Kushner, Inc.: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump

by Vicky Ward

The first explosive book about Javanka and their infamous rise to power

Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are the self-styled Prince and Princess of America. Their swift, gilded rise to extraordinary power in Donald Trump’s White House is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and dangerous. In Kushner Inc., investigative journalist Vicky Ward digs beneath the myth the couple has created that depicts themselves as the voices of reason in an otherwise crazy presidency and reveals that Jared and Ivanka are not just the President’s chief enablers, they are, like him, disdainful of rules, of laws, and of ethics. They are entitled inheritors of the worst kind; their combination of ignorance, arrogance, and an insatiable lust for power has caused havoc all over the world, and threatens the democracy of the United States.

Ward follows their trajectory from New Jersey and New York City to the White House, where the couple’s many forays into policy-making and national security have mocked long-standing U.S. policy and protocol. They have pursued a personal agenda that is making them very rich while their actions have mostly gone unchecked. In Kushner Inc., Ward holds Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump accountable: she unveils the couple’s secret self-serving transactional motivations and how those have propelled them into the highest levels of the US government where no one, the President included, has been able to stop them.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Audiobook, Crime, Business

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 19, 2019

Reviews

[Bill Kerwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

You can call Donald Trump a lot of things—and believe me, I have, I have—but one thing you can’t call him is “boring.” Which is more than can be said of “the kids” (as Donald calls them), AKA “Javanka” (as everybody else calls them). Javanka is (are?) boring.

This lies at the heart of everything that is wrong with Vicky Ward’s Kushner, Inc. Ward is a competent journalist, who possesses the necessary gifts of clarity and discernment, but she cannot overcome this one central fact: Jared and Ivanka are boring. This spoiled, entitled Daddy’s boy, this spoiled, entitled Daddy’s girl are tedious. Our callow mini-mogul without a gift for detail who fancies himself a diplomat, and our second-rate Gwyneth who sold fashion instead of Goop and now is busy selling out the country are—let’s face it—tiresome. If the book had been about their sires—those two unregenerate old pirates—it might have amused me, and I might recommend it. But it wasn’t, it didn’t, and I don’t.

(Apropos of of Charlie Kushner, that old pirate: the first chapters this book do deal with him, and they hold up better than the rest. He's certainly an enigmatic figure. I mean, how can an observant Jew like Charlie, a man devoted to family, hire a hooker to seduce his brother-in-law, film the entire encounter, and send the videotape to his own sister? This book tells the story, and, sleazy as it is, it is definitely not boring.)

I’m not going to explore the book in detail. Instead, I’ll just make two points: 1) Javanka is (are?) boring because they know nothing and read nothing, and 2) just because they are boring doesn’t mean that they aren’t dangerous.

First, on the subject or not knowing and not reading:

At one Astor Place dinner party, Richard Mack . . . did remember that at one point in the conversation, Ivanka was adamant that “libertarianism” and “liberal” were the same thing, and would not be dissuaded . . . Elizabeth Spiers . . . noticed during a visit to Jared and Ivanka’s apartment that there was not a book in sight and that the pair had zero intellectual curiosity. (Others dispute that “no books” claim: they recall ”a few art books”—or “decorator-curated books.”) . . . Jared once complained to Spiers about an Observer story concerning the move of author Martin Amis from London to Brooklyn . . . “Nobody knows who this Martin Amis guy is,” he told Spiers. “Nobody reads novels.”

Second, on the subject of how dangerous they are, both to their father’s presidency and to the world. At various points in the book, Vicky Ward—who, to be fair, relies heavily on Bannon and Cohn, neither of whom are fans of Javanka—presents testimony that the pair were instrumental in promoting the following bad decisions: the hiring of Manafort as campaign manager; the appointment of Flynn as National Security Advisor, as well as encouraging him to engage with the Russians; the search for a back channel to Russia through the Russian embassy; the firing of Comey; the addition of Scaramucci to the Communications Office; the strengthening of ties with MBS (which almost led to a war with Qatar, as well as contributing to the White House’s embarrassment in the wake the Kashoggi affair); and the blocking of Michael Cohen from a White House position, thus making him more likely to turn informer. (Maybe the Donald’s hunch was right: Ivanka should have married Tom Brady).

To end the review, here’s a piece of pointless trivia. Number of The Apprentice episodes in which Ivanka appears: nearly 90. Number of The Apprentice episodes in which Tiffany Trump appears: 0.

[Misfit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like her father, she is very talented at telling self-serving bald lies with a straight face, should the need arise.

No matter how bad you thought it was, it's far, far worse.

[Somebody · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew they were bad, but I didn't know they were this bad. This is a completely different level of ignorance, arrogance, evil, nepotism, corruption and power lust. The details are quite shocking. Can't wait for the source mentioned towards the end of the book to spill all the beans.

[Anissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

So this is what happens when I have a glut of audiobook credits & extra time to burn in this time of pandemic. I tend not to even log my non-fiction reads here so I'll keep this super short: it was as craven and grotesque as I expected and really felt like an inevitable cautionary tale of what happens when you're born into a feral environment.

