Jared Kushner

Jared Kushner
Born	Jared Corey Kushner 1/10/1981
Birthplace	Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Businessman, investor, government official
Title	Special Envoy for Peace (2025–present)
Known for	Senior Advisor to President Donald Trump, Abraham Accords, Kushner Companies, Affinity Partners
Education	J.D./M.B.A., New York University (2007)
Spouse(s)	Ivanka Trump (m. 2009)
Children	3
Awards	Order of the Aztec Eagle (2018), Order of Ouissam Alaouite (2021), Hungarian Order of Merit (2022)

Jared Corey Kushner (born January 10, 1981) is an American businessman, investor, and government official who has occupied an unusual position at the intersection of New York real estate, media, and presidential politics. The son-in-law of Donald Trump, through his marriage to Ivanka Trump, Kushner served as Senior Advisor to the President during Trump's first administration from January 2017 to January 2021, and concurrently as Director of the Office of American Innovation. During his time in government, he played a central role in the passage of the First Step Act, the negotiation of the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement, and the facilitation of the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab states. Before entering government, Kushner worked as a real estate investor through the family business Kushner Companies and as a newspaper publisher after acquiring The New York Observer in 2006. Since leaving the White House in 2021, he founded Affinity Partners, a private equity firm. In 2025, Kushner returned to an informal advisory role in the second Trump administration as Special Envoy for Peace, participating alongside Steve Witkoff in diplomatic negotiations related to the Gaza war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and tensions with Iran.

Early Life

Jared Corey Kushner was born on January 10, 1981, in Livingston, New Jersey, to Charles Kushner and Seryl Kushner. He grew up in a wealthy Jewish family with deep roots in the New Jersey real estate industry. His father, Charles Kushner, was a prominent real estate developer who built Kushner Companies into a major firm with holdings across the eastern United States. His grandparents were Holocaust survivors who had immigrated to the United States from what is now Belarus.

The Kushner family was politically active, particularly within Democratic Party circles. Charles Kushner was a significant donor to Democratic politicians, a tradition that influenced Jared's early political affiliations. Jared was registered as a Democrat and donated to Democratic politicians for much of his early adult life before registering as an Independent in 2009 and eventually as a Republican in 2018.

A pivotal moment in Jared Kushner's early life came with the criminal prosecution of his father. In 2005, Charles Kushner was convicted on 18 criminal charges, including illegal campaign contributions, tax evasion, and witness tampering. The case drew national attention in part because of the witness tampering charge, which involved hiring a prostitute to entrap his own brother-in-law, who was cooperating with federal investigators. Charles Kushner was sentenced to two years in federal prison. The prosecution was led by then-U.S. Attorney Chris Christie, a fact that would later contribute to tensions between the Kushner and Christie families during the 2016 presidential transition. Charles Kushner was eventually pardoned by Donald Trump in December 2020.

The elder Kushner's conviction thrust Jared, then in his mid-twenties, into a leadership position at the family company far earlier than anticipated. The experience shaped his approach to business and, later, to politics, instilling what observers described as a fierce sense of family loyalty.

Education

Kushner attended the Frisch School, a private Jewish day school in Paramus, New Jersey, before enrolling at Harvard University. His admission to Harvard attracted scrutiny; journalist Daniel Golden, in his book The Price of Admission, reported that Charles Kushner had pledged $2.5 million to Harvard not long before Jared's acceptance, raising questions about the role of the donation in the admissions process. Officials at Jared's high school were reportedly surprised by his admission given his academic record.

Kushner graduated from Harvard in 2003. He subsequently enrolled in a joint J.D./M.B.A. program at New York University, earning both degrees in 2007.

Career

Kushner Companies

Following his father's incarceration in 2005, Jared Kushner assumed a leadership role at Kushner Companies, the family's real estate business. Though only in his mid-twenties, he stepped in to manage the firm's extensive portfolio of properties across the New York metropolitan area, Baltimore, and other markets. He was described as an "accidental CEO," a young executive who had not expected to take the helm of the company so soon.

