Trump Crypto Firm Received $100M From Investor Under UK Probe

A cryptocurrency venture tied to President Donald Trump’s family took in a $100 million investment from an entity controlled by a British businessman under investigation for money laundering, according to reporting from The New York Times. The transaction highlights how digital assets can channel large sums to politically connected projects with limited public scrutiny of the source.

The investment came through Aqua 1 Foundation, a United Arab Emirates-based firm run by Guren “Bobby” Zhou. In June 2025, Aqua 1 purchased $100 million worth of tokens from World Liberty Financial, a company founded by Trump’s three sons and members of the family of Steve Witkoff, who serves as Trump’s special peace envoy. Under the project’s structure, as much as $75 million of that sum flowed to an entity controlled by Trump and his sons, with additional benefits accruing to the Witkoff family.

Zhou had operated a hardwood flooring business in Britain that collapsed amid the money-laundering inquiry. Associates described him as a persuasive figure with a British accent, yet several expressed surprise that he could access such substantial capital after his earlier setbacks, including the failure of a small crypto start-up. Portions of his business history and the ongoing UK investigation were publicly available at the time of the purchase, though it remains unclear how thoroughly World Liberty examined his background.

The deal surfaced publicly only in limited form. Zhou appeared briefly in an audio stream on X under the name “Mr. Bobby” from Aqua 1, stating that he was proud to participate in the Trump family’s crypto effort. He attended events alongside Zach Witkoff, including a luxury suite at the World Cup final in New Jersey last month. The scale of the investment stands out because Zhou had no widely documented record of holding comparable wealth before the transaction.

World Liberty Financial launched during Trump’s 2024 campaign and expanded after his return to office. The project markets digital tokens that grant holders a share of revenue, and the Trump family has retained significant ownership stakes. Crypto transactions of this type operate with fewer disclosure requirements than traditional political donations or business investments, allowing buyers to remain relatively anonymous even when the amounts involved are large.

The episode illustrates ongoing questions about vetting processes in cryptocurrency platforms connected to elected officials. Unlike conventional campaign finance or lobbying disclosures, token purchases do not trigger the same level of real-time reporting or contribution limits. Regulators in multiple countries have examined similar arrangements for potential circumvention of anti-money-laundering rules, though enforcement remains uneven across jurisdictions.

Trump has positioned himself as supportive of the digital-asset industry, speaking at Bitcoin conferences and appointing officials viewed favorably by crypto advocates. Family members have simultaneously pursued commercial opportunities in the sector, creating overlapping interests between public policy and private revenue streams. The Aqua 1 investment adds one more data point to that pattern without resolving how such inflows are reviewed before acceptance.

Foreign nationals face restrictions on direct political contributions in the United States, yet cryptocurrency purchases operate in a gray area where the line between investment and political support can blur. The $100 million commitment from a single overseas entity underscores the speed at which substantial funds can move into projects tied to the president’s relatives under current rules.