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★ Private Action

UAE-backed Aryam buys 49% of Trump crypto venture four days before inauguration

Trump Crypto ConflictsUAE-Trump Nexus

Filed January 2025$500,000,000

★ The Brief

What happened

Four days before Trump's inauguration, Eric Trump signed a $500 million deal selling 49% of World Liberty Financial to Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi-backed buyer registered through anonymous Delaware and UAE shells. The agreement was signed for Aryam by the CEO and general counsel of G42, Sheikh Tahnoon's AI conglomerate; both took seats on the company's five-person board.

Who enabled it

Who benefits

Deal or steal?

Once Trump took office, his administration granted G42 access to advanced US AI chips and launched a fast-track CFIUS review Sheikh Tahnoon had personally lobbied for. Both benefits flowed back to the same Abu Dhabi conglomerate whose CEO and general counsel had signed for Aryam.

On January 16, 2025 — four days before Donald Trump's second inauguration — Eric Trump signed a deal selling 49% of World Liberty Financial to Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi-backed entity, for $500 million. Aryam paid $250 million up front: $187 million flowed to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, $31 million to entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff (then-incoming US Middle East envoy), and $31 million to an entity tied to co-founders Zak Folkman and Chase Herro. The deal was signed for Aryam by G42 general counsel Martin Edelman and G42 CEO Peng Xiao, who took two seats on WLF's five-person board. Two Aryam entities — one in Delaware, one in Abu Dhabi — were registered two days apart in December 2024, with no public record of ownership. The buyer's identity was not publicly disclosed at the time, despite WLF's website later showing the Trump family's equity stake had fallen from 75% to 38%.

Actors

Who pushed it · 4

Who initiated, paid, or pushed the action.

  • Martin Edelman

    G42 general counsel and Royal Group adviser; co-signed the Aryam purchase agreement on the buyer's side and took a seat on World Liberty Financial's five-person board.

  • Peng Xiao

    G42 CEO; co-signed the Aryam purchase agreement on the buyer's side and took a seat on World Liberty Financial's five-person board.

  • Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan
    Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan

    Abu Dhabi royal and UAE national security adviser who backed the $500 million acquisition through Aryam Investment 1, while simultaneously lobbying the incoming Trump administration for access to advanced US AI chips.

    Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan has paid into Trump’s orbit:

  • Aryam Investment 1

    Twin Delaware and Abu Dhabi entities registered two days apart in December 2024 with no public record of ownership; the named buyer in the $500 million purchase agreement.

Beneficiaries

Who gained · 9

Who stood to gain.

  • Chase Herro

    World Liberty Financial co-founder; an entity tied to him and Zachary Folkman received $31 million of the first installment.

  • Donald Trump
    Donald Trump

    Per his own disclosures, personally owned 70% of DT Marks DEFI LLC as of end-2024 — the entity that received the bulk of the $187 million flowing to Trump family vehicles from the first $250 million installment.

  • Eric Trump
    Eric Trump

    Signed the agreement on behalf of World Liberty Financial as co-founder and board member; benefits financially as a Trump family member through DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC.

  • Steve Witkoff
    Steve Witkoff

    Then-incoming US Middle East envoy and WLF co-founder; $31 million of the first installment flowed to entities affiliated with his family.

  • Zach Witkoff
    Zach Witkoff

    World Liberty Financial CEO and son of Steve Witkoff; benefits as a member of the Witkoff family whose entities received $31 million of the first installment, and sits on the WLF board alongside Eric Trump and the two G42 executives.

  • Zachary Folkman

    World Liberty Financial co-founder; an entity tied to him and Chase Herro received $31 million of the first installment.

  • DT Marks DEFI LLC

    Trump family pass-through vehicle that received a share of the $187 million Trump-family payout from the first $250 million installment. Trump personally owned 70% as of end-2024 per his disclosures.

  • DT Marks SC LLC

    Trump family pass-through vehicle that received the remainder of the $187 million Trump-family payout. Trump's ownership breakdown not publicly disclosed.

  • World Liberty Financial
    World Liberty Financial

    Received the $500 million capital commitment in exchange for selling 49% equity. The proceeds were split between two newly established WLF entities, one of which was set up to launch the USD1 stablecoin.

Sources

Further reading