Under Jared Kushner's leadership, Kushner Companies pursued an aggressive expansion strategy in Manhattan real estate. The firm made a number of high-profile acquisitions, including raising its stake in Manhattan properties during a period of rapid growth in the New York real estate market. Among its notable transactions, the company purchased a stake in 650 Madison Avenue, which was acquired by Crown Acquisitions and Highgate Holdings for $1.3 billion in 2013.

The company also expanded its holdings in the Baltimore area, purchasing properties in Middle River, Maryland, in 2014. Additionally, Africa Israel Investments sold a Times Square building for $295 million in a transaction involving Kushner Companies.

Kushner stepped back from day-to-day management of Kushner Companies upon entering the White House in January 2017, though his ongoing financial interests in the firm became a source of persistent ethical questions throughout his government service.

The New York Observer

In 2006, at the age of 25, Kushner purchased The New York Observer, a weekly newspaper known for its coverage of New York media, politics, and real estate. The acquisition was announced while Kushner was still a student at Harvard. Kushner described the purchase as both a business venture and a personal interest in media.

In a 2008 interview, Kushner discussed his vision for the newspaper and the challenges of running a print publication during a period of rapid change in the media industry. Under his ownership, the Observer transitioned from a broadsheet to a tabloid format and expanded its digital presence.

The paper's editorial direction attracted attention during the 2016 presidential campaign when the Observer endorsed Donald Trump for the Republican nomination. The endorsement, published in April 2016, was notable given that Kushner owned the paper and was simultaneously advising his father-in-law's campaign. Critics questioned the independence of the publication given the familial and business connections. The Huffington Post and other outlets reported on the apparent conflict of interest.

Kushner also published a personal essay in the Observer in July 2016 titled "The Donald Trump I Know," in which he defended his father-in-law against accusations of antisemitism and described Trump's character from a family perspective.

Role in the 2016 Presidential Campaign

Kushner played a significant role in the Donald Trump 2016 presidential campaign, emerging as one of the candidate's most trusted advisors. His influence within the campaign grew steadily, and he was at one point described as its de facto campaign manager, overseeing digital strategy, media outreach, and key staffing decisions. Vanity Fair described Kushner as Trump's "mini-me," noting his quiet but pervasive influence on the campaign's direction.

Bloomberg reported extensively on Kushner's role as "Trump's card," emphasizing his strategic importance in a campaign that relied heavily on family members and a small circle of trusted advisors rather than traditional political operatives.

Following Trump's election victory in November 2016, Kushner was involved in the presidential transition process. His role in the transition included the controversial purging of allies of Chris Christie, who had been leading the transition team. NBC News reported that the shake-up was described by some as a "Stalinesque purge" of Christie loyalists, a development widely attributed to the lingering animosity between the Kushner family and Christie stemming from Christie's prosecution of Charles Kushner. Trump also requested security clearance for Kushner during the transition period.

Senior Advisor to the President (2017–2021)

On January 20, 2017, Kushner was appointed Senior Advisor to the President, a position he held throughout Trump's first term until January 20, 2021. He also served as Director of the Office of American Innovation, a newly created office established on March 27, 2017, intended to apply private-sector approaches to government operations. His deputy in that role was Ja'Ron Smith, and he worked alongside Brooke Rollins.

Kushner's appointment raised concerns about nepotism, as federal anti-nepotism statutes had traditionally been interpreted to prohibit the appointment of close relatives to government positions. The Trump administration argued that the Senior Advisor role was not subject to these restrictions. Throughout his tenure, Kushner was frequently accused of conflicts of interest due to his ongoing financial ties to Kushner Companies and other business ventures.

One of Kushner's most notable legislative achievements was his role in the passage of the First Step Act, a bipartisan criminal justice reform bill signed into law in December 2018. The legislation reduced mandatory minimum sentences for certain nonviolent offenses and expanded early-release programs in the federal prison system. Kushner, whose father had served time in federal prison, was reported to have been a driving force behind the administration's support for the bill, working to build bipartisan coalitions in Congress.

