Aryam Investment 1
Aryam Investment 1 is an Abu Dhabi and Delaware-incorporated investment vehicle through which Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, the Trump family cryptocurrency venture, for $500 million. The deal was signed four days before the January 2025 inauguration. Its structural significance is threefold: it represents the largest documented single payment from a foreign sovereign-linked entity to Trump family interests ($187 million in the first tranche); it is temporally correlated with US policy reversals on AI chip exports to the UAE; and it was structured as a dual-jurisdiction SPV with no regulatory filings, no public disclosure, and no web presence, revealed only through investigative journalism thirteen months after execution.
Aryam Investment 1 is a special purpose vehicle controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser and brother of the UAE president. Incorporated simultaneously in Delaware and Abu Dhabi in December 2024, the entity acquired a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million 1. The agreement was signed on January 16, 2025 — four days before the presidential inauguration — by Eric Trump on behalf of WLFI and by Martin Edelman and Peng Xiao of G42 on behalf of Aryam 2. The deal was never publicly disclosed until a Wall Street Journal investigation in February 2026 3.
Of the initial $250 million tranche, $187 million flowed to Trump family entities, approximately $31 million to entities affiliated with Steve Witkoff, and further sums to co-founders Zach Folkman and Chase Herro 4. A review of records across SEC EDGAR, GLEIF, OCCRP Aleph, ICIJ offshore leaks, FARA, and multiple corporate registries returned no filings for the entity, indicating it was structured for minimal public visibility 5. Analysis of the broader Tahnoon financial ecosystem indicates that another Tahnoon vehicle, MGX, subsequently used WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance, positioning Tahnoon entities as both WLFI’s largest shareholder and its largest stablecoin customer 6. Multiple congressional investigations were launched after the deal became public 7.
Corporate Structure and Beneficial Ownership
Aryam Investment 1 exists as a dual-entity structure: two identically named companies incorporated separately in Delaware and Abu Dhabi on consecutive days in December 2024, approximately one week after Steve Witkoff’s trip to the UAE 8. The Delaware entity is managed by Martin Edelman, G42’s general counsel and senior counsel at Paul Hastings, and by Peng Xiao, G42’s chief executive officer 9. The Abu Dhabi entity shares office space in the Abu Dhabi Global Market area with other companies in Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan’s business network. According to a person close to Tahnoon, the deal was funded by the sheikh and unnamed co-investors rather than G42 corporate funds 10.
The entity’s name, Arabic for “white gazelle,” carries the suffix “1,” and examination of available records found no Aryam Investment 2 or subsequent entities 11. Review of records across SEC EDGAR, GLEIF, OCCRP Aleph, ICIJ offshore leaks, FARA, OpenSanctions, UK Companies House, and US state corporate registries returned zero results, confirming the entity has no regulatory filings, no Legal Entity Identifier, no foreign agent registration, and no web presence 5. Both Delaware and Abu Dhabi impose minimal beneficial ownership disclosure requirements, and Aryam has no public footprint beyond the WLFI transaction itself.
The $500 Million WLFI Acquisition
On January 16, 2025 — four days before the presidential inauguration — Eric Trump signed an agreement on behalf of World Liberty Financial transferring a 49% stake to Aryam Investment 1 for $500 million 1. Martin Edelman and Peng Xiao signed for Aryam 2. The transaction was structured in two tranches: $250 million at signing and a second $250 million due by July 15, 2025 4. Of the initial payment, $187 million flowed to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, approximately $31 million went to entities affiliated with Steve Witkoff, and further funds reached Zach Folkman and Chase Herro 4. The deal reduced DT Marks DeFi LLC’s equity from 60% to 40% 12.
