Kushner Denies Book Claim He Accessed $2B in Gulf Funds; Vanity Fair Excerpt Cites Hacked Phone

3.0 · 8d ago · US

The Facts

  • An excerpt of Matthew Cole's upcoming book 'Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed's Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East' was published in Vanity Fair on Thursday. CBS News only
  • The book alleges Kushner had access to more than $2 billion in undisclosed foreign bank accounts funded by Saudi Arabian and UAE leaders to fund 'influence within the U.S. government,' including an account with Israel's Central Bank. CBS News only
  • The excerpt alleges Dutch intelligence learned in 2017 that Russians had hacked Kushner's iPhone, and that Dutch agents also gained access to the phone and captured his screen images. CBS News only
  • The excerpt alleges Dutch spies saw Kushner log into a UAE account that allegedly received hundreds of millions of dollars from a bank in Azerbaijan. CBS News only
  • The excerpt alleges Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman put roughly $1 billion into at least one account, with a 'person with knowledge of the money' saying it was for Kushner's personal benefit. CBS News only
Dive deeper · 4 more factsShow less
  • Kushner said the allegations are 'completely insane and never happened' and that the author provided no bank statements, wire records, account numbers or transaction dates. CBS News only
  • Kushner's attorney called the claims 'false and defamatory' and said they intend to pursue legal action against unspecified parties. CBS News only
  • White House communications director Steven Cheung called the article fiction and said it presents no evidence, only unnamed sources. CBS News only
  • CBS News said it has not independently verified the excerpt's claims. CBS News only

Context

U.S. special envoy Jared Kushner denies allegations in an upcoming book by journalist Matthew Cole, an excerpt of which was published by Vanity Fair. The book alleges Kushner had access to more than $2 billion in foreign accounts funded by Saudi and UAE leaders.

Kushner, his attorney and the White House have rejected the claims, citing the lack of documentation and reliance on unnamed sources. CBS News has not independently verified the allegations.

How the Agent Panel Scored This

Independent AI personas each scored importance 1–10; the story's score is a trimmed mean (highest and lowest votes dropped). Vote spread: 1.

3 Business Analyst The concrete event is a book excerpt publication with unverified allegations and denials, with no new market-moving action, regulatory change, or verified financial event, so impact is limited despite the sensitive subject.
3 News Editor The story reports an unverified book excerpt and denials, with no new concrete government action or verified event, so it is limited-impact news about a single public figure's allegations and rebuttals.
3 Global Affairs Analyst The story centers on a book excerpt's unverified allegations and denials by Kushner and the White House, which are reactions and rhetoric rather than a new concrete government or diplomatic action, though the allegations concern a senior U.S. envoy and Gulf funding.
3 Science & Tech Analyst The story reports a book excerpt with unverified allegations and denials, with no new concrete government action or verified event, so it is minor news with limited immediate impact despite the high-profile subject.
3 Informed Citizen This story reports a book excerpt with unverified allegations and denials, with no new concrete government action or broad immediate impact on ordinary people, so it is minor news despite the high-profile figures involved.
3 Critical Reader The story reports an unverified book excerpt and denials, with no new concrete action or verified outcome, so its impact is limited to reputational and media coverage.
2 Policy Expert The story reports a denial and rebuttals of unverified allegations in an upcoming book excerpt, with no new concrete governmental action, law, ruling, or executive order.

Sources (4)

← All stories