Trump's Crypto Company Sold 49% Stake to UAE Spy Chief

$500 million. That's how much the UAE's top intelligence official secretly invested in World Liberty Financial, the Trump family's crypto venture. The timing? Just months before the Trump administration approved advanced AI chip sales to the UAE.

The 'Spy Sheikh' Deal

According to a Wall Street Journal investigation, an entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan—the UAE's national security adviser known as the "Spy Sheikh"—quietly purchased a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million just days before Donald Trump's inauguration.

The deal, signed by Eric Trump, funneled $187 million directly to Trump family entities and at least $31 million to entities tied to Steve Witkoff, Trump's ally who was recently appointed as Middle East envoy.

The timing raises serious questions. The Biden administration had restricted advanced U.S. AI chip sales to the UAE due to national security concerns tied to Tahnoon's AI firm, G42. Yet months after this crypto investment, the Trump administration reversed course and approved those very chip sales.

Warren Sounds the Alarm

Senator Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee, didn't mince words: "This is corruption, plain and simple." She's demanding that the Trump administration reverse its AI chip decision and calling for congressional testimony from Witkoff, David Sacks, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, and other officials.

"Congress needs to grow a spine and put a stop to Trump's crypto corruption," Warren declared, citing mounting evidence that officials "sold out American national security in order to benefit the President's crypto company."

Warren and Rep. Elissa Slotkin had previously called for an investigation into whether Trump, his family, and senior officials were profiting from foreign crypto deals linked to U.S. tech access.

White House Pushes Back

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the WSJ that "President Trump only acts in the best interests of the American public," insisting there are "no conflicts of interest." She noted that Trump's assets are managed by his children through a trust.

White House counsel David Warrington emphasized that "The President has no involvement in business deals that would implicate his constitutional responsibilities." Regarding Witkoff, he said the envoy "takes his compliance with government ethics rules seriously" and "has divested from World Liberty Financial."

The Bigger Picture

This controversy highlights how cryptocurrency is becoming entangled with geopolitics in unprecedented ways. The UAE, seeking to position itself as a global AI hub, appears to be using crypto investments as a diplomatic tool. Meanwhile, the Trump administration's approach to both crypto regulation and Middle East policy is coming under intense scrutiny.

The deal also raises questions about the revolving door between Trump's business interests and foreign policy decisions. Critics argue that when family business and national security intersect, the potential for conflicts of interest becomes impossible to ignore.