World Liberty Financial received $100M from businessman under UK money laundering investigation

A $100 million investment in World Liberty Financial’s governance tokens, the largest single publicly disclosed purchase of WLFI tokens, traces back to a Chinese businessman currently under investigation by UK law enforcement for money laundering. The investment, made on June 26 through the UAE-based Aqua1 Foundation, directed as much as $75 million toward entities controlled by the Trump family and affiliates of co-founder Zach Witkoff. The man behind the foundation, Guren “Bobby” Zhou, was arrested in the UK in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering. British officials have confirmed the investigation remains active as of late July. Following the money World Liberty Financial launched in 2024 as a decentralized finance protocol with deep ties to the Trump family. Eric Trump serves among its co-founders alongside Witkoff, the son of Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff. The project has raised hundreds of millions through its WLFI governance token sales, attracting capital from domestic and international sources alike. The Aqua1 Foundation deal stands out not just for its size but for the circumstances surrounding its architect. Zhou has faced legal trouble on two continents. Be...