Jared Kushner, Donald Trump's son-in-law and former senior adviser, has re-emerged as a key figure in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations, but his involvement has reignited questions about his financial ties to the Arab petrostates central to the deal. Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Partners, is overwhelmingly financed by Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates—the same nations critical to the ceasefire and potential reconstruction of Gaza.
Kushner secured a $2bn investment from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund six months after leaving the White House in 2021, despite his firm having little experience in private equity. Leaked documents revealed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman overruled advisers who had warned the firm's operations were 'unsatisfactory in all aspects', prioritizing a 'strategic relationship' with Kushner instead.
A US Senate investigation in September 2024 found that Affinity Partners had collected $157m in management fees from foreign clients since 2021, including $87m from the Saudi fund, without returning any profit to investors. Senator Ron Wyden, who chaired the finance committee at the time, questioned whether the venture was a means for foreign powers to buy influence.
Kushner's role in the Gaza deal, which includes a framework for postwar redevelopment, cannot be separated from these business ties. Critics argue that his diplomatic work overlaps with his financial interests, echoing concerns from Trump's first term when Kushner's portfolio included foreign policy while his family business sought international deals.