As part of the acquisition, Aryam secured two of five WLFI board seats for Edelman and Peng Xiao — both of whom also serve as directors of MGX, another Tahnoon investment vehicle 13. Analysis of the deal terms indicates that Aryam was not granted rights to future WLFI token sales, excluding the Tahnoon entity from what was at the time the company’s sole revenue stream 14. The deal was never publicly disclosed by either party; WLFI’s website did not list Edelman or Peng Xiao on its team page despite their board seats 13. The Wall Street Journal broke the story in February 2026, more than thirteen months after signing 3. According to reporting as of February 2026, neither WLFI nor Aryam had confirmed whether the second $250 million tranche was paid by the July 15, 2025 deadline 15.
The Tahnoon Financial Ecosystem
Aryam Investment 1 is one node in a constellation of entities controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the UAE national security adviser. Tahnoon chairs G42, the Abu Dhabi artificial intelligence company that received a $1.5 billion investment from Microsoft in April 2024. Analysis of corporate records indicates that G42’s divested Chinese operations were transferred to another Tahnoon-controlled fund rather than sold to unaffiliated parties 16. Tahnoon also leads MGX, a sovereign technology investment vehicle co-founded by G42 and Mubadala.
The interconnection between these vehicles and WLFI created what analysis suggests is a circular financial structure. According to financial reporting, in May 2025 MGX used WLFI’s USD1 stablecoin to settle a $2 billion investment in Binance — the largest single cryptocurrency investment reported to have been paid in stablecoin 6. Zachary Witkoff announced USD1 as the official settlement instrument. Because Aryam held 49% of WLFI and MGX shared board members with Aryam, analysis indicates that Tahnoon entities were simultaneously WLFI’s largest shareholder and its largest stablecoin customer 17.
Aryam Investment 1
Policy Implications and Quid Pro Quo Timeline
The chronology surrounding the Aryam deal shows a sequence in which sovereign Abu Dhabi capital preceded favorable US policy shifts. On January 16, 2025, Aryam signed the $500 million agreement. Four days later, Trump was inaugurated. In March 2025, Sheikh Tahnoon visited the White House and met with both Trump and Witkoff. In May 2025, the Trump administration announced that the UAE would receive access to over 500,000 advanced Nvidia AI chips annually, with approximately one-fifth allocated to G42. Analysis of this timeline indicates that G42 stood to benefit directly from both the WLFI stake and the chip export reversal 16 10. The Biden administration had previously blocked this access over concerns that technology would reach China through G42’s Huawei ties.
Members of Congress investigated whether these events were connected. The MGX-Binance settlement in USD1 stablecoin also prompted questions about whether the use of a Trump family financial product influenced the October 21, 2025 presidential pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao. Analysis of the financial relationships indicates that Tahnoon entities were positioned on both sides of these transactions 17. The Aryam deal was signed during the same pre-inauguration period in which, according to public records, the incoming administration revoked ethics executive orders and established DOGE. The temporal compression of these actions has drawn scrutiny from congressional investigators.
Congressional Investigations and Regulatory Status
The revelation of the Aryam deal triggered multiple congressional inquiries. Representative Ro Khanna, ranking member of the House Select Committee on the CCP, sent a formal letter to World Liberty Financial on February 4, 2026, demanding ownership records, payment details, capitalization tables, profit distributions, board appointment records, and all communications related to the Binance deal by March 1, 2026 7. Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim demanded that Treasury Secretary Bessent initiate a CFIUS review of the Aryam acquisition by March 5, 2026, citing national security concerns over UAE access to WLFI user data. Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove pursued a separate investigation into the connection between the investment and the AI chip export reversal 7.
Review of the filings indicates that Aryam’s governance rights at WLFI remain partially undisclosed: the entity holds two of five board seats and a 49% equity stake, but no public document has addressed whether Aryam possesses veto rights, consent rights, or other protective provisions beyond board representation 14. As of the March 5, 2026 deadline imposed by Warren and Kim, no formal CFIUS review had been initiated. Because the Trump administration controls the Treasury Department — which chairs CFIUS — analysis suggests that a self-initiated national security review of a transaction benefiting the president’s family was unlikely to proceed under the current administration 18. WLFI denied wrongdoing and characterized the probes as politically motivated.
