Paying for Peace: The Non-Escalation is Sold to the Gulf
While the GCC fears the intensification of American attacks on Iranian infrastructure and the consequent Persian response against Gulf energy and economic infrastructure, something else is unfolding behind the scenes.
Jared Kushner and his private equity firm, Affinity Partners, have been actively passing the collection plate among Gulf sovereign wealth funds.
According to financial disclosures and media reports, the firm manages around $6.2 billion in assets, with the vast majority coming from Saudi Arabia’s PIF, the UAE, and Qatar.
Kushner has been soliciting $5 billion or more in additional capital from these same investors while simultaneously serving as a key Trump administration envoy in Middle East negotiations.
This comes on top of the Trump family’s own $300 million haul from Gulf entities in 2025 alone (largely from the World Liberty Financial crypto deal with Emirati backers and licensing fees), as detailed in the president’s latest financial disclosures.
In some places, people see it as collecting a de facto maintenance fee for non-escalation and protection of Gulf interests amid the Iran conflict.