Author: Claude, Deep Tide TechFlow

Deep Tide Introduction: On August 10, The New York Times revealed that the Trump family's crypto project, World Liberty Financial, received a large order of 100 million dollars in governance tokens, with the backer being Guo Ren Zhou (Guren "Bobby" Zhou), a money laundering suspect currently under investigation in the UK. This transaction was completed in June 2025 through the UAE-registered fund Aqua 1, and according to the WLFI revenue-sharing structure, up to 75 million dollars flowed into entities controlled by Trump and his three sons via DT Marks DEFI LLC. As of the end of July 2026, the UK law enforcement agency's money laundering investigation into Guo is still ongoing, and Guo has not been formally charged.

The New York Times published an investigative report on the 10th, bringing the Trump family's crypto project, World Liberty Financial (WLFI), into the spotlight. The report identified that the largest publicly released token purchase in WLFI's history, 100 million dollars, came from a businessman, Guo Ren Zhou, who is under investigation for money laundering by UK law enforcement. This transaction was completed in June 2025 through a UAE-registered fund, Aqua 1, and made Guo the largest single public investor in WLFI's history with the purchase of 100 million dollars in WLFI governance tokens.

Guo Ren Zhou commonly uses the name Bobby Zhou in English and was arrested in the UK in March 2021 on suspicion of money laundering. UK officials confirmed to The New York Times that as of the end of July 2026, the relevant investigation is still ongoing. Guo himself has not been formally charged and has not responded to the report.

Two batches of wallet purchases point to the same controller

This is not the first intersection between Guo Ren Zhou and WLFI. Blockchain analysis firm Arkham Intelligence tracked on-chain records and found that the 100 million dollar purchase was completed in two transactions: in January 2025, a wallet controlled by Web3Port purchased 20 million dollars in WLFI; in June 2025, another wallet believed to be controlled by Aqua 1 purchased 80 million dollars, totaling 100 million dollars.

The connection between Web3Port and Aqua 1 was confirmed after The New York Times reviewed company records. A Web3Port entity registered in the British Virgin Islands was subsequently renamed Aqua 1 GP Limited, and about two weeks after the name change, Aqua 1 announced the 100 million dollar WLFI purchase. Aqua 1 had previously publicly denied any connection with Web3Port but did not specify which part of the report was incorrect. Web3Port had earlier announced a 10 million dollar investment in WLFI shortly after Trump took office in January 2025.

75 million dollars diverted to Trump family entities

According to WLFI's revenue-sharing arrangement, up to 75 million dollars from the 100 million dollar purchase flowed to entities controlled by Trump and his three sons, via DT Marks DEFI LLC, meaning 75% of token sale revenue goes to the Trump family. This transaction also benefited WLFI co-founder Zach Witkoff's family, whose father, Steve Witkoff, is currently a special envoy for the Trump administration.

Trump's latest financial disclosures show that he received more than 65.6 million dollars from WLF Holdco equity sales and 236.25 million dollars from WLFI token sales distribution. Eric Trump met with Guo Ren Zhou in Dubai to discuss this investment, which Guo later described as "participating in the Trump family's crypto project."

Guo Ren Zhou's successive failures: Flooring retail bankruptcy, crypto tokens turn to waste

Guo Ren Zhou's sources of funding remain a mystery, and The New York Times stated it could not confirm the final source of the 100 million dollars. The report outlined Guo's past business failures in the UK, all of which ended in failure.

Guo used to operate a flooring retail business in the UK that entered restructuring while owing approximately 5 million dollars to his father's company. Guo then turned to the crypto field, launching the project Caduceus, which raised about 7.6 million dollars, but by 2024, the tokens were nearly worthless. Caduceus had claimed support from China Merchants Securities UK and Bin Zayed Group, established by members of the Abu Dhabi royal family. Both institutions stated to The New York Times that the related claims were "unauthorized and substantively false."

In 2024, Guo moved from London to Abu Dhabi and subsequently became associated with Web3Port and later Aqua 1, positioning these two entities among the main token buyers of WLFI. Chinese courts also ruled against Guo with a total of about 19.4 million yuan (approximately 2.4 million dollars) in civil judgments for unpaid loans.

Compliance experts identify red flags, retired NATO general declines to engage

The Chief Operating Officer of crypto crime investigation firm Recoveris, Patrick Prinz, told The New York Times that Guo's profile should have triggered anti-money laundering document requirements before WLFI received funding. The red flags he listed include: Guo's multiple business failures, his ability to suddenly obtain large sums of money, the scale of the transactions, and the ongoing investigation. Combined, these four factors have reached the threshold for anti-money laundering reporting.

International anti-money laundering regulations list Trump and his family as "Politically Exposed Persons," with Patrick Prinz stating that this status should trigger the highest level of regulatory scrutiny in the financial system.

Guo used the WLFI investment as a credit endorsement, showcasing photographs of Trump and his sons in meetings in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, promoting Aqua 1 as "the largest investor in WLFI with proven credibility." Retired NATO Supreme Allied Commander Wesley Clark told The New York Times that his team conducted background checks on Guo after his representatives contacted them about an event, and they subsequently withdrew from discussions. Clark's team told Guo's representatives, "We will not be speaking with you."

Congressional scrutiny escalates, Abu Dhabi's 500 million dollar investment has attracted senators' attention

Aqua 1 is not the only overseas funding associated with WLFI that has drawn scrutiny. In June 2026, five Democratic senators sent a letter to Republican committee leaders, requesting a hearing on Abu Dhabi investment company Aryam Investment 1's 500 million dollar investment in WLFI. The backer of Aryam is UAE National Security Advisor Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

The senators referenced a report by The Wall Street Journal in their letter, questioning whether this investment might involve potential conflicts of foreign financial interests with the Trump administration. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly reiterated that Trump has no conflicts of interest. WLFI spokesperson David Wachsman stated that the company complies with all applicable laws and maintains compliance programs that "meet or exceed industry standards." He declined to clarify whether WLFI was aware of the source of Guo's funds.

After the NYT report was published, WLFI tokens were priced at 0.05295 dollars, remaining fundamentally flat for the day, but the 24-hour trading volume surged by 57%. In court, a criminal case against two of Guo's employees is scheduled to be heard in 2028, with one defendant having already pleaded guilty.