The Daily The U.A.E. Got A.I. Chips. Trump’s Inner Circle Got Crypto Riches.
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Sep 24, 2025 
Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, dives into the tangled web of Trump-era financial dealings with the UAE. He reveals how Trump and his allies made millions through controversial agreements impacting U.S. national security. Highlights include a $2 billion crypto investment linked to Trump's circle and the UAE's aggressive push for American AI chips. Lipton also explains the key role of Sheikh Tucknoon in these deals and the potential consequences of such conflicts of interest.
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Parallel High-Stakes Transactions
- Two linked deals involved UAE requests for U.S. AI chips and a $2 billion UAE investment into a Trump-family crypto company called World Liberty.
- The simultaneity of those transactions raised questions about overlapping national security and private financial interests.
Sheikh Tuck Noon At The Center
- Sheikh Tuck Noon functioned as a central intermediary, meeting U.S. officials and pushing the UAE's AI ambitions while using vast oil wealth to pursue tech deals.
- He pressed for access to advanced chips and personally led the UAE's strategy to become a global AI hub.
Security Stakes Of Chip Exports
- U.S. officials feared UAE ties to China and use of Chinese equipment in data centers could allow China access to sensitive American AI technology.
- Advanced chips could accelerate Chinese military AI applications like autonomous weaponry, posing national security risk.