Full Breakdown
Kushner Legal Team Demands Removal of Vanity Fair Excerpt Alleging Secret Foreign Bank Accounts
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The Dispute Over the Vanity Fair Excerpt
Vanity Fair published an excerpt from investigative journalist Matthew Cole’s forthcoming book *Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East*. The excerpt claims that Jared Kushner – former senior White House adviser and current special envoy – had access to foreign accounts that received roughly $2 billion from United Arab Emirates and Saudi officials during the Trump administration, including a $750 million “Alpha” account at First Abu Dhabi Bank and a separate Israeli account holding about $1 billion.
On October 23, 2026, Kushner’s attorney Chad Mizelle sent a letter to Vanity Fair and Condé Nast demanding the immediate removal of the excerpt and the preservation of all editorial records. The letter calls the claims “false and defamatory” and warns of “serious legal risk.”
Background & Context
Cole’s narrative cites an alleged 2017-2018 hack of Kushner’s iPhone by Dutch military intelligence (MIVD) after a Russian spy was apprehended. The hack is said to have revealed screenshots of Kushner logging into the UAE-linked account. The book, scheduled for release on October 27, 2026, has not been independently verified by any news outlet.
Data & Statistics
- Alleged total funds: at least $2 billion.
- “Alpha” account: approximately $750 million at First Abu Dhabi Bank.
- “Beta” account: roughly $1 billion transferred to an Israeli account.
No bank statements, wire-transfer records, account numbers, or transaction dates have been produced to substantiate these figures.
Official Statements & Responses
Kushner’s team noted that he provided more than 30 hours of testimony to congressional and special-counsel investigations, none of which uncovered the alleged accounts. They also questioned whether Vanity Fair conducted any independent verification before publishing the excerpt.
Representatives for Vanity Fair, Condé Nast, and Simon & Schuster have not responded to requests for comment.
Verbatim Quotes
- “We formally put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice regarding the false and defamatory allegations published about our client, Jared Kushner,” — Chad Mizelle, attorney
- “The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened.” — Jared Kushner, attorney
What’s Next
The October 23 letter demands that Vanity Fair “immediately take down the excerpt” and preserve all related records. With the book’s release slated for October 27, 2026, the dispute could evolve into litigation, though no lawsuit has been filed to date.