India, Feb. 1 -- Four days before US President Donald Trump's inauguration in 2025, lieutenants to the Abu Dhabi royal "spy sheikh" signed a deal with the American president's family to purchase a 49 per cent stake in their growing cryptocurrency venture for half a billion dollars, a new report said, citing company documents and people familiar with the matter.

As per the deal with World Liberty Financial, the buyers would pay half upfront, leading $187 million to Trump family entities, and the agreement was signed by the president's son, Eric Trump, The Wall Street Journal reported. What is worth noting about the deal is that a foreign government official assumed a major ownership stake in an incoming US president's venture.

The Abu Dh...