World Liberty Financial's $100 million WLFI token sale to UAE-based Aqua 1 remains under scrutiny after the New York Times reported that Guren "Bobby" Zhou was behind the entity's June 2025 purchase. Zhou, a businessman with ties to the U.K. and UAE, was arrested in the U.K. in 2021 on suspicion of money laundering following the collapse of a crypto business he launched, though the report said how he was able to invest millions into World Liberty remained a mystery. The transaction financially benefited members of U.S. President Donald Trump's family and World Liberty co-founder Zach Witkoff's family. Aqua 1 later said Dave Lee joined as co-founder and CEO in April 2025, but did not say whether he supplied the funds, after speculation that he was the buyer behind the investment. The purchase added to questions about possible conflicts of interest around foreign-linked money flowing into Trump's family crypto venture, allegations the White House has rejected. Some of World Liberty Financial's largest disclosed backers include Tron founder Justin Sun, who initially invested $45 million in WLFI tokens, and an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, with a reported $500 million stake. WLFI confers governance and voting rights rather than equity ownership.