Trump family-backed World Liberty Financial reportedly received a $100 million investment from Guren “Bobby” Zhou, a businessman currently under investigation for allegations of money laundering.
Suspicious Dealings with Zhou?
Zhou, who previously operated a hardwood flooring retail business in the UK, has been under investigation for money laundering and was linked to a failed cryptocurrency start-up, according to a report by The New York Times.
While Zhou has not yet been formally charged, the investigation by British authorities is ongoing, the report added.
The report also mentioned that Zhou emerged as a significant token buyer from World Liberty Financial, investing an aggregate of $100 million via a UAE-based firm named Aqua 1.
A similar announcement appeared in a Medium post from the company, with no mention of Zhou. The post instead featured a quote from Dave Lee, identified by the company as its co-founder and CEO.
Aqua 1 didn’t immediately return Benzinga’s request for comment. A response from World Liberty Financial is also awaited.
Read Also: Trump Says 'Crypto Is a Big Deal, People Are Paying With Bitcoin'
WLFI Under Scanner
Dealings involving World Liberty Financial, the cryptocurrency platform founded by President Donald Trump’s sons, has been under scrutiny for some time.
In June, Senate Democrats, including Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), demanded immediate hearings into a transaction in which associates of Abu Dhabi royal Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan bought a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial.
Notably, Binance chose World Liberty Financial’s dollar-pegged stablecoin USD1 to close a $2 billion deal with Abu Dhabi investment firm MGX last year. Binance’s convicted co-founder Changpeng "CZ" Zhao was later pardoned by Trump.
Meanwhile, Trump’s disclosure revealed he earned more than $580 million from World Liberty Financial in 2025, with his total cryptocurrency profits exceeding $1 billion.
A White House spokesperson told Benzinga earlier that all actions by the Trump administration are taken in the "best interest of the American people," while rejecting any suggestions of "conflict of interest" for the president or his family
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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