Kushner’s Affinity Fund Raises Ethics Questions Over Foreign Investments
7 reported2 unconfirmed
A single-source report from Mother Jones details the founding and operations of Affinity Partners, an investment fund launched by Jared Kushner in 2021. According to the article, the fund's initial pitch deck was described by potential investors as amateurish, yet it secured $2 billion from Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman overruled his own due diligence team. The report states that firms linked to the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have invested at least $1.5 billion in the fund, which has grown to over $6 billion in assets. The article notes that Kushner, who served as a top adviser to his father-in-law Donald Trump, has since been appointed to several diplomatic roles in the second Trump term, including special envoy for peace. It also mentions that Democratic lawmakers largely did not investigate Kushner's foreign dealings until late 2024, when Senators Ron Wyden and Jamie Raskin sent a letter to the Attorney General accusing Kushner of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
What’s reported
Affinity Partners was launched by Jared Kushner the day after Joe Biden was sworn in as president in 2021.
The fund's initial pitch deck was described by potential investors as "a joke" and "amateurish."
Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund invested $2 billion in Affinity after Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman overruled a due diligence report that found the fund's operations "unsatisfactory in all aspects."
Firms linked to the UAE and Qatar have invested at least $1.5 billion in the fund.
Affinity's asset pool has topped $6 billion, generating more than $100 million in management fees.
Kushner was appointed "special envoy for peace" by Trump in February 2026 and has been involved in negotiations with Iran, Russia, and the occupied Palestinian territories.
In October 2024, Senators Ron Wyden and Jamie Raskin sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland accusing Kushner of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Open questions
The article does not specify how much Kushner personally profited from his foreign dealings.
It does not detail what specific services Kushner provided to foreign investors in exchange for their investments.
Key figures
Jared Kushner: Founder of Affinity Partners, former White House adviser, special envoy for peace.
Donald Trump: Former president, Kushner's father-in-law.
Mohammed bin Salman (MBS): Saudi Crown Prince.
Steve Witkoff: Special envoy, executive board member of the Board of Peace.
Ron Wyden: U.S. Senator from Oregon.
Jamie Raskin: U.S. Representative from Maryland.
Merrick Garland: U.S. Attorney General.
James Comer: U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
Sources: motherjones.com
