Zach Witkoff | |
|---|---|
| 👁 Image Witkoff in 2025 | |
| Born | (1993-05-21) May 21, 1993 (age 33) |
| Education | University of Miami (BBA) |
| Known for | World Liberty Financial |
| Spouse |
Sophi Knight (m. 2022) |
| Children | 1 |
| Relatives | Steve Witkoff (father) Alex Witkoff (brother) |
Zach Witkoff (born May 21, 1993) is an American businessman who co-founded World Liberty Financial (WLF), a cryptocurrency firm co-owned by the Donald Trump family.[1][2][3] WLF has stirred controversy for multiple conflicts of interest controversies in relation to the Trump family.[4]
Early life and education
[edit]Witkoff is the son of real estate investor and lawyer Steve Witkoff and lawyer Lauren Rappoport.[5] He holds a degree in business administration from the University of Miami's Herbert Business School.[6][7]
Career
[edit]After graduating, Witkoff served as a project manager at his father's real estate firm, the Witkoff Group, before co-leading the family's private investment vehicle, Witkoff Capital.[7]
He co-founded World Liberty Financial (WLF), in 2024. The firm established the stablecoin USD1, pegged to the United States Dollar.[8]
Several media reports have raised concerns about potential conflicts of interest involving WLFI.[9] The Guardian noted that Zach Witkoff’s father, Steve Witkoff, who has served as a Middle East special envoy under President Donald Trump, has business links to WLFI, prompting questions about overlap between his public role and private interests.[10] In May 2025, WLFI received a reported US$2 billion investment from a state-backed Abu Dhabi entity through its stablecoin product, which advocacy groups said could raise influence or ethics concerns given Steve Witkoff’s diplomatic responsibilities in the region.[11][12]
In 2025, a firm associated with the Abu Dhabi government purchased $2 billion worth of USD1 stablecoins from World Liberty and secretly bought a 49% stake in the company for half a billion dollars; shortly hereafter, the Trump administration approved a plan to give the UAE firm hundreds of thousands of advanced, scarce computer chips, despite national security concerns.[13][14]
Personal life
[edit]In 2022, Witkoff married model Sophi Knight at a ceremony at Mar-a-Lago, attended by Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis.[15] They have a son, Don James Witkoff. [2] Also in 2022, Zach Witkoff was arrested and charged with felony cocaine possession, and misdemeanor disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after his father Steve Witkoff was denied entry to E11EVEN nightclub in Miami.[16] In October 2025, Witkoff was the host of a fundraiser for U.S. Senate candidate Nate Morris in Kentucky alongside Vivek Ramaswamy.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Berwick, Rebecca Ballhaus and Angus. "The Father Pursues Trump's Diplomatic Deals. The Son Chases Crypto Deals". WSJ. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ a b Charter, David; Al-Atrush, Samer; Janjua, Haroon (2025-05-23). "How Zach Witkoff built a global crypto empire in months". The Times. Archived from the original on 2026-02-07. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- ^ Lipton, Eric; Yaffe-Bellany, David; Protess, Ben (2025-04-29). "Secret Deals, Foreign Investments, Presidential Policy Changes: The Rise of Trump's Crypto Firm". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Ng, Sam Kessler, Rebecca Ballhaus, Eliot Brown and Angus Berwick | Design by Annie (2026-02-01). "'Spy Sheikh' Bought Secret Stake in Trump Company". The Wall Street Journal.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Acosta, Joshua Chaffin and Deborah. "How a Real Estate Mogul Became Trump's Middle East Point Man". WSJ. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ "Miami Herbert Real Estate Advisory Council Welcomes New Members". news.miami.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ^ a b Berwick, Angus; Brown, Eliot (2026-02-07). "One Generation Runs the Country. The Next Cashed In on Crypto". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2026-04-02.
- ^ Clarence-Smith, Louisa (2025-03-25). "Trump crypto group to launch stablecoin backed by US treasuries". www.thetimes.com. Retrieved 2025-05-24.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:42was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Trump's Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Family Crypto Ventures". The Guardian. 2025-05-30.
- ^ "Trump's stablecoin chosen for $2 billion Abu Dhabi investment in Binance, co-founder says". Reuters. 2025-05-01.
- ^ "What to Know About Trump's Billionaire Middle East Special Envoy Steve Witkoff". Accountable.US. 2025-05-01.
- ^ "In Giant Deals, U.A.E. Got Chips, and Trump Team Got Crypto Riches". New York Times. 2025-09-15.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:43was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "MSN". www.msn.com. Retrieved 2025-06-13.
- ^ Police find substance on Zach Witkoff during 2022 Miami cocaine arrest. 2026-04-24. Retrieved 2026-04-24 – via www.the-independent.com.
- ^ "Key Trump ally's family to host Nate Morris Senate fundraiser at KY horse farm". Lexington Herald-Leader via Yahoo News. 2025-10-07. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
