Aqua Confidentially: UK Laundering Suspect Allegedly Funneled $100M Into Trump's Crypto Side Hustle 🫧

A British cryptocurrency entrepreneur previously arrested on suspicion of money laundering was the individual behind a $100 million token purchase from World Liberty Financial, the Trump family's crypto venture, according to a Sunday New York Times report. Guren Zhou, also known as Bobby, is reported to have directed the Aqua 1 entity that acquired the WLFI tokens in June 2025, a transaction that financially benefited members of President Donald Trump's family and those of World Liberty co-founder Zach Witkoff.

Zhou's involvement was not disclosed at the time of the purchase, with speculation initially pointing to Dave Lee as the figure behind Aqua 1. The Aqua 1 foundation confirmed in July 2025 that Lee had joined as co-founder and CEO in April 2025, but did not clarify whether his personal funds were used for the WLFI token acquisition. Aqua 1 has described itself as a "Web3-native fund" based in the United Arab Emirates.

The New York Times characterized how Zhou financed the investment as a "mystery," citing his 2021 arrest in the UK over suspected money laundering tied to the collapse of a multimillion-dollar crypto business he had launched. The origins of the capital have raised questions about potential conflicts of interest involving foreign actors and the president's family business. White House spokesperson Anna Kelley has repeatedly stated that there were "no conflicts of interest" with the president's investments.

Among World Liberty Financial's other notable backers are Tron founder Justin Sun, who initially purchased $45 million worth of the company's tokens, and an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, which holds a reported $500 million stake. The reported arrangement has drawn scrutiny on Capitol Hill, with Senator Elizabeth Warren questioning US AI chip policy following the Trump crypto investment.