Key facts
- A new book alleges Jared Kushner had secret bank accounts funded by Gulf states during Trump's first term.
- Author Matthew Cole claims accounts were allegedly set up by UAE's Mohamed bin Zayed and Saudi Arabia's Mohammed bin Salman.
- Kushner denies all claims, calling them "completely insane" and threatening legal action.
- The book alleges one account, "Alpha," held roughly $750 million for a foreign policy fund.
- Another account, "Beta," allegedly contained roughly $1 billion.
A new book by Matthew Cole, "Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East," released this week, makes explosive claims about Jared Kushner's financial dealings during Donald Trump's first term as president. An excerpt published by Vanity Fair last Thursday detailed allegations that Kushner had secret bank accounts funded by Gulf states. Kushner, Trump's son-in-law and a former top diplomatic envoy, has vehemently denied the claims, calling them "completely insane" and threatening legal action against the book's publisher. He stated that no such allegations surfaced during multiple investigations he cooperated with. Cole's reporting relies heavily on anonymous sources and extensive footnotes, with no direct documentation provided in the excerpt. The book alleges that UAE intelligence official Ali Al Shamsi referred to Kushner as "the most expensive employee we’ve ever had." Cole claims two "slush fund" bank accounts were allegedly set up for Kushner by UAE prince Mohamed bin Zayed (MBZ) and Saudi Arabian prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). One account, "Alpha," allegedly held roughly $750 million for a foreign policy fund, while another, "Beta," allegedly contained roughly $1 billion. Kushner's attorney, Alejandro Brito, denied any financial relationships with foreign countries or leaders, stating Kushner's financial disclosures were publicly available.