Trump's Crypto Venture Received $100M From UK Money Laundering Investigation Subject: Report
The person controlling the Aqua 1 organization that invested $100 million in World Liberty Financial tokens during 2025 is said to be an entrepreneur connected to both the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates.
A person who faced scrutiny from UK authorities for suspected money laundering in connection with a failed cryptocurrency enterprise reportedly orchestrated a $100 million token acquisition from World Liberty Financial, the Trump family's crypto company.
Based on a New York Times article published Sunday, Guren Zhou, who goes by the name Bobby, controlled the Aqua 1 organization that acquired $100 million in WLFI tokens from the crypto venture associated with the Trump family during June 2025. The transaction provided financial gains to relatives of US President Donald Trump along with those connected to Zach Witkoff, World Liberty's co-founder.
The reported connection of Zhou to the World Liberty transaction came after earlier conjecture suggested that Dave Lee was the person controlling Aqua 1. In July 2025, the Aqua 1 foundation confirmed that Lee became part of the organization as CEO and co-founder starting in April 2025, though they did not confirm his involvement in financing the WLFI token acquisition.
The origin of Aqua 1's investment capital, with the organization presenting itself as a "Web3-native fund" operating out of the United Arab Emirates, sparked concerns regarding possible conflicts of interest within the Trump administration, particularly involving international parties connected to his family's cryptocurrency enterprise. Anna Kelley, spokesperson for the White House, has consistently stated that "no conflicts of interest" exist regarding the president's financial holdings.
The New York Times article indicates that Zhou's capacity to pour millions of dollars into World Liberty remained a "mystery," particularly considering his 2021 apprehension in the UK on money laundering suspicion and the failure of a multimillion-dollar cryptocurrency enterprise he had established. Among World Liberty's most significant investors are Justin Sun, Tron's founder, who made an initial $45 million investment in the company's tokens, along with an Abu Dhabi organization supported by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reportedly holding a $500 million position.