Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
A Vanity Fair book excerpt by Matthew Cole says Dutch intelligence watched Jared Kushner access a UAE bank account and that Gulf leaders put at least $2 billion into accounts for him. Kushner and his lawyers deny it.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
On October 22, 2026, Vanity Fair published an excerpt from Matthew Cole's book Princes and Thieves alleging that Dutch intelligence watched Jared Kushner's phone screen during Trump's first term and saw him log in to a UAE bank account, and that the leaders of the UAE and Saudi Arabia put at least $2 billion into accounts for him. Kushner called the allegations completely insane and said they never happened, and his lawyers threatened legal action.
Read the full background
Kushner was a senior White House adviser during Trump's first term and is now the president's special envoy. In the excerpt, Cole writes that Dutch military intelligence found screenshots of Kushner's iPhone on a Russian military intelligence server, then gained its own view of his screen in early 2018 and saw him log in to a UAE bank account that had received hundreds of millions of dollars from a bank in Azerbaijan. Cole also writes that the rulers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia put at least $2 billion into at least two accounts for Kushner. He attributes the account to unnamed sources, and the Dutch intelligence service declined to comment.
Kushner said on X that the events never happened and that the author provided no bank statements, wire transfer records or account numbers. His lawyers say they sent the book's publisher, Simon & Schuster, a 13-page letter before publication. On October 24 they put Vanity Fair and its parent company, Condé Nast, on notice and demanded that the article be removed. President Trump called the report a totally false story. We could not independently verify the allegations.
People in this case
Jared KushnerDirectly involved
Chad MizelleDirectly involved
Donald TrumpDirectly involved
Kim WehleCommented
Timeline
4 timeline entries on this page. Dates: October 22, 2026 to October 24, 2026
October 2026
Vanity Fair publishes an excerpt from Matthew Cole's book
Source release
Vanity Fair publishes an excerpt from Princes and Thieves in which Cole writes that Dutch intelligence watched Kushner's phone screen and saw him log in to a UAE bank account, and that Gulf rulers put at least $2 billion into accounts for him.
[01]Vanity Fair: The Art of the Deal: Jared Kushner's Hacked Phone Revealed His Secret Negotiations
Excerpt from Matthew Cole's book Princes and Thieves. Cole writes that Dutch military intelligence watched Jared Kushner's phone screen and saw him log in to a UAE bank account, and that the rulers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia put at least $2 billion into accounts for Kushner during Trump's first term.
Kushner and his lawyer deny the allegations
Reaction
Kushner calls the allegations false on X. His lawyer, Chad Mizelle, says Kushner's team sent Simon & Schuster a 13-page letter before publication and intends to pursue legal action.
[02]Jared Kushner
Kushner calls the allegations in the excerpt false, says he denied each of them on the record, and says the author provided no bank records to support them.
Jared Kushner responds on X to the Vanity Fair excerpt · Jared Kushner[03]Chad Mizelle
Kushner's lawyer says his team sent the book's publisher a 13-page letter denying the allegations before publication and says they intend to pursue legal action.
Trump calls the report a false story
Reaction
Asked by a reporter about the book's account, President Trump calls it a totally false story and fake news.
[04]Aaron Rupar
Video of President Trump answering a reporter's question about the book's account of Kushner and money from Middle Eastern countries.
Kushner's lawyers put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice
Mizelle posts a letter to Condé Nast and says Kushner's lawyers have demanded that Vanity Fair remove the article and preserve its records about the reporting and fact-checking.
[05]Chad Mizelle
Kushner's lawyer posts the letter sent to Condé Nast, says the author has produced no bank records, and asks Vanity Fair to say whether it independently verified the allegations.
[06]Newsweek
Newsweek reports that Kushner's lawyers put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice, summarizes the excerpt's allegations and notes Trump's rejection of the report.
Response record
Responses
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
5 responses. Newest first.
Kim WehleLaw professor and legal analyst, writing in her newsletterBefore this statement
Wehle writes that Kushner exercised enormous power during the first Trump administration without Senate confirmation while evading the basic statutory oversight that applies to federal employees.
"Whether or not the book's allegations are all true, for American democracy, Kushner's role in government poses extremely grave concerns."
CondemnedCase context: Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
Full statement and sources
Kim Wehle writes that whether or not all of the book's allegations are true, Kushner's role in government poses extremely grave concerns, and that investigating his activity should be a priority if Democrats win one or both chambers of Congress.
After the statement
She writes that if Democrats take over one or both houses of Congress on November 3, investigating Kushner's activity on behalf of the United States should be a priority.
Who Is Jared Kushner Actually Working For? · Kim WehleWhy this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Wehle does not decide whether each allegation is true, but she says his role raises grave concerns and that Congress should investigate his activity, which condemns the conduct the book describes.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Chad MizelleLawyer for Jared Kushner, posting on XDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Mizelle writes that Kushner's lawyers formally put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice about what he calls false and defamatory allegations, and that the author has failed to produce a bank statement, wire transfer record or account number supporting them.
"We have seen no indication that Vanity Fair conducted any independent verification of these claims before publishing them."
Challenged the characterizationCase context: Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
Full statement and sources
Chad Mizelle, a lawyer for Kushner, writes on X that his team has seen no indication that Vanity Fair independently verified the allegations before publishing them, and posts a letter putting the magazine and Condé Nast on notice.
