Summary Guren “Bobby” Zhou remains linked to a British money laundering investigation, although prosecutors have not charged him with any offense. Web3Port and Aqua 1 wallets purchased $20 mi
Guren “Bobby” Zhou, the businessman behind Aqua 1’s $100 million WLFI purchase, remains linked to a British money laundering investigation. British authorities arrested Zhou on suspicion of money laundering in 2021, although prosecutors have not charged him with any offense.
A British court filing accused Zhou of participating with five other people in an alleged money laundering operation dating to 2019. Two longtime Zhou employees later faced charges, while one defendant pleaded guilty. The charged defendants are scheduled for trial in 2028.
Reuters previously identified Zhou as the businessman behind Aqua 1, a little-known investment fund based in the United Arab Emirates. Aqua 1 purchased $100 million worth of WLFI in June 2025, becoming one of World Liberty Financial’s biggest known token buyers.
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Before entering cryptocurrency, Zhou operated a British flooring retailer that entered restructuring while owing his father’s company approximately $5 million. He later launched Caduceus, a cryptocurrency project that received about $7.6 million in funding before its token became effectively worthless.
Moreover, Caduceus promoted backing from China Merchants Securities UK and the Bin Zayed Group, which both rejected those representations. Zhou relocated to Abu Dhabi in 2024 and became involved with Web3Port, a cryptocurrency venture fund.
Web3Port announced a $10 million World Liberty investment following President Donald Trump’s January 2025 inauguration. Significantly, a British Virgin Islands entity connected with Web3Port later changed its name to Aqua 1 GP Limited. Aqua 1 announced its $100 million WLFI purchase approximately two weeks following that corporate name change.
Blockchain analytics firm Arkham Intelligence identified a Web3Port-controlled wallet that purchased $20 million worth of WLFI in January 2025. Another wallet likely controlled by Aqua 1 purchased an additional $80 million worth of WLFI during June.
However, Aqua 1 previously denied having connections with Web3Port without specifying which details of earlier reporting it disputed. The New York Times could not establish where Aqua 1 obtained the $100 million used for the investment.
Under World Liberty’s revenue-sharing structure, up to $75 million from Aqua 1’s purchase reportedly reached a Trump-controlled company. World Liberty spokesperson David Wachsman maintained that the company followed applicable laws and operated a compliance program meeting industry standards.
However, Wachsman declined to disclose whether World Liberty knew the source of the funds behind Aqua 1’s investment. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly maintained that President Trump had no conflicts of interest involving the arrangement. Aqua 1’s funding source remains unclear, while Zhou remains connected to the British investigation without facing criminal charges.
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