WLFI $100M Token Buy Linked to Man Under UK Probe

World Liberty Financial accepted a $100 million purchase of WLFI governance tokens on June 26 from the UAE-based Aqua1 Foundation. Company records and transaction data link Aqua1’s capital to Guren “Bobby” Zhou, a Chinese businessman under active UK investigation for alleged money laundering. Up to $75 million of the investment was directed to entities tied to the Trump family and to affiliates of WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff.

The purchase is the largest single publicly disclosed WLFI token buy to date. WLFI launched in 2024 as a decentralized finance project intended to connect traditional finance and blockchain systems. WLFI tokens grant governance and voting rights rather than equity. Under the project’s token structure, the Trump family is entitled to 75% of token sale proceeds. Aqua1’s $100 million purchase made it WLFI’s largest individual investor at the time. The source of the funds Aqua1 used to acquire the tokens has not been publicly disclosed.

Guren “Bobby” Zhou was arrested in the UK in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering. A British court filing from November alleges he participated with five others in a money laundering operation dating back to 2019. Two long-time Zhou employees were charged in September 2025; one of those employees has pleaded guilty. The trial for the charged defendants is scheduled for 2028. British authorities confirmed the investigation into Zhou remained active as of late July 2026. Separately, Chinese courts have entered civil judgments against Zhou totaling roughly 19.4 million yuan (about $2.4 million) over unpaid loans. Zhou has not been formally charged with a criminal offense in the UK.

Zhou met with Eric Trump in Dubai to discuss the investment and described his role as participation in the Trump family’s crypto venture. There is no public evidence linking the specific funds Aqua1 used to buy WLFI tokens to the alleged laundering activity under UK investigation.

The Aqua1 purchase adds to earlier scrutiny of foreign capital flowing into WLFI. A separate WLFI transaction worth about $500 million involved a UAE-linked investment vehicle taking a 49% stake shortly before a presidential inauguration. That larger deal drew inquiries from a House committee and calls for a Treasury Department review by a U.S. senator. WLFI has raised hundreds of millions of dollars through token sales domestically and abroad.

World Liberty Financial has previously stated that its token sales comply with applicable disclosure requirements. As of publication, WLFI, Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff had not issued public responses to the disclosures about the Aqua1 purchase and Zhou’s background. British authorities continue to investigate, and criminal proceedings against associated defendants are scheduled to reach trial in 2028.