Kushner served as the primary Trump administration participant in the Middle East Peace Process. He authored the Trump peace plan, formally released in January 2020, which proposed a framework for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The plan was rejected by Palestinian leadership but served as a basis for subsequent negotiations. Most significantly, Kushner facilitated the talks that led to the signing of the Abraham Accords in September 2020, a series of normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco. The accords represented the first normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states in over two decades.

Kushner also played a role as a leading broker in negotiations for the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and was signed in 2018.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Kushner took on an influential role in the Trump administration's response to the public health crisis. He was reported to have advised Trump that the media was exaggerating the threat of the disease, a stance that drew criticism as the pandemic worsened across the United States.

Affinity Partners (2021–present)

After leaving the White House in January 2021, Kushner founded Affinity Partners, a private equity firm based in Miami, Florida. The firm attracted significant attention because it derives most of its funds from the Saudi government's sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. The financial relationship between Affinity Partners and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund raised questions from ethics watchdogs and government transparency advocates, given Kushner's previous role in cultivating the U.S.-Saudi relationship during his time in the White House.

Return to Government (2025–present)

In 2025, following Donald Trump's return to the presidency, Kushner resumed an advisory role in the second Trump administration as Special Envoy for Peace. Working alongside Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy, Kushner served as a key intermediary in several high-stakes diplomatic negotiations.

As of March 2026, Kushner and Witkoff were engaged in ongoing diplomatic efforts related to the Gaza war, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and tensions with Iran. Their approach to diplomacy was characterized by a business-deal framework, treating international negotiations as analogous to real estate transactions.

In March 2026, Kushner and Witkoff met with Kirill Dmitriev, described as President Vladimir Putin's economic envoy, in Florida to discuss Russian energy matters, marking an early round of talks between the two countries. Witkoff indicated the pair might also visit Israel the following week to continue negotiations related to the Middle East.

Kushner's return to government prompted renewed concerns about financial conflicts of interest. Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) called on the White House to require Kushner to file a public financial disclosure report within 30 days of his appointment, citing his extensive business interests, including Affinity Partners.

Kushner's involvement in negotiations regarding Iran, including matters related to Iran's nuclear capabilities, also drew criticism from commentators who questioned whether Kushner and Witkoff possessed sufficient technical expertise in nuclear energy to accurately assess Iran's capabilities and negotiate effectively. Kushner's proposed reconstruction plan for Gaza was also criticized by Palestinians in Gaza, who expressed opposition to foreign-directed rebuilding efforts.

Personal Life

Kushner met Ivanka Trump around 2005, introduced by mutual friends. After a period of dating that included a brief breakup, the couple married on October 25, 2009, in a ceremony at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. Ivanka Trump converted to Orthodox Judaism before the marriage, and the family observes the Jewish Sabbath.

The couple has three children. Their third child, Theodore James Kushner, was born in March 2016.

After leaving the White House in 2021, the Kushner family relocated to Indian Creek, Florida, an exclusive residential community near Miami. In July 2024, Kushner was appointed to the Indian Creek Village Council, succeeding Javier Holtz.

Kushner published a memoir, Breaking History: A White House Memoir, in 2022, in which he recounted his experiences in the Trump administration.

Recognition

During and after his time in government, Kushner received several international honors. In 2018, he was awarded the Order of the Aztec Eagle by Mexico, the highest distinction bestowed by the Mexican government upon foreign nationals, in recognition of his role in negotiating the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement. In 2021, he received the Order of Ouissam Alaouite from Morocco, one of the countries that signed normalization agreements with Israel through the Abraham Accords. In 2022, he was awarded the Hungarian Order of Merit.

Kushner's role in facilitating the Abraham Accords was cited as his most significant diplomatic achievement. The normalization agreements between Israel and the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco represented the first such agreements between Israel and Arab states since the 1994 Israel-Jordan peace treaty.