All Connections
12 total
All Connections
12 totalAryam Investment 1 (Tahnoon bin Zayed/G42) acquired 49% of WLFI for 500M. Signed Jan 16 2025 by Eric Trump, 4 days pre-inauguration. 187M to Trump family entities. G42 executives took board seats. Deal not publicly disclosed.
Aryam Investment 1 is an investment vehicle controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon, managed by his G42 executives
Aryam managed by G42 executives Martin Edelman (general counsel) and Peng Xiao (CEO). G42 is chaired by Tahnoon.
Signed the Aryam-WLFI agreement. G42 general counsel managing the Delaware entity of Aryam.
Co-signed the Aryam-WLFI agreement. CEO of G42, manages the Aryam Delaware entity.
187M from Aryam initial payment went to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC
Both controlled by Tahnoon. MGX used WLFI USD1 stablecoin for 2B Binance investment. Shared management via G42 executives.
31M+ from Aryam payment went to Witkoff-affiliated entities. Witkoff is Trump Middle East envoy. His sons co-founded WLFI.
Tahnoon is ultimate beneficial owner of Aryam Investment 1, personal investment vehicle with unnamed co-investors for 49% WLFI acquisition
G42 executives Edelman and Peng Xiao managed Aryam and signed WLFI deal on its behalf. Both got WLFI board seats. Source says funds did not come from G42.
Aryam Investment 1 (backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, UAE national security adviser) acquired 49% stake in WLF Holdco for M in Jan 2025. Deal signed by Eric Trump 4 days before inauguration. Aryam got 2 of 5 board seats. Never publicly disclosed.
Aryam Investment 1 is investment vehicle backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Tahnoon also runs MGX (which used WLFI USD1 stablecoin for B Binance deal) and G42 (AI company). Aryam board appointees hold senior G42 positions.
All Findings
19 total
All Findings
19 totalfinancial (8)
Aryam Investment 1 signed deal Jan 16 2025 (4 days pre-inauguration) to purchase 49% of World Liberty Financial for 500M. First installment of 250M paid: 187M to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, 31M to Witkoff-affiliated entities, 31M to Folkman/Herro entity. Eric Trump signed the agreement. Deal was not publicly disclosed.
UAE entity Aryam Investment 1 secretly purchased 49% of WLFI for M days before Trump inauguration (Jan 2025)
Aryam Investment 1, an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, signed deal in January 2025 to purchase 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. Deal signed by Eric Trump 4 days before inauguration. Never publicly disclosed. Half paid upfront ($250M), with $187M flowing to Trump family-controlled entities and $31M+ to co-founder-related entities (Witkoff family). Two G42 executives received seats on WLFI's 5-member board. DT Marks DeFi LLC reduced equity from 60% to 40%. Aryam became largest outside shareholder.
MGX (another Tahnoon-led entity, co-founded by G42 and Mubadala) used WLFI USD1 stablecoin to settle a 2B investment in Binance - the largest single crypto investment ever paid in stablecoin. MGX and WLFI share management/board members (G42 executives). This creates a circular financial ecosystem: Tahnoon entity buys into WLFI, another Tahnoon entity uses WLFI product for a massive transaction. Congress investigating whether USD1 usage in Binance deal influenced Trump pardon of Binance founder Changpeng Zhao (pardoned Oct 21 2025).
Aryam Investment 1 signed agreement Jan 16 2025 for 49% stake in WLFI for $500M. Payment in two tranches: $250M upfront (Jan 2025) and $250M due by July 15 2025. Of initial $250M: $187M to Trump family entities DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC, $31M to Witkoff-affiliated entities, remaining to Folkman/Herro entities. Distribution of second tranche undetermined by WSJ.
