Trump Defends World Liberty Financial Ownership
President Donald Trump confirmed that he is a co-owner of World Liberty Financial while saying he knows “nothing about it” when questioned about investors tied to the United Arab Emirates. He defended his decision not to divest from the crypto venture, saying his sons run the business.
The comments renewed attention on the ownership structure of World Liberty Financial and a reported $500 million transaction involving Aryam Investment, a UAE-backed entity tied to national security adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed.
What happened
Decrypt reported that Trump made the remarks during a post-midterms 60 Minutes interview with CBS correspondent Ross Douthat that was published on November 8. Asked about UAE-linked investors in World Liberty Financial, Trump said, “Because I know nothing about it.”
According to Decrypt, Trump acknowledged that he is a co-owner of World Liberty Financial. He said his sons operate the company and argued that every president faces conflicts. Crypto.news reported that Trump said he could not tell his sons to stop their business activity for four years while he is president.
Unchainedcrypto reported that Douthat asked Trump about the project’s reported UAE ties and whether they amounted to corruption. Trump responded to questions about foreign investment and divestment by referring to his sons, index funds and the business holdings of previous presidents, according to Unchainedcrypto.
At issue is Aryam Investment’s agreement to buy a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. Decrypt reported that the agreement was signed by Eric Trump four days before Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. Aryam Investment is described by Decrypt as a UAE-backed entity tied to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed.
Trump’s ownership acknowledgment is significant because the company’s structure connects the president and family members to its potential proceeds. Decrypt reported that DT Marks DEFI LLC, an entity affiliated with Trump and family members, owns about 38% of the holding company behind World Liberty Financial, holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens and is entitled to 75% of net proceeds from WLFI token sales.
Why it matters
The interview placed a direct public statement from Trump alongside questions about foreign ownership in a business in which he confirmed an ownership interest. His answer drew a distinction between ownership and management, with Trump saying that his sons run the company.
The scrutiny centers on the potential relationship between a foreign-linked investment and a business connected to the president. Crypto.news reported that World Liberty Financial has faced questions over the reported $500 million investment linked to Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The matter also involves a crypto company with multiple products and revenue arrangements rather than a passive family asset. According to Decrypt, World Liberty Financial issues the WLFI governance token and the USD1 stablecoin. The company also launched World Liberty Markets on DeFi protocol Dolomite in January.
Trump’s assertion that he knows nothing about the company’s dealings leaves an unresolved public-accountability question: how ownership, management and knowledge are separated within a business that has received investment from an entity linked to a UAE official. The reports do not establish that Trump participated in the Aryam agreement, and his comments emphasize that his sons manage the venture.
Background and context
World Liberty Financial was announced by Eric Trump in August 2024, according to Decrypt. The venture later issued the WLFI governance token and USD1 stablecoin, broadening its role from a family-backed crypto project into an operation with token sales, a stablecoin and a DeFi market offering.
As of November 3, Democrats had won control of Congress in the midterm elections. House Democrats and Senator Elizabeth Warren have prepared investigations into World Liberty Financial’s foreign ownership and potential conflicts.
The UAE transaction also preceded the administration’s reversal of restrictions on advanced AI chip sales to the UAE. Senator Chris Murphy described the circumstances as potentially criminal conduct.
Those developments explain why Trump’s comments were not limited to a discussion of his family’s business activities. They concern whether foreign participation in World Liberty Financial warrants congressional examination, and whether the company’s ownership structure creates conflicts that should be disclosed or addressed.
What to watch
A central question is whether House Democrats and Senator Warren move forward with the investigations they have prepared, and what records or testimony they seek regarding World Liberty Financial’s foreign ownership.
It will also be important to follow whether further information emerges about the Aryam Investment agreement, including the relationship between the 49% stake, the company’s holding structure and the interests held through DT Marks DEFI LLC.
Another open question concerns the format of Trump’s exchange with Douthat. Some secondary aggregators described separate broadcast and extended versions focused on a Binance pardon issue, leaving it unconfirmed whether the World Liberty Financial exchange aired on television or appeared only in an extended transcript.
Finally, Trump’s stated separation from day-to-day management may remain central to any future public or congressional scrutiny. His position is that his sons run the company, while his acknowledged co-ownership and the company’s foreign-linked investment remain at the center of the debate.
