According to the Spanish media outlet AS, 41-year-old businessman Joshua Kushner, with a net worth of $3.6 billion, is a partner in Oscar Health and the brother-in-law of Trump's daughter Ivanka.
Gianni Infantino will submit a proposal to FIFA Congress in the coming months to sell a 20% stake in the World Cup's commercial operations to private capital, creating a commercial entity valued at approximately $20 billion. What is Infantino's purpose in this move? Who is behind these actions? What is the connection between Trump and his sudden overtures to the football world? What is the value of football? Can the World Cup be put on a price tag? Who is Joshua Kushner? UEFA immediately issued a statement calling on the football community to unite against the plan, clearly stating that the soul of football is not for sale, confirming that the rift between Ceferin and Infantino is irreparable, a problem previously pointed out by authoritative figures in the football world. Infantino claims to be committed to ensuring the development and sustainability of football, but has failed to consider the emotional value of the sport. This emotional connection has already been damaged by Donald Trump—Trump's appearance at the World Cup plunged the tournament system into crisis and also harmed the US men's national team: his intervention ensured that Balogun's red card was not punished, an unprecedented event in World Cup history, making the US team a focus of controversy. The entity that made the bid to acquire a 20% stake in the World Cup's commercial rights is Xingsheng Capital, backed by 41-year-old Joshua Kushner. He is the brother-in-law of Ivanka Trump, the daughter of US President Donald Trump. Ivanka's husband, Jared Kushner, is Joshua's brother, and Jared is a key figure who could shake up the world of football.
The Kushner family has achieved great success in the business world: in 2019, Joshua bought a 2.5% stake in the NBA's Memphis Grizzlies; according to Forbes, his net worth is $3.6 billion, ranking him among the top 30 richest people in the world; he is also a partner in the health insurance company Oscar Health, and has co-invested in several other companies with his brother, who once served as an advisor to Trump.
Joshua, a Harvard graduate, demonstrated business acumen during his studies, founding the social media platform Vostu. He is the founder and head of Emerging Capital, a venture capital firm valued at $5.3 billion, which made the acquisition offer. Its portfolio includes social media platform Instagram, streaming platform Spotify, and office software Slack. Disney CEO Bob Iger, along with several billionaires such as Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani, French billionaire Xavier Neill, and Portuguese billionaire Jorge Paulo Lehman, are also on the firm's board of directors. Joshua's father, Charles Kushner, is a real estate tycoon who was imprisoned for illegal political donations, tax evasion, and witness manipulation, though he received a pardon from Trump in 2020. Joshua himself has been a public opponent of Trump; his wife is openly Democrat and model Karlie Kloss, and he has refused to vote for the current US president. UEFA has responded strongly, indicating that Infantino's attempt to price football, a sport that carries such strong public sentiment, will not be easy.