Three stars because it was a competent telling of a couple who lack the depth of the polish of my manicure. Recommended if you've semi/lockdown summer hours to burn and a couple glasses of wine to accompany.

[Jill Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Journalist Vicky Ward's new book, "Kushner Inc: Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The Extraordinary Story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump", is a fast read about two people at the center of the Donald Trump administration.

Though the book is about both Ivanka Trump and her husband, Jared Kushner, the publicity about the book seemed to stress more information about the Kushner family. The first three or so chapters are devoted to the Kushner family history - from Joe and Rae Kushner's experiences in Holocaust Poland to their emigrating to the United States in the mid-1940's and Joe's development into a real estate tycoon in New Jersey. Ward has a way of presenting facts that are more than slightly insinuate the the Kushner family - particularly Jared's father, Charlie - have not always practiced real estate on the up-and-up. And their familial relationships are both loving...and pathologically destructive. The reason for Charlie Kushner's time spent in prison in Alabama for a couple of years is both amusing and horrifying at the same time. (Just think "hooker", "brother-in-law", "photos" and "blackmail" and consider what might come. )

Most of Ward's book concerns Jared and Ivanka's (or "javanka") time in the 2016 election and working as unpaid advisors for Donald Trump in the White House. Some of the things I knew, others I didn't. Things - and people - change so often in the Trump White House and they seem to lurch from crisis to crisis on a daily basis, that whatever Ward writes today may be out-of-date by next week. But the book is fun to read and while I think the writing is a bit hurried, I can recommend "Kushner, Inc". (I'd also advise counting your fingers after you shake hands with any of the Kushners...)

[Budd Margolis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the various WH insider books, from Bannon to Christie, Omarosa, Spicer...this one stands out. For those uncertain about where the endless chaos and confusion stems from this is a must read. Although the FBI Mueller report might skip the Kushner corruption, the Southern District of NY AG's office and Congressional investigations and hearings will provide a clear view as to the criminality of the Trump & Kushner family. Clearly written descriptions of the Russia, Middle East and business dealings which paint a realistic image of the power, fallible and corrupt/criminal "Javanka" influence. If I was to make a list of the top 10 of the over 80+ I have read to understand what is going on in Trumps America, this would be included.

[Shari · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading many of the "Trump Books", I thought I'd read it all. WRONG! This book shows categorically the greed, corruption, etc that abounds in this family.
They like to think they are the present "Kennedy" dynasty. What a joke. They scheme, lie, cheat, and even back-stab each other to get to where they want to be.
It's a quick read, but it's not shallow. I would like to say I enjoyed it, but the whole thing sickens me. Our founding fathers must be rolling in their graves. They thought the Constitution would protect the Country from people like this, but they didn't foresee a second branch of government, for whatever reason, facilitating their actions. God help us all!

[Donald Powell · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good review of the published information about Jared and Ivan’s Kushner with some background, insights from insiders, explaining the young couple, warts and all. Money always corrupts the soul. A sad story in so many ways.

[Claudia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A worthy addition to my ever-growing "Books on Individual #1" shelf.

Kushner's family escaped the Nazis, set up a real estate empire, until Dad went to jail...prosecuted by none other than Chris Christie. To burnish their reputation, Charlie decided son Jared had to break into the NYC world, buying a flashy piece of property (666 Fifth Avenue -- doncha love the number?), and marry a rich, connected girl-preferably a traditional Jewish girl. Enter Princess Ivanka/

And the rest, boys and girls, is history that we are living every day. These two baby snakes have slithered into our White House, and whisper into Individual #1's ear...they connive, interrupt official meetings. They barge in where they have no business. They make shady deals with international leaders who can help line their pockets, or help with the mortgage for 666. Ivanka thinks she deserves to fly on Air Force One whenever she pleases. When thwarted, she just invites Cabinet members to accompany her. With no strong political beliefs and values, she thinks she'll be president.

They are entitled, cunning, devoid of any strong moral code. They see, they want, they get.

The fact that Jared is supposedly working on peace in the Middle East should terrify us. He's working on getting the biggest paycheck from the richest potentate.

And they don't read!! One person told Ward that the only books in their home were 'interior designer-curated' books. Bah.

They will not learn because they don't think they have anything to learn.

[HR-ML · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much of this was repeat info for me. This book reminded
me of the old beer commercial where two guys argued
"it tastes great" VS "it's less filling." (Beer is not my fav).

Yrs ago President Kennedy named his brother Robert his
Attorney General (AG). Subsequently by law a President
was no longer allowed to show nepotism in federal hiring.
We need a new law: the President must not allow a family
member to volunteer at the White House or an Executive
branch position. Neither scenarios included accountability
to the US public. Doubtful our current AG Barr would move
to amend the law to reflect this. Would he charge Trump
and, Jared and Ivanka ( J+I) with felonies for not adhering
to US law about CFIUS + omitting info by design related to
security clearances, etc?

Why would President Trump's SIL Jared need a security
clearance? To undermine Secretaries of State + Defense.
Some powerful men in the Middle East played Jared like
a banjo.

