UK Money Laundering Suspect Linked to $100M Trump Crypto Business Investment

An individual previously investigated for money laundering in the UK was reportedly involved in the acquisition of $100 million in tokens from World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency business associated with the Trump family.

According to a New York Times report, Guren Zhou, also known as Bobby, was identified as the figure behind Aqua 1, the entity that purchased $100 million worth of WLFI tokens from the Trump family crypto venture in June 2025. This token acquisition provided financial benefits to members of Donald Trump's family and Zach Witkoff, co-founder of World Liberty.

Zhou's reported participation in the World Liberty purchase emerged after earlier speculation that Dave Lee was the individual behind Aqua 1. In July 2025, the Aqua 1 foundation confirmed Lee had joined as co-founder and CEO in April 2025 but did not specify if he was responsible for the funds invested in WLFI tokens.

The origin of the investment from Aqua 1, which identifies as a ‘Web3-native fund' based in the United Arab Emirates, prompted inquiries regarding potential conflicts of interest within the Trump administration, particularly concerning foreign entities linked to the family's crypto company. A White House spokesperson, Anna Kelley, has consistently stated that there were no conflicts of interest related to the president's investments.

The New York Times report indicated that the method by which Zhou invested millions into World Liberty remained unclear, given his 2021 arrest in the UK on suspicion of money laundering and the subsequent failure of a multimillion-dollar crypto business he had established. Notable supporters of World Liberty include Tron founder Justin Sun, who initially invested $45 million in the company's tokens, and an Abu Dhabi entity backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, reportedly holding a $500 million stake.