General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: What do you think is the likelihood Kushner delivered top secret docs to MBS in return for $2B? [View all]allegorical oracle
(2,357 posts)Within the Trump administration, Kushner had been a staunch defender of Saudi ruler Mohammed bin Salman.[6] In 2021, Kushner started an investment firm, Affinity Partners. He sought funds for the new company through the sovereign wealth funds of Gulf countries.[191][192] Advisers for the Public Investment Fund, the Saudi government's sovereign wealth fund, expressed several concerns about the transactionincluding the inexperience of Affinity management, the degree of risk to be assumed by the Saudi kingdom, an "excessive" management fee, and a finding that Affinity's operations were "unsatisfactory in all aspects". However, PIF management overruled them and invested $2 billion in Kushner's firm, only six months after Kushner had left the White House.[6] The firm primarily depended on Saudi money, as, by April 2022, it only had $2.5 billion under its management.[6] According to ethics experts, the investment created the appearance of potential payback for Kushner.[6] The House Oversight Committee said on June 2, 2022 that it had opened an investigation into whether Kushner had traded on his government position to get the deal.[193]
The fund plans to invest Saudi money into startup companies in Israel. According to the Wall Street Journal, "The decision marks the first known instance that the Saudi Public Investment Funds cash will be directed to Israel, a sign of the kingdoms increasing willingness to do business with the country, even though they have no diplomatic relations."[194]
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