Kushner Accused of Secret $2 Billion Dealings Funded by UAE and Saudi Arabia

A new investigative report claims that Jared Kushner, former President Donald Trump's son-in-law and senior White House advisor, was involved in secret financial arrangements totaling approximately $2 billion, allegedly funded by the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. The allegations, detailed in investigative journalist Matthew Cole's upcoming book "Princes and Thieves," are based on anonymous sources and have not been independently verified with financial documents. Kushner has vehemently denied the claims, calling them "outrageous fabrications."

The report alleges that in late 2017, Dutch military intelligence obtained screenshots from Kushner's iPhone, revealing access to a bank account in the UAE managed by the Emirati charity Watani Al Emarat. This account, reportedly funded by the UAE government, allegedly received hundreds of millions of dollars through a bank in Azerbaijan. Kushner, though not the owner, was reportedly an authorized signatory, receiving around $750 million from Saudi and Emirati sources starting in 2017.

According to the book, Kushner, UAE ruler Mohammed bin Zayed, and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman initially discussed a fund exceeding $10 billion for various purposes, including influencing the Iran nuclear deal and promoting a US-Mexico border wall. The report further claims that in spring 2018, bin Zayed transferred about $1 billion to Israel via Azerbaijan for Kushner. A source suggested that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu encouraged Kushner to deposit the money in the Bank of Israel as a government account, though it was intended for personal use. Netanyahu reportedly demanded updates on any financial activity, with messages relayed through then-US Ambassador David Friedman.

Friedman has strongly denied any knowledge of these allegations, stating that any claims involving him are "100 percent false." Kushner's lawyer also denied the existence of such accounts. The report suggests Kushner facilitated negotiations for an agreement where Israel would help protect the UAE from Iranian attacks, with the UAE making a payment to the Bank of Israel for an emergency fund. A former prosecutor in the Robert Mueller investigation noted that if Kushner promised to advance foreign leaders' interests for money, it could raise suspicions of bribery or acting as a foreign agent.

Kushner responded on X (formerly Twitter), calling the accusations "absolutely insane" and "categorically false," asserting that no evidence was provided and that these events never occurred. He highlighted his extensive cooperation with investigations during his time in the White House, during which these claims were never raised. Kushner characterized the publication as a mix of "fantasy, fiction, and agenda." The allegations surface amid Kushner's ongoing ties with Gulf states; after leaving the White House, he founded Affinity Partners, which received a $2 billion investment from Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund, a separate and known transaction.