Trump says he co-owns World Liberty Financial but knows nothing about UAE-linked investment

World News

Trump says he co-owns World Liberty Financial but knows nothing about UAE-linked investment

Donald Trump says he co-owns World Liberty Financial but knows nothing about the UAE-linked money that flowed into it. The comments follow a shareholder lawsuit over two Abu Dhabi deals, while the firm's token fell from about 45 cents in August 2025 to roughly 5 cents by June 2026.

Donald Trump told 60 Minutes on November 8, 2026 that he co-owns World Liberty Financial. In the same interview, he said he knows nothing about the UAE-linked investment in the company.

The timing matters. The comments arrive weeks after a shareholder lawsuit accused the arrangement of breaching the Constitution.

Two Abu Dhabi deals under scrutiny

The first deal came in January 2025, when Aryam Investment 1 paid $500 million for a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial. Aryam is linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and Eric Trump, the president's son, signed the deal days before the inauguration.

The second deal landed in May 2025. MGX, another Abu Dhabi fund chaired by Tahnoon, bought $2 billion worth of USD1, the company's stablecoin. MGX then used that USD1 to settle an investment in Binance.

Lawsuit targets the Emoluments Clause

On October 22, 2026, a shareholder of Circle Internet Group filed suit over the UAE deals. The complaint alleges the transactions violate the Foreign Emoluments Clause, which restricts federal officeholders from accepting benefits from foreign governments.

The suit also claims the deals delivered illegal benefits to Trump and disadvantaged the value of USDC, the stablecoin Circle issues. None of these allegations has been proven, and the case is at an early stage.

Crypto revenue disclosed as token value falls

Trump's 2025 financial disclosure reported more than $1.4 billion in crypto-related revenue. Almost $800 million of that was attributed to World Liberty Financial.

The company's governance token tells a different story. It traded around 45 cents in August 2025 and had fallen to roughly 5 cents by June 2026.

Trump has said before that he stays away from day-to-day operations and leaves management to his sons. Yet Eric Trump signed the 49% stake sale, and the revenue appears on the president's own disclosure.

Source: Crypto Briefing

Trading involves risk.

Author

PrimeXBT

Our Editorial Team consists of leading experts with a proven record in the fields of trading, cryptocurrencies, blockchain and finance. We thoroughly research the sources of information in order to provide readers with quality content that serves edu...

Read author’s articles

Risk Disclaimer

Disclaimer: Some past publications may be outdated. We recommend following our news to stay up to date with the latest information. For any questions, feel free to contact our support team via the chat below.
The content provided here is for informational purposes only. It is not intended as personal investment advice and does not constitute a solicitation or invitation to engage in any financial transactions, investments, or related activities. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
The financial products offered by the Company are complex and come with a high risk of losing money rapidly due to leverage. These products may not be suitable for all investors. Before engaging, you should consider whether you understand how these leveraged products work and whether you can afford the high risk of losing your money.
The Company does not accept clients from the Restricted Jurisdictions as indicated in our website/ T&C. Some services or products may not be available in your jurisdiction.
The applicable legal entity and its respective products and services depend on the client’s country of residence and the entity with which the client has established a contractual relationship during registration.