Abu Dhabi royal known as ‘spy sheikh’ bought – Business News
An Abu Dhabi royal known as the “spy sheikh” reportedly bought a huge stake within the Trump household’s crypto firm for half a billion {dollars} in secret simply 4 days earlier than President Trump took workplace.
Two months later, the Trump administration allowed the United Arab Emirates entry to 500,000 of probably the most superior AI chips every year – a sharp reversal from Biden-era export curbs, in line with The Wall Street Journal.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan – a bearded, wiry man nearly by no means seen with out his signature darkish sun shades – entered into a deal with the Trump household to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, The Journal reported, citing company paperwork and sources.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan secretly bought a huge stake within the Trump household’s crypto firm, in line with a report.
The deal – which was signed by Eric Trump, the president’s son – would pay $187 million to the Trump household upfront, in line with the Journal.
It would additionally set apart $31 million for entities affiliated with the household of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder and Trump’s longtime {golfing} buddy who was named US envoy to the Middle East simply a few weeks prior, in line with the report.
Tahnoon – the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and brother to the Gulf monarchy’s president – had been pushing the US for entry to AI chips after the Biden administration sought to limit exports over considerations they might be diverted to China.
It raised questions round whether or not the deal violates the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which blocks the president from receiving earnings from international governments by way of his companies, The Journal famous.
Tahnoon’s AI firm G42 had earlier raised considerations amongst American lawmakers for its close ties to sanctioned Chinese corporations like Huawei, in line with the report.
Eric Trump, the president’s son, signed the deal, in line with the Wall Street Journal. Getty Images
After Trump’s re-election, although, Tahnoon met with Trump, Witkoff and different US officers a number of instances, together with a go to to the White House in March, sources informed the newspaper.
Just a few months later, the Trump administration granted the UAE entry to 500,000 superior chips yearly – demanding the equal of more than two Hoover Dams value of energy, and enough to construct one of the largest-ever knowledge middle websites, in line with The Journal.
Roughly one-fifth of these chips have been slated to go to G42, the report stated.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly informed The Post that Trump’s belongings are in a trust managed by his youngsters and there are “no conflicts of interest,” and that Witkoff has “spent considerable time away from his family” on his own dime to advance “goals of peace around the world.”
She accused legacy media retailers of spreading lies and “lodging smears” in opposition to Trump officers.
Tahnoon met with Trump, Witkoff and different US officers a number of instances, together with a go to to the White House in March, sources informed The Journal. White House/News Pictures / Shutterstock
“President Trump performs his constitutional duties in an ethically sound manner and to suggest so otherwise is either ill-informed or malicious,” White House counsel David Warrington informed The Post.
Warrington stated Witkoff has divested from World Liberty Financial and doesn’t “participate in any official matters that could impact his financial interests.”
The 49% stake sale would make Tahnoon’s firm Aryam Investment 1 the biggest shareholder in World Liberty Financial, and add two Aryam execs – who additionally held prime roles at G42 – to World Liberty’s five-person board, The Journal reported, citing paperwork.
Tahnoon’s MGX can be concerned within the new TikTok US three way partnership and Stargate, a $500 billion knowledge middle project. through REUTERS
A number of weeks earlier than the UAE chips deal was introduced in May, World Liberty CEO Zach Witkoff – Steve Witkoff’s son – introduced that MGX, one other Tahnoon-backed company, would use World Liberty’s stablecoin to full a $2 billion investment in Binance.
That helped skyrocket World Liberty’s stablecoin – USD1, which is pegged to the US greenback – up the rankings of the biggest stablecoins, in line with The Journal.
In October 2025, Trump pardoned Binance founder Changpeng Zhao, who had pleaded guilty to violating anti-money laundering guidelines. People close to UAE royals had been pressuring the Trump administration to pardon Zhao, The Journal reported.
Tahnoon’s MGX can be one of the buyers behind the new three way partnership working TikTok within the US, below a deal negotiated by the Trump administration.
MGX can be one of the buyers backing Stargate, a $500 billion knowledge middle project involving OpenAI and SoftBank that Trump unveiled on his first full day in workplace, however has but to announce a lot progress.
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner additionally raised $1.5 billion for his investment firm in 2024 from a Tahnoon-backed company, in line with The Journal.
