Abu Dhabi royal known as spy sheikh secretly bought massive stake in Trump familys crypto firm: report
An Abu Dhabi royal known as the “spy sheikh” reportedly bought a massive stake in the Trump family’s crypto firm for half a billion dollars in secret just four days before President Trump took office.Two months later, the Trump administration allowed the United Arab Emirates access to 500,000 of the most advanced AI chips each year – a sharp reversal from Biden-era export curbs, according to The Wall Street Journal.Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan – a bearded, wiry man almost never seen without his signature dark sunglasses – entered into a deal with the Trump family to purchase a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial, The Journal reported, citing company documents and sources.The deal – which was signed by Eric Trump, the president’s son – would pay $187 million to the Trump family upfront, according to the Journal.It would also set aside $31 million for entities affiliated with the family of Steve Witkoff, a World Liberty co-founder and Trump’s longtime golfing buddy who was named US envoy to the Middle East just a few weeks prior, according to the report.Tahnoon – the United Arab Emirates’ national security adviser and brother to the Gulf monarchy’s president – had been pushing the US for access to AI chips after the Biden administration sought to restrict exports over concerns they could be diverted to China.It raised questions around whether the deal violates the emoluments clause of the Constitution, which blocks the president from receiving profits from foreign governments through his businesses, The Journal noted.Tahnoon’s AI firm G42 had earlier raised concerns among American lawmakers for its close ties to sanctioned Chinese firms like Huawei, according to the report.After Trump’s re-election, though, Tahnoon met with Trump, Witkoff and other US officials several times, including a visit to the White House in March, sources told the newspaper.Just a few months later, the Trump administration granted the UAE access to 500,00...