistently with their statutory duties and ethical obligations." It said approvals like this one "are made under authority delegated by the Comptroller to career staff," and that career staff would also supervise the bank.
The OCC said other concerns were beyond its review. World Liberty Financial, Inc., "is not a party to this application," it wrote, and "investors in World Liberty Financial, Inc., would not have an investment in, or control over, the Bank." It also said a review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States "is outside of the scope of the OCC's review."
Who owns the bank's parent#
Two weeks later, the Journal reported who stood behind StringZ. According to CNBC's account, Tahnoon and his co-investors are behind StringZ, which owns 49% of WLTC Holdings. An entity tied to the Trump family owns another 38%. The OCC decision itself does not name Tahnoon.
The decision describes StringZ's stake as an indirect, passive investment in the bank. No OCC response to the Journal's ownership report was found. The agency declined to comment on the approval to CNBC.
The reaction#
Zach Witkoff, who chairs the trust company, said: "We welcome continuous scrutiny from Federal regulators for many years to come." CNBC reported that the OCC has received 40 charter applications since 2025, many tied to crypto, and that applications are reviewed by career staff.
Wachsman said the charter will bring "robust and permanent" oversight "that will outlast the Trump administration." He added: "Critics are missing the point: World Liberty Financial is running towards regulation and continuous oversight, not away from it." After the Journal's ownership report, he told CNBC that "no one at World Liberty works for the U.S. government and there are no conflicts of interest."
Kelly, the White House spokeswoman, said all of Trump's investments "are held in fully discretionary accounts managed by independent third-party financial institutions."
Warren said: "President Trump is now the first President in history to approve, operate, and supervise his own bank." She and other Senate Democrats said they would introduce a bill to bar regulators from approving banks owned or controlled by the president, vice president, their families, members of Congress or other officials.
Richard Painter, the chief ethics lawyer under President George W. Bush, told CNN it was "quite precarious to have the president and his family invested heavily in one of our most important regulated industries at the same time as he has the power to hire and fire the regulators." Patrick Woodall of Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund said the OCC "cannot credibly or impartially supervise or examine the Trump family crypto bank."
The dispute has spilled into crypto legislation. CNN reported that Democrats have withheld support for the Clarity Act, a market structure bill, in part because it does not force the president to give up his crypto holdings.
The Justin Sun lawsuit#
The Emirati ties have also surfaced in court. Justin Sun, the founder of the Tron blockchain, was one of World Liberty's earliest and largest backers. He agreed to buy $30 million of WLFI tokens in November 2024 and later raised his total to $45 million, CoinDesk reported.
Sun sued in April 2026 in California federal court. He alleges that World Liberty induced his investment through fraud and then unlawfully froze his tokens. World Liberty has defended the freeze. At an August hearing, the judge kept some claims in court and sent others to private arbitration.
According to Sun, less than a week later World Liberty changed its corporate disclosure. It had listed itself only as a Florida citizen. The new filing named 22 entities in its ownership chain and claimed citizenship in Florida, Delaware, Puerto Rico and the UAE. That matters because federal courts generally cannot hear such cases when foreign parties are on both sides. World Liberty now argues the court lacks jurisdiction.
On Nov. 3, Sun asked the court to sanction the company and its lawyers. "World Liberty was proudly American when it was selling tokens," he wrote on X. "It discovered its UAE roots only when it needed a way out of an American federal courtroom."
World Liberty's lawyers have said they learned of the UAE citizenship after filing the original disclosure, according to Sun. The company could not be reached by CoinDesk. The court has not found that World Liberty concealed anything. Sun says he plans to refile in California state court once the sanctions motion is decided.
