Reports say that World Liberty Financial (WLFI) received a $100 million investment from Guren “Bobby” Zhou, a businessman under active UK investigation for money laundering. The funds, routed through United Arab Emirates (UAE)-based Aqua 1, sent up to $75 million to entities controlled by Trump and his sons. Zhou was arrested in 2021 and remains under investigation, though he has not been charged.
From flooring to crypto: Zhou’s wild ride
Zhou’s trajectory is quite remarkable. Just two years ago, he was selling parquet flooring in the UK. His British flooring business collapsed without repaying about $5 million owed to his father’s company. He later launched Caduceus, a crypto project that raised $7.6 million before its token became effectively worthless by 2024.
After he moved to Abu Dhabi in 2024, Zhou took the reins at Web3Port. Right after Trump’s inauguration in January 2025, the venture fund announced a $10 million investment in World Liberty. Things moved fast after that: a Web3Port entity in the British Virgin Islands changed its name to Aqua 1 GP Limited, and just two weeks later, Aqua 1 dropped the news about that $100 million WLFI buy.
The UK investigation and the big “why”
The legal side of things is still hanging over him. A February 2024 court judgment confirmed he was arrested back in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering. The National Crime Agency (NCA) submitted its case file to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), and as of July 2026, the investigation is still very much active.
Current reports could not determine where the $100 million originated. Two of Zhou’s longtime employees were charged in September 2025; one has pleaded guilty. World Liberty spokesperson David Wachsman said the company followed all applicable laws but declined to say whether World Liberty knew the source of Zhou’s funds.
Where the money went
Under World Liberty’s revenue-sharing structure, up to 75 percent of token sale proceeds flow to DT Marks DEFI LLC, an entity controlled by Trump and his sons. That means approximately $75 million of Zhou’s $100 million purchase reached Trump-controlled entities.
The deal also benefited the family of Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, whose son Zach is a World Liberty co-founder. Eric Trump met with Zhou in Dubai to discuss the investment, and Zhou later described it as involvement in “Trump’s family’s crypto venture.”