MGX (another Tahnoon investment vehicle) invested $2B in Binance in May 2025, using World Liberty Financial's USD1 stablecoin for settlement. This created a revenue stream for WLFI (in which Aryam/Tahnoon held 49%) and boosted USD1's profile. Zach Witkoff announced USD1 as official settlement stablecoin. This circular structure means Tahnoon entities are both WLFI's largest shareholder AND its largest stablecoin customer.
UAE entity Aryam Investment 1, backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE national security adviser, brother of UAE President), secretly acquired 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500M. Deal signed by Eric Trump four days before Jan 2025 inauguration. $187M went to Trump family entities, $31M+ to Witkoff family entities. G42 executives took board seats at WLF as part of deal. Never publicly disclosed until WSJ report Feb 2026. Triggered CFIUS review demands from Sens. Warren and Kim, and House probe by Rep. Khanna (16 questions, March 1 deadline).
Aryam Investment 1, controlled by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan (UAE national security advisor, brother of UAE president), signed deal on Jan 16 2025 to acquire 49% of WLFI for 500M total. Paid 250M upfront with remaining 250M due by July 15 2025. Of the initial 250M: 187M went to Trump-family entities (DT Marks DEFI LLC, DT Marks SC LLC), ~31M to Witkoff-family entities, ~31M to co-founders Folkman and Herro. No public confirmation that second 250M tranche was paid.
Aryam Investment 1 deal structure: 500M total for 49% of WLFI. First 250M paid at signing (Jan 16, 2025). Of first tranche: 187M to Trump family entities (DT Marks DEFI LLC and DT Marks SC LLC), 31M to Witkoff-affiliated entities, remainder to co-founders Folkman and Herro. Second 250M due by July 15, 2025. No public confirmation whether second tranche was paid. Deal signed by Eric Trump for WLFI, Martin Edelman and Peng Xiao for Aryam.
relationship (1)
Aryam Investment 1 secured two of five board seats at World Liberty Financial. The two Aryam-appointed directors are Martin Edelman (G42 general counsel, Paul Hastings senior counsel, adviser to Royal Group and Mubadala) and Peng Xiao (G42 CEO). Both also serve as directors of MGX. Other WLFI board members include Eric Trump and Zach Witkoff. WLFI website does not list Edelman or Xiao on its team page.
legal (3)
Multiple Congressional investigations launched: (1) Rep Ro Khanna (D-CA), ranking member House Select Committee on CCP, sent formal letter Feb 4 2026 to WLFI demanding ownership records, payment details, cap tables, profit distributions, board appointment records, due diligence materials by Mar 1 2026. (2) Sens Warren and Kim demanded CFIUS review by Treasury Sec Bessent with Mar 5 2026 deadline. (3) Rep Kamlager-Dove pursuing investigation into corrupt Trump-UAE AI chip deal. WLFI denies wrongdoing, calls probe politically motivated.
Aryam governance rights at WLFI: 49% stake with 2 of 5 board seats (Edelman, Peng Xiao). Critically, Aryam was NOT granted rights to future WLFI token sales, excluding Tahnoon entity from company's sole revenue stream at the time. No public disclosure of veto rights, consent rights, or protective provisions beyond board seats. The deal was never publicly disclosed -- revealed only by WSJ in Feb 2026. Warren and Kim demanded CFIUS review citing national security concerns over UAE access to WLFI user data.
CFIUS review status as of Feb 26, 2026: NO formal CFIUS review has been initiated of the Aryam-WLFI deal. Treasury has not publicly responded to the Warren-Kim letter demanding review by March 5, 2026. The deadline is 7 days away. Given the Trump administration controls Treasury (Secretary Bessent) and CFIUS is chaired by Treasury, the probability of a formal national security review being initiated by the current administration against its own financial interests approaches zero. The Warren-Kim demand may serve as a marker for future congressional action or litigation rather than an enforceable deadline.
intelligence (3)
Quid pro quo timeline: Jan 16 2025 - Aryam deal signed (500M for 49% WLFI). Jan 20 2025 - Trump inaugurated. Mar 2025 - Sheikh Tahnoon visits White House, meets Trump and Witkoff. May 2025 - Trump admin announces UAE gets access to 500K advanced AI chips annually. Biden had blocked this over fears technology would reach China through G42 (which had close Huawei ties). Apr 2024 - G42 had divested from China as condition of Microsoft 1.5B investment, but divested entities went to another Tahnoon fund.
