$187M to Trump entities upfront
Half of the purchase price was paid upfront, immediately directing $187 million to Trump family entities.
Where this was said
The Secret Deal: Tahnoon Buys 49% of World Liberty for $500 Million
At 9:53 · chapter starts 9:40
With Trump's election offering a new path to the chips Biden had denied, Tahnoon moved fast. On January 16, 2025 — four days before the inauguration — he and co-investors signed a deal to purchase 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500 million, with Eric Trump signing on behalf of the Trumps. Half the purchase price was paid upfront, steering $187 million to Trump family entities immediately. The deal was never announced publicly. Rebecca Ballhaus recounts the moment her colleague discovered the documents — 'I think my jaw just dropped' — and notes that at the time of the investment, World Liberty had no products, raising immediate questions about what Tahnoon was actually buying. A World Liberty spokesman defended the deal, saying it was in the company's best interest and that the president had no involvement.
Deal signed 4 days before inauguration
The secret stake purchase in World Liberty Financial was signed January 16, 2025 — four days before Trump's inauguration — and was never publicly disclosed until WSJ broke the story.
World Liberty had no products at investment time
At the time of Tahnoon's $500 million investment, World Liberty Financial had no products — raising questions about what the UAE royal was actually purchasing.
The MGX Conflict: One Owner, Two Sides of the Same Deal
When MGX, a UAE government-backed company run by Tahnoon, made a $2 billion Binance investment using World Liberty's USD1 stablecoin, World Liberty presented it as a major vote of confidence from an outside investor. What wasn't disclosed: both MGX and World Liberty were partly owned by the same man.
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