After the statement
He calls on Vanity Fair to clarify publicly whether it independently verified the allegations, and writes that the lawyers have demanded that the magazine remove the article and preserve its records.
Why this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Mizelle calls the allegations false and disputes the reporting behind them, saying the magazine did not verify them, which is a challenge to how Kushner's conduct is characterized.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Jack HopkinsPolitical writer and host of The Jack Hopkins Show, writing in his newsletter Before this statement
Writing about the account in Cole's book, Hopkins says the thing that matters is quieter than the headline: a senior adviser to a sitting president carried a compromised phone, and at least two foreign intelligence services knew it before, apparently, anyone in Washington did.
"If that is true, it's a scandal regardless of whether a single dollar changed hands. If it's not true, a journalist and a major magazine just published the most reckless story of the year."
Mixed or conditionalCase context: Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
Full statement and sources
Writing about the account in Matthew Cole's book, Jack Hopkins says that if a senior White House adviser carried a compromised phone that at least two foreign intelligence services knew about, it is a scandal regardless of whether money changed hands, and that if it is not true, a journalist and a major magazine published the most reckless story of the year.
After the statement
He writes that there is no third option, so he will lay out the story piece by piece and let readers decide.
Why this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Hopkins makes his judgment depend on whether the account proves true, which is a conditional response.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Donald TrumpPresident of the United States, speaking to reportersDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Trump is asked about a new book saying Kushner had access to $2 billion from Middle Eastern countries, and he first answers that it is a false story.
"It's a totally false story."
DeniedCase context: Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
Full statement and sources
Asked by a reporter about a new book saying Kushner had access to $2 billion from Middle Eastern countries, President Trump calls it a totally false story and fake news.
After the statement
Trump goes on to call it an incorrect story and fake news.
Why this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Trump calls the report false and fake news, which denies the allegation.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Jared KushnerSpecial envoy and former senior White House adviser, posting on XDirectly involvedBefore this statement
Kushner writes that Vanity Fair posted an excerpt from a book containing outrageous and categorically false allegations.
"The allegations made by this author are completely insane and never happened."
DeniedCase context: Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
Full statement and sources
Jared Kushner writes on X that the allegations in the Vanity Fair excerpt are completely insane and never happened, and that the author provided no bank statements, wire transfer records or account numbers to support them.
After the statement
He writes that he denied every one of the claims on the record and that the author provided no bank statements, wire transfer records, account numbers or transaction dates.
Jared Kushner responds on X to the Vanity Fair excerpt · Jared KushnerWhy this label?
The case concerns the excerpt's allegation that Kushner had access to accounts funded by Gulf rulers. Kushner says the events never happened, which denies the allegation.
This label describes the statement's response within the context above.
Sources
(8)
Reporting
Vanity Fair: The Art of the Deal: Jared Kushner's Hacked Phone Revealed His Secret Negotiations
About this source
Excerpt from Matthew Cole's book Princes and Thieves. Cole writes that Dutch military intelligence watched Jared Kushner's phone screen and saw him log in to a UAE bank account, and that the rulers of the UAE and Saudi Arabia put at least $2 billion into accounts for Kushner during Trump's first term.
- Author
- Matthew Cole
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Who Is Jared Kushner Actually Working For?
About this source
Kim Wehle writes about the excerpt's allegations and the oversight questions she says Kushner's government role raises.
- Author
- Kim Wehle
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Somebody Was Watching Jared Kushner's Phone Screen. It Wasn't Who You Think.
About this source
Jack Hopkins walks through the excerpt's account of the phone surveillance and the bank accounts, and Kushner's denial.
- Author
- Jack Hopkins
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Jared Kushner Threatens Legal Action Over Vanity Fair Claims
About this source
Newsweek reports that Kushner's lawyers put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice, summarizes the excerpt's allegations and notes Trump's rejection of the report.
- Author
- Hollie Silverman
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Aaron Rupar posts video of Trump calling the Kushner report false
About this source
Video of President Trump answering a reporter's question about the book's account of Kushner and money from Middle Eastern countries.
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Chad Mizelle says Kushner's lawyers sent Simon & Schuster a letter before publication
About this source
Kushner's lawyer says his team sent the book's publisher a 13-page letter denying the allegations before publication and says they intend to pursue legal action.
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Chad Mizelle says Kushner's lawyers put Vanity Fair and Condé Nast on notice
About this source
Kushner's lawyer posts the letter sent to Condé Nast, says the author has produced no bank records, and asks Vanity Fair to say whether it independently verified the allegations.
- Published
- Accessed
Original post
Jared Kushner responds on X to the Vanity Fair excerpt
About this source
Kushner calls the allegations in the excerpt false, says he denied each of them on the record, and says the author provided no bank records to support them.
- Published
- Accessed
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Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/cases/kushner-vanity-fair-excerpt-gulf-accounts
The Dispute Index. "Vanity Fair book excerpt says Jared Kushner had access to Gulf-funded accounts; Kushner calls the claims 'completely insane'". First published: 2026-10-29. Last updated: 2026-10-29. https://disputeindex.com/cases/kushner-vanity-fair-excerpt-gulf-accounts