Timeline#
- Justin Sun agrees to buy $30 million of WLFI tokens
- Aryam Investment 1 signs a deal for 49% of World Liberty, four days before the inauguration
- Trump pardons Binance founder Changpeng Zhao
- Commerce approves advanced chip exports to G42, according to Khanna's letter
- The Wall Street Journal reports the Aryam deal
- Rep. Ro Khanna writes to Zach Witkoff seeking documents
- Sun sues World Liberty in California federal court
- The OCC grants preliminary conditional approval for World Liberty Trust
- The Journal reports a Tahnoon-backed firm owns 49% of the bank's parent
- Sun seeks sanctions over World Liberty's UAE disclosure
Unresolved issues as of Nov. 9#
Several matters were still unresolved on Nov. 9, 2026:
- The bank. World Liberty Trust cannot open until the OCC grants final approval. The agency can still change or cancel its decision if facts change.
- Congress. Democrats will control the House in January after the midterms. Khanna's inquiry, Warren's bill and the wider push to question Trump family business partners could gain subpoena power. Our look at the incoming Democratic majority's plans covers that fight.
- The courts. Sun's sanctions motion is pending, and a state court case may follow.
- The second payment. No public record found shows where the second half of Aryam's $500 million went.
How the main arguments line up#
Supporters of World Liberty and the administration argue that the company is a private business that raised money the way other firms do, that the president and Witkoff stepped away from it, and that the bank charter brings more federal oversight, not less. They note that career staff, not political appointees, approved the charter.
Critics argue that a foreign official with business before the U.S. government now owns large stakes in both the company and the bank's parent, while the president appoints and can fire the regulators. They want either divestment by the president or a ban on such approvals.
Some facts are not in dispute: the full terms of the 2025 deal and the second payment have not been made public. Khanna's letter asks for those documents. World Liberty has not released them.
Differing perspectives
Should World Liberty's trust bank be allowed to open while the president's family and a UAE official's investors hold stakes in its parent?
Each position is summarized as its supporters make it, with equal weight and in alphabetical order. A summary is not an endorsement; the evidence for each is weighed in the story above.
Block approval unless the president divests
Who holds it: Sen. Elizabeth Warren and other Senate Democrats; ethics lawyer Richard Painter; Americans for Financial Reform
These critics argue that regulators appointed by the president cannot credibly supervise a bank partly owned by his family, since he can hire and fire them. They say the approval lets the president profit from an industry his administration oversees. Warren had urged the OCC to refuse the charter unless the president divested. She and other Democrats back a bill to bar regulators from approving banks owned or controlled by the president, his family or other officials.
In their words: CNN, Aug. 17, 2026 ↗
Decide it on banking rules alone
Who holds it: The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and its career chartering staff
The OCC says it reviewed the application under the same statutory and regulatory factors it uses for every new national bank, through career staff acting under delegated authority. It found the business plan sound, set capital and liquidity conditions, and required major investors to sign commitments not to control the bank. It says questions about World Liberty Financial's ownership, foreign investment reviews and its governance token fall outside a charter decision, because that company is not the applicant.
In their words: OCC Corporate Decision 1385 ↗
Investigate the UAE deal and chip policy first
Who holds it: Rep. Ro Khanna and Democrats on the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
Khanna argues that a UAE official who wanted advanced U.S. chips put $500 million into a company tied to the president and his envoy, and that chip approvals for a firm he controls followed. He says this may raise legal questions under conflict-of-interest law and the emoluments clause. He wants World Liberty's agreements, payment records and communications with the UAE side before Congress and the public can judge.
In their words: House Select Committee on the CCP, Democratic staff ↗
Treat it like any other private company
Who holds it: World Liberty Financial, spokesman David Wachsman and CEO Zach Witkoff
World Liberty says it is a private American company that raised capital because it was good for the business, and that neither the president nor Steve Witkoff played any part in the UAE deal. It says it follows the same rules as its rivals and seeks no special treatment. It argues that holding it to a standard no similar company faces is unfair, and that a federal charter means more permanent oversight, not less.
In their words: CNN, Feb. 1, 2026 ↗
Cite this article
567 Politics staff. “World Liberty's UAE investors, its new bank charter and a lawsuit: what the record shows.” 567politics. Published 2026-11-09. https://567politics.com/news/world-liberty-financial-uae-tahnoon-stake-bank-charter-witkoff-sons-november-2026
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