Guren "Bobby" Zhou, the businessman behind Aqua 1's $100 million purchase of World Liberty Financial (WLFI) governance tokens, was arrested in Britain in 2021 on suspicion of money laundering and remains connected to an active investigation, The New York Times reported Sunday.
Zhou has not been charged. A British court record filed last November accused him of participating with five other people in a money laundering operation dating to 2019, according to the Times. Two of his longtime employees were charged in the case last September, and one defendant has pleaded guilty. A trial for the charged defendants is scheduled for 2028.
Reuters first identified Zhou as the person behind Aqua 1, the Times noted. The Block reported in June 2025 that the little-known UAE-based fund had purchased $100 million of WLFI, making it one of World Liberty's biggest known token buyers.
The Times, through a review of court records, confidential documents and interviews with Zhou's former associates, found a history of failed ventures, disputed claims of prominent backers, and a sudden change in Zhou's fortune after he moved from London to Abu Dhabi in 2024.
Source of $100 million remains unclear
