Kushner Says $2 Billion in Gulf Funds Are Fiction

Jared Kushner has rejected claims that he controlled more than $2 billion in hidden accounts funded by Middle Eastern leaders. The allegation appears in a forthcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole, which Kushner and his legal team called baseless on Thursday night.

The book, titled "Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East," asserts that Kushner had access to what the author calls "slush money funds." These funds, allegedly sourced from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, were intended to buy influence within the U.S. government. An excerpt published in Vanity Fair details how Dutch intelligence agents discovered that Russia had hacked Kushner's iPhone in 2017. According to the account, the Dutch gained access to the device after turning a Russian spy. They reported seeing Kushner log into a UAE account that had received hundreds of millions of dollars from a bank in Azerbaijan.

The excerpt further claims that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman placed roughly $1 billion in at least one of these accounts. A source with knowledge of the money told the author the allocation was for Kushner's personal benefit. The report states that these accounts were often presented as official government bodies or charities to facilitate off-the-books diplomatic objectives, such as brokering a deal to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. One of the alleged accounts was held at Israel's Central Bank.

Kushner, who served as a senior White House adviser during the first Trump administration, issued a statement denying the narrative. "The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened," Kushner said. He noted that his team denied every claim on the record, yet the author provided no bank statements, wire transfer records, account numbers, or transaction dates. His attorney described the claims as false and defamatory, announcing plans to pursue legal action against those responsible without specifying who would be sued.

The White House also reacted to the publication. Steven Cheung, the White House director of communications, wrote on X that the book is "complete fiction" fabricated by a "failed spy thriller writer." Cheung argued that the article presents no evidence or documentation, relying instead on mysterious words from unnamed sources.

The book is scheduled for release in the coming months. Kushner's legal team is currently preparing the details of their lawsuit.