$WLFI Entangled in Controversy Over Ties to Chinese Businessman with Debt Problems

US President Donald Trump's cryptocurrency project, World Liberty Financial ($WLFI), is once again at the center of controversy. A recent investigation has revealed that the largest investor in $WLFI, the Aqua 1 Foundation, is controlled by Chinese businessman Zhou Guren.

Aqua 1 made headlines in June 2025 when it invested $100 million worth of governance tokens issued by $WLFI, surpassing Tron founder Justin Sun's investment of $75 million. However, at the time of the announcement, the true investor behind Aqua 1 was not publicly known.

A recent report by Caixin, a China-based financial institution, has shed light on Zhou Guren's connection to Aqua 1. Although he is not listed as an executive, he is ultimately the beneficiary of the foundation.

Zhou's background, however, raises questions about the source of funding for the $100 million investment. He is listed as an unreliable debtor in Chinese enforcement records and has tens of millions of yuan in debt in six separate cases. The report also mentions that a document provided by the UK Royal Crown Prosecution Service links Zhou Guren to a money laundering investigation in the UK.