For the White House, everything looks normal. Please move on, there's nothing to add here – that's pretty much how every statement from Donald Trump's press team so far can be summed up – every time research brings to light more details about the Trump family's questionable ties to the United Arab Emirates and its cryptocurrency activities. It's the same this time. The Oval Office says what the new research shows in detail is “baseless and irrelevant.”
Meanwhile, no US president's family has probably ever had such close ties with Middle Eastern businessmen as the Trump family. Yes, the Bush dynasty also cooperated with the Saudi business family Bin Laden. However, the actions of President Trump's family over the last year and a half take on a completely new dimension.
The suspicion is increasingly confirmed that US political decisions, especially those regarding the Middle East, are not only driven by geopolitical and economic reasons, but are aimed at the private enrichment of the Trump family and its entourage. In other words, that the US president is abusing his office to make money. The most striking case of this is the United Arab Emirates.
This Middle Eastern power announced on Tuesday that it was leaving the OPEC oil cartel. This is a step that is undoubtedly also in the interest of Trump, who regularly attacks this organization and presses for lower oil prices.
The Trump family and the ruling dynasty in this Gulf state are now intertwined in an unprecedented way. As “The Wall Street Journal” showed, based on months of research, the ruling family in the Emirates bought for USD 500 million. (PLN 1.8 billion) almost half of the shares in World Liberty Financial (WLF) – an opaque cryptocurrency company run by the sons of Donald Trump and Steve Witkoff.
The transaction took place in January 2025, four days before Trump's presidential inauguration. And it was kept secret for a long time. It was organized by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, one of the most influential figures in the Emirates' power structures. He is the president's brother, national security advisor and deputy ruler of Abu Dhabi. He serves as the most important link between the Emirates and the United States and the Trump family.
AI chip exports despite concerns
The investment in a cryptocurrency company is controversial primarily because just a few months after finalizing the transaction, the authorities in Washington announced that they would allow the Emirates to import up to 500,000. efficient AI chips from the American company Nvidia per year. They ignored concerns that this technology could also indirectly benefit China.
A few months later, Trump personally hosted Tahnoon at the White House for dinner, and after the dinner he declared that the meeting strengthened “long-standing relations and friendship between the countries.” The US president granted his brother the ruler exceptional treatment with all the privileges that, according to protocol, are usually only granted to heads of state and government – including a visit to the Oval Office.
For USD 500 million. (PLN 1.8 billion) paid by Tahnoon, the Emirates acquired 49 percent. shares in WLF. The documents show that $187 million (PLN 684 million) went directly to companies related to Trumpand another USD 31 million. (PLN 113 million) to the companies of co-founder Steve Witkoff, who also serves as Trump's special envoy to the Middle East.
A White House spokesman explained that the president “is not involved in the management of his businesses” and has passed them on to his children, so the business activities do not concern him. At the same time, however, Trump is the advertising face of one of the main cryptocurrencies, World Liberty Financial. The White House also sees no problem with all the other companies the president either co-founded or invested in. In addition to cryptocurrencies, their scope of activities covers various industries – from streaming services and social media to nuclear fusion and medicines.
Historic scale
The scale of this undertaking is historic. “It's beyond anything we've ever imagined” – The Guardian magazine quotes Kedric Payne from the Campaign Legal Center, a non-partisan anti-corruption organization. “I can't think of any president in recent history who has had the international business network that could put him in this position.”
The cryptocurrency company WLF is officially headed by Zak Folkman. This 35-year-old intends to revolutionize the international banking system with his company. Trump is not only a famous advertising face of WLF. His sons, Donald Jr. and Eric, run the company, and son Barron is also involved in its activities. Additionally, the team includes Alex and Zach Witkoff. They are the sons of Steve Witkoff. Donald Trump is mentioned as a co-founder of the WLF.
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Since Trump's re-election, U.S. financial policy regarding cryptocurrencies has been characterized by loose regulations and government support programs. Observers do not believe this was a coincidence. Trump's youngest son, Barron, 20, who has extensive contacts in the cryptocurrency community, helped mobilize traders and influencers for the 2024 election campaign.
One of Trump's first actions was to appoint Paul Atkins, a supporter and visionary of cryptocurrencies, to head the Securities and Exchange Commission. His predecessor, Gary Gensler, who was critical of cryptocurrencies, was removed from office – and currently warns against a “Wild West” situation. It is therefore not surprising that the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is now reacting rather mildly to allegations against the Trump family.
Enrichment tool
Meanwhile, the Emirati complex has another dimension. Up to USD 500 million (PLN 1.8 billion) for joining the WLF there is another investment led by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al-Nahyan. He invested $2 billion through the state-backed AI and technology fund MGX. (PLN 7.3 billion) in the Binance cryptocurrency exchange.
Most controversially, MGX used a then-little-known cryptocurrency called USD1 – a key product of World Liberty Financial – for this billion-dollar investment. Thanks to this, the $2 billion although it did not go directly to the Trump family, USD1 was used as a payment instrument in an institutional transaction worth billions – which means a huge gain for it in terms of visibility, legitimacy and potential market importance.
When the Emirates made an investment worth USD 2 billion, they already owned 49%. participation in the WLF – according to “The Wall Street Journal”, however, they hid this fact. In this way, this transaction indirectly promoted a product from the Tahnoon-Trump universe. It is almost a footnote that the beneficiaries of the transaction included the Binance cryptocurrency exchange, whose founder Changpeng Zhao (called CZ) admitted in 2023 to violations related to, among others, with money laundering and circumvention of sanctions. The Canadian of Chinese descent later served a four-month prison sentence and was pardoned by Donald Trump in October 2025.
So far, all this has remained without consequences. In the hustle and bustle of the American political scene, Democratic Congressman Jamie Raskin's report from November last year also went unnoticed. According to it, an investigation conducted in the Justice Committee found that The administration's cryptocurrency policy was intentionally used to benefit Trump and his family.
Forbes magazine's estimates show how lucrative WLF contracts and the Trump family's cryptocurrency activities have been for his descendants so far. The cryptocurrency company, which probably wouldn't have attracted investors on such a scale without Trump's name, has significantly enriched the president's offspring in just one year.
Barron Trump's fortune is currently estimated at $150 million. (PLN 548 million). Donald Trump Jr. He allegedly has assets of $500 million. (PLN 1.8 billion), and Eric Trump – USD 750 million. (PLN 2.7 billion). Financially, however, the sons are significantly superior to their father. Donald Trump managed to almost triple his fortune within a year of taking office — increasing it to over $7.3 billion. (PLN 26.7 billion).
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
