President Donald Trump defended his family’s stake in World Liberty Financial while saying he knew nothing about the crypto venture and its UAE-linked investment. The ownership arrangement has also become an issue in Justin Sun’s federal lawsuit over frozen WLFI tokens.
Trump defends the family’s crypto stake
Donald Trump said he knew nothing about World Liberty Financial despite being a co-owner, according to Decrypt. In an interview with columnist Ross Douthat, the president was asked about a company investment linked to the United Arab Emirates and why he had not divested from the family venture.
According to Decrypt, Trump said the family business is run by his sons and argued that presidents have long faced conflicts involving their assets. Asked whether foreign investors believed they were purchasing influence, he said he did not know.
The Block also reported that Trump said he knew nothing about the UAE-linked investment and that his sons run the business. Its account focuses on those remarks, while Decrypt provides a fuller description of the interview and the questions put to him.
The investment that drew scrutiny
Decrypt previously reported, citing The Wall Street Journal, that UAE-backed Aryam Investment agreed to acquire a 49% stake in World Liberty Financial for $500 million. The outlet said the agreement came four days before Trump’s January 2025 inauguration and was signed by Eric Trump for World Liberty.
According to Decrypt, the agreement came before the administration reversed curbs on sales of advanced AI chips to the UAE. That sequence alone does not establish a connection between the transaction and the policy change.
According to ABC News, as cited by Decrypt, a World Liberty spokesperson said at the time that Trump and his Middle East envoy, Steve Witkoff, were not involved in the transaction. Decrypt also reported that Trump had previously said he was unaware of the deal.
Disclosures show the family’s financial interests
World Liberty’s disclosures describe several financial interests associated with Trump and family members, according to Decrypt. They distinguish those interests from formal positions at the company: the disclosures say no Trump family member is an officer, director or employee, although Decrypt reported that his sons have remained involved.
The disclosed holdings and entitlements are relevant to the divestment question because they include both an ownership position and claims connected to the venture’s crypto products. Decrypt reported the following figures from the company’s disclosures.
- DT Marks DEFI LLC owns roughly 38% of World Liberty Financial’s holding company and is associated with Trump and some of his family members.
- The entity holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens and is entitled to 75% of net proceeds from WLFI token sales.
- Another entity associated with Trump has an indirect claim to interest generated by the reserves supporting the USD1 stablecoin.
UAE ownership becomes an issue in Sun lawsuit
The ownership arrangement also matters to litigation brought by Tron founder Justin Sun. CoinDesk reported that Sun’s federal lawsuit concerns frozen WLFI tokens and that World Liberty’s UAE ownership could derail the case.
According to Decrypt, Sun’s lawyers sought federal court sanctions against World Liberty, accusing the firm of delaying disclosure of UAE ownership that could prevent the court from hearing the case. World Liberty called Sun’s legal campaign a meritless public-relations stunt.
The accounts add different pieces to the dispute. CoinDesk identifies the frozen tokens at the center of the lawsuit, while Decrypt describes the lawyers’ allegation and the company’s response. Whether the ownership issue affects the court’s ability to hear the case remains unresolved in those reports.
Why the ownership structure matters to crypto users
World Liberty issues WLFI as a governance token and USD1 as a stablecoin, Decrypt reported. It also introduced World Liberty Markets, which uses the Dolomite decentralized finance protocol to offer lending and borrowing.
The dispute brings several parts of the venture into view: ownership of the business, rights to token-sale proceeds, claims tied to stablecoin reserves and a lawsuit involving frozen tokens. Those are distinct arrangements, so a development affecting one should not automatically be treated as a change to the others.
For token holders and project teams, the company’s disclosures and court filings are the relevant places to distinguish stated financial interests from allegations in the lawsuit. The reported jurisdiction issue concerns where the dispute can be heard, rather than a finding on the underlying claims.
Court filings and company disclosures to watch
The immediate legal issue to watch is how the federal court handles Sun’s request for sanctions and the jurisdiction question raised by his lawyers. Decrypt’s report describes the request and allegation, while CoinDesk identifies the potential effect on the lawsuit.
Further company disclosures could also clarify the interests associated with World Liberty’s ownership and products. Separately, the public account of the UAE-linked investment remains a subject of scrutiny after Trump’s interview and the company’s earlier denial that he was involved in the transaction.
Market snapshot
| Asset | Price | 24h | 7d | Market cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TRON (TRX) | $0.317448 | -0.9% | +0.0% | $30.17 billion |
| World Liberty Financial (WLFI) | $0.04780814 | +2.1% | -5.4% | $1.52 billion |
CoinGecko data as of 2026-11-09 (UTC); DeFi TVL from DefiLlama: Tron $4.96 billion.
FAQ
What did Trump say about World Liberty Financial?
Trump said he knew nothing about the venture despite being a co-owner, according to Decrypt. He said his sons run the family business and defended the family’s continuing stake.
Why is World Liberty’s UAE ownership relevant to Justin Sun’s lawsuit?
According to Decrypt, Sun’s lawyers allege that World Liberty was late to reveal UAE ownership that could prevent the federal court from hearing the case. CoinDesk reported that the lawsuit concerns frozen WLFI tokens and that the ownership issue could derail the case.
What financial interests does the Trump family have in World Liberty?
Decrypt reported that a Trump-affiliated entity owns about 38% of the holding company, holds 22.5 billion WLFI tokens and is entitled to 75% of net proceeds from WLFI token sales. Another affiliated entity has an indirect claim to interest generated by USD1 reserves.
Sources
- CoinDesk: Trump says he knows ‘nothing’ about World Liberty’s UAE ties as Justin Sun challenges filings (2026-11-09)
- Decrypt: Trump Says He Knows 'Nothing' About World Liberty Financial as He Defends UAE Ties (2026-11-09)
- The Block: Trump says he knows ‘nothing’ about UAE-linked investment in his crypto firm (2026-11-09)
- CoinGecko (market data), DefiLlama (TVL)
Written by the Coinvote news desk from reporting by CoinDesk, Decrypt and The Block. Not financial advice.
