World Liberty Took $100M From a Backer Now Under UK Money Laundering Investigation

$100 million, one name, and an investigation that hasn't closed — that's all that's been confirmed so far. According to a report by The New York Times, the nine-figure sum received by crypto project World Liberty came from businessman Guren "Bobby" Zhou, who is currently one of the subjects of a UK money laundering investigation.

The report cites UK authorities as saying the investigation remained "active" as of the end of July this year — meaning the case has not been closed and is still moving forward. But the same report also makes clear another fact: Zhou himself has not been charged. Being under investigation and not being charged aren't mutually exclusive, but together they cast an unusual shadow over where this $100 million came from.

For World Liberty, the funds coming in and the money laundering investigation are two separate timelines, with no official document currently linking them together — at least none that has been made public so far. What's actually been documented is simply where the money came from, and what stage of the investigative process that name is currently at.

No further details are currently available regarding when the $100 million was wired, what it was used for, or any response from World Liberty. Only the information disclosed by The New York Times and The Block, as noted above, has been confirmed.