Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed al Nahyan, the UAE's national security advisor, is reportedly behind a 49% stake in WLTC Holdings, the holding company for a planned cryptocurrency bank associated with the Trump family. This investment, made through StringZ Holding RSC, adds to the Sheikh's previous $500 million investment in World Liberty Financial, which occurred in January 2025.
The Trump family retains a 38% stake in WLTC Holdings. The arrangement has attracted scrutiny due to Sheikh Tahnoon's status as a foreign government official, especially as the Trump administration has engaged in negotiations with the UAE regarding advanced U.S. AI chip sales.
World Liberty Financial has received preliminary approval to establish a federally chartered national trust bank, which aims to issue a dollar-backed stablecoin.
Despite assurances from World Liberty's spokesman that the company operates independently of political influences, the ownership structure and the nature of the investments raise questions about potential conflicts of interest involving the Trump administration