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.
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At 9:43 · 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.
Half of the purchase price was paid upfront, immediately directing $187 million to Trump family entities.
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.
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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