Web3Port-Linked Guren Zhou Identified Behind Aqua 1’s $100M WLFI Investment: NYT

Guren “Bobby” Zhou, a Chinese businessman who previously oversaw Web3Port’s operations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), was behind Aqua 1’s $100 million purchase of World Liberty Financial (WLFI) tokens in June 2025, according to a New York Times report.

The transaction made Aqua 1 one of the project’s largest buyers. Under World Liberty Financial’s agreed revenue split, up to roughly $75 million of Aqua 1’s investment may have ultimately benefited Trump family-controlled entities. The family of co-founder Zach Witkoff also stood to benefit.

The report said the origin of the funds and Zhou’s reasons for investing remain unclear.

Separately, parties linked to Web3Port previously controlled about 5% of the MOVE token supply through Rentech. Around 66 million MOVE tokens were sold following the token’s launch, generating about $38 million in USDT.

Web3Port has also been linked to alleged irregular market-making activity involving MyShell (SHELL) and GoPlus (GPS) tokens.

Source: The New York Times