What qualities did real estate men Trump + Jared's dad
Charlie Kushner share? The belief- 1) don't keep a paper
trail 2) don't adhere to ethics or laws 3) don't treat tenants
well (IE deny racial discrimination, deny the tenant had
a rent-controlled apt.) 4) do contact foreign governments
in an official capacity (DJT + Jared) with personal gain as
motive + outcome.

Jared's Daddy Charlie pledged $2.5M to Harvard + had a US
Senator give the green light, and Jared got in. Jared wore
blinders to avoid accepting Daddy's illegal activities, prison
time and felon status.

The author indicated Jared and Ivanka were arrogant and
insistent on their favorite pet projects VS Trump's agenda
and their useful skills (?) at the White House. And these 2
showed zip insight into how real US citizens and green
card holders & others lived.

Donald, Charlie & Jared +Ivanka all lied too easily. And I
learned Donald preferred J+I leave the WH & return to NYC,
but what was his rationale? The abrupt ending of this book
may hint at a sequel?

[Bettie]

Trump wanted Kelly to 'get rid of' Ivanka, Kushner, book claims. President Trump directed his former chief of staff John Kelly to “get rid of” his Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner shortly after the retired general joined the White House and send them back to New York, according to revelations in a new book.

[Andrea]

These apples didn't fall far from the trees they grew on. Javanka are as rotten to the core as their fathers.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you already knew that Javanka were criminal idiots, there's no need to read this book. Poorly footnoted in the ebook version, Ward lays out again, from a slightly different angle, the criminal background and current activities of the two biggest scam gangs in NYC, the Trumps and the Kushners. To top it off Javanka now regularly screw up US foreign policy, as if Dumbtruck wasn't doing enough damage by himself. No new revelations here. Pelosi backed off impeachment talks because she no doubt got a heads up from Mueller that there were no new indictments in his report. Let's see how effective he was in rolling those indictments into New York courts. These scum aren't clear yet.

[Lee Husemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book about the lives and dealings of Jared and Ivanka Kushner, or Javanka as they are known. I knew the Kushner family was involved in shady dealings and this book pretty much confirms it. These two got top security clearance by her father when they had both been denied it. These two people are not as intelligent as they try to portray, in fact both of them are rather dumb and Ivanka is not the quiet, soft-spoken woman she portrays herself to be. This book is a real eye opener and I highly recommend it.

[Dale · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought things were bad at The White House with Trump and the shyster Kushner family before I read this book, but boy was I wrong. It is all so much worse!!! This country is in deep, deep trouble.
If we survive two more years as a nation it will be decades before we get back on the right track internationally as well as nationally. And Jared and Ivanka (as well as her father and brothers) deserve the same outcome for their misdeeds as Jared's father, a long stint behind bars!

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a bad habit. Each reading session leaves you feeling absolutely infuriated, but also craving more. The avarice, craven self-enrichment, naivete, and hubris of Javanka and the entire administration (including Bannon, Cohn, and other second-thoughters who seem to have been sources for this book)...Please, when I re-read this review in 10 years, may these imbeciles be imprisoned and our nation have returned to its better nature.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a surprise. Trump's daughter and son-in-law are as bad as he is. Corrupt, venal, vain, status-seeking, incompetent, power-hungry, the list goes on. We knew all this. We were told all this.

Vicky Ward charts the Kushner-Trump axis from its beginning in the New Jersey real estate market with Charlie Kushner and his crooked books all the way to the White House where his son, Jared, continues to enrich himself and has almost caused a war to spite Qatari investors who backed out of his projects.

Like other tell-all books about the Trump family and the Trump administration, this one relies heavily on anonymous sources close to the family. It's not necessarily a bad thing because what else could these people do apart from whistle-blowing? Ward writes well, snappy chapters flow quickly by with page after page of issues that would have sunk anyone else's career ages ago. And yet, like other tell-all books about Trump and his coterie, it is fleeting because either you knew this and didn't care, or you knew about it and did. There isn't much to change anyone else's minds (that's if there are minds left to change at this point).

[Reverenddave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listen, I hate the Kushners too, but don't Gary Cohn and Steve Bannon have anything else to do but go on background slamming them to every reporter writing a book on the Trump White House?

Also, you'd think they'd done it enough to be better at hiding the fact they are the sources of half these stories. That or they'd just use their names at this point.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

What happens to Javanka in the long run will be very telling of the state of the United States as a liberal democracy.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once you get through the first chapters of the book - the history of Kushner's orthodox jewish family and all the drama around religion, money, and power that becomes the foundation for this family - the story of Jared and Ivanka, aka Javanka, really takes off.
There are so many characters involved in this book - almost each paragraph has a new person introduced in this tale. I found I needed to read it with Google at my side because there were so many characters in this story that were unknown to me, and I had to look them up to see their photo or read about them in Wikipedia to understand how they played into this drama.
The book eventually became like a mini "Mueller Report"type of read for me, with the focuse on Javanka. Jared's religion seems to be the primary driving force of everything he does, along with adding wealth and power to his family portