$100M WLFI Investment Tainted by Chinese Businessman's Debt and Money Laundering Links

US President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency project, World Liberty Financial ($WLFI), has been at the center of controversy. The latest issue revolves around the Aqua 1 Foundation, one of its largest investors. In June 2025, Aqua 1 purchased $100 million worth of governance tokens issued by $WLFI, surpassing Tron founder Justin Sun's investment of $75 million.

The true investor behind Aqua 1 was initially unknown, but recent investigations have revealed that Chinese businessman Zhou Guren controls the company. This has raised questions about the source of funding for the $100 million investment. According to Caixin, a China-based financial institution, Zhou Guren is listed as an unreliable debtor in Chinese enforcement records.

Zhou's total debt in six separate cases amounts to tens of millions of yuan. Additionally, he is linked to a money laundering investigation in the UK by the Royal Crown Prosecution Service. However, it is essential to note that this does not prove a direct connection between Zhou's debts and the $100 million investment.