Topline<\/p>\n
Thousands of Albanians have gathered in recent days to protest Jared Kushner\u2019s planned luxury resort development, the latest controversy to befall his efforts on the Adriatic Coast, as Kushner broadly faces growing scrutiny for using his private equity fund Affinity Partners to work with foreign governments during his father-in-law\u2019s second presidential term.<\/p>\n
Protestors take part in a demonstration in front of the prime minister’s office in Tirana, Albania, on June 3.<\/p>\n
AFP via Getty ImagesKey Facts<\/p>\n
Kushner and Affinity are in the early stages of developing two plots of land in Albania, a $1.4 billion deal on the uninhabited island of Sazan and a $4.7 billion deal on part of a protected coastal landscape in Zv\u00ebrnec.<\/p>\n
Kushner intends to build luxury resorts on the properties\u2014with the help of wife Ivanka Trump\u2014telling The Guardian<\/a> the Sazan resort would be a \u201cvery high-end luxury product\u201d that he wanted as \u201cthe ideal resort that I\u2019d want to be at with my family and with my friends.\u201d<\/p>\n The Albanian government gave<\/a> preliminary approval to the Sazan island plan in December 2024\u2014shortly after President Donald Trump\u2019s reelection\u2014granting the project \u201cstrategic investor status\u201d that allows it to get quicker government approvals.<\/p>\n That timing has raised concerns about whether the Albanian government is using the project to curry favor with the Trump administration\u2014which officials deny\u2014and comes as Kushner has controversially sought funding<\/a> for Affinity from foreign governments during Trump\u2019s second term and worked on developing other properties worldwide, including in Gaza<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kushner\u2019s development has raised widespread environmental concerns\u2014given the planned developments sit within an environmentally protected area home to numerous wildlife species\u2014with 41 environmental groups sending a letter<\/a> to the Albanian government in January calling for \u201cthe immediate suspension of any decisions advancing\u201d the construction.<\/p>\n Albanians started protesting the new development in the spring, after barbed wire and other signs of construction appeared in the area, and unrest has grown in recent days, with protesters crediting<\/a> videos showing private security guards forcibly removing demonstrators.<\/p>\n Ivanka Trump: \u2018how I Want To Live\u2019<\/p>\n Ivanka Trump attracted scrutiny this week for touting the planned luxury development on a podcast<\/a>. Trump described her and Kushner being \u201ccaptivated\u201d by the island after first visiting it, and described the project to host David Senra as \u201cthe culmination of all of my experience in real estate, all of my travel, a lot of reflection on how I want to live, how I think people increasingly are wanting to live, and trying to really build something that\u2019s a tangible manifestation of that.\u201d Her comments have attracted ridicule from critics of the president, with \u201cDaily Show\u201d anchor Michael Kosta criticizing<\/a> Trump as being \u201cout of touch\u201d and commenting, \u201cAnd for those of you who are thinking, hey, before buying a private island, shouldn\u2019t billionaires maybe read the room? What you don\u2019t understand is, the island doesn\u2019t have rooms yet.\u201d<\/p>\n Kushner Project Under Probe Over Environmental Concerns<\/p>\n Anti-corruption prosecutors in Albania are investigating changes<\/a> the country\u2019s government made in 2024 to laws that make it easier for tourism development to take place on environmentally protected land, the country\u2019s anti-corruption prosecution office confirmed<\/a> Monday. It\u2019s unclear how long that probe could take to play out or what consequences it could have for Kushner\u2019s development.<\/p>\n What Has The Albanian Government Said?<\/p>\n Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has doubled down on Kushner\u2019s planned construction in the face of increasing social unrest. “It is very important that we remain welcoming, that we remain fair, and that under no \u200bcircumstances do we receive \u200bthe stigma of being \u2060a country where investors are met with hostility,” Rama said in a statement Tuesday, as quoted by Reuters<\/a>. \u201cThere is absolutely no chance that the investment will stop \u200bas long as I am here.\u201d The Albanian government has also previously defended the development as being in compliance with environmental rules, and developers have also said they intend to move forward with the project in an environmentally conscious manner. “Our focus remains \u200bon responsible stewardship, environmental enhancement, job creation, and creating long-term value for local communities. We respect the \u200bongoing public and institutional processes,” Asher Abehsera, chairman of Sazan Real Estate Development LLC, told Reuters<\/a>. The government did levy consequences<\/a> against the private security companies who were alleged to have assaulted protesters, stripping two companies of their licenses and arresting one security guard.<\/p>\n How Long Will Kushner\u2019s Resort Take To Build?<\/p>\n There\u2019s so far no projected timeline for the resorts in Sazan or Zv\u00ebrnec to be completed, and the projects are not far enough along for any construction to begin. There has not yet been a final plan for the resorts submitted to the Albanian government, and the projects are still technically still being negotiated. Under the terms of the strategic investor agreement signed in 2024, Kushner\u2019s company will not be taxed for 10 years<\/a> during construction of the project, so it\u2019s possible it could take at least that long to complete.<\/p>\n Who Else Is Involved?<\/p>\n Almost all of the funding behind Kushner\u2019s Affinity Partners comes from abroad, The New York Times previously reported<\/a>\u2014most notably the Middle East, with government wealth funds from Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates all supporting the investment fund. Kushner told<\/a> The Guardian he was also introduced to investing in Albania through Richard Grenell, Trump\u2019s envoy for special missions, and The Guardian reported in 2025 that Grenell was acting as Affinity\u2019s \u201cbusiness broker\u201d in the region. The two were also working with Albanian businessman Shefqet Kastrati and son Musa Kastrati as of 2024, according<\/a> to The New York Times, and reports<\/a> suggest<\/a> development groups tied to the Zv\u00ebrnec project involve a number of other investors, including Qatari entrepreneurs Moutaz and Ramez Al-Khayyat. Kushner has said<\/a> he discovered Sazan when he stopped at the island while on a yacht owned by Nat Rothschild, a onetime billionaire<\/a> and part of the broader Rothschild family, and met with Rada onboard Rothschild\u2019s boat. There\u2019s no indication the Rothschild family is more broadly involved with the project, however.<\/p>\n Tangent<\/p>\n The controversy over the Albanian development comes after Kushner previously also planned to develop a Trump-branded property in Belgrade, Serbia. He ended up backing out<\/a> of the project in December 2025, however, after four high-ranking government officials were charged with abuse of power and forgery in conjunction with the project. Officials have denied any impropriety, and Affinity said it ended its work on the development because \u201cmeaningful projects should unite rather than divide and out of respect for the people of Serbia and the city of Belgrade.\u201d<\/p>\n Forbes Valuation<\/p>\n Forbes values Kushner\u2019s net worth<\/a> at $1 billion as of Wednesday afternoon.<\/p>\n Further Reading<\/p>\n Albanian authorities probe seaside resort project linked to Jared Kushner<\/a> (Politico)<\/p>\n Sold to the Trump family: one of the last undeveloped islands in the Mediterranean<\/a> (The Guardian)<\/p>\n Protests Grow in Albania Over Kushner-Linked Project<\/a> (The New York Times)<\/p>\n