Aryam WLFI deal timeline suggests quid pro quo with US AI chip exports. Jan 16 2025: Aryam signs $500M deal. Jan 20: Trump inaugurated. May 2025: US agrees to allow UAE to purchase 500K+ advanced Nvidia AI chips annually, with ~1/5 allocated to Tahnoon's G42. Person close to Tahnoon said deal funded by sheikh and co-investors, not G42 funds. Congress (Ro Khanna, Warren, Kim) launched probes. Warren/Kim demanded CFIUS review with Mar 5 2026 deadline.
Status of second 250M Aryam payment to WLFI remains unknown as of Feb 26 2026. The July 15 2025 deadline for the second tranche has passed. WSJ reported it could not determine the allocation of the remaining funds. Ro Khanna demanded full documentation by March 1 2026 including agreements with Aryam, capitalization tables, and communications related to the Binance deal. Warren/Kim demanded CFIUS review by March 5 2026. Neither WLFI nor Aryam have publicly disclosed whether the second payment was made.
identity (3)
Aryam Investment 1 is a dual-entity structure: two identically-named entities incorporated separately in Delaware and Abu Dhabi. The Delaware entity is managed by G42 executives (Martin Edelman, general counsel, and Peng Xiao, CEO). The Abu Dhabi entity shares office space with other Tahnoon bin Zayed business empire companies in ADGM area. Functions as a special purpose vehicle for the WLFI acquisition.
Aryam Investment 1 is a purpose-built SPV backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan that acquired 49% of World Liberty Financial for $500M. Two identically named entities were separately incorporated in Delaware and Abu Dhabi on consecutive days in Dec 2024, ~1 week after Steve Witkoff's UAE trip. The Abu Dhabi entity shares an office address with other Tahnoon companies. No ownership information disclosed in either jurisdiction.
The name Aryam is Arabic, meaning white deer or gazelle. No evidence found of other numbered Aryam Investment entities (2, 3, etc). The numbering suggests a series structure was planned but only one entity appears publicly. No LEI record exists for Aryam Investment 1 in GLEIF. No SEC EDGAR filings. No OpenSanctions or OCCRP Aleph records. No SSL certificates or web presence. No UK Companies House registration. Entity appears to be a clean SPV with no digital footprint.
document (1)
NEGATIVE RESULTS: Aryam Investment 1 not found in: SEC EDGAR (0 hits), GLEIF (4 results all unrelated Indian entities), OCCRP Aleph (0 hits), ICIJ offshore leaks (0 hits), UK Companies House (API error but unlikely presence), US corporate registries (only unrelated FL entities), FARA (0 hits for Aryam, no UAE registration found). No LEI registered for Aryam Investment 1. Not registered as a foreign agent. No SEC filings. Entity is opaque by design - incorporated in jurisdictions (Delaware and Abu Dhabi) with minimal disclosure requirements.
Full Timeline
1 events
Full Timeline
1 events- 1.Finding #3980
- 2.Finding #4265
- 3.Finding #4168
- 4.Finding #4123
- 5.Finding #3992
- 6.Finding #4132
- 7.Finding #3988
- 8.Finding #4121
- 9.Finding #3979
- 10.Finding #4130
- 11.Finding #4138
- 12.Finding #3835
- 13.Finding #3981
- 14.Finding #4266
- 15.Finding #4231
- 16.Finding #3983
- 17.Finding #3985
- 18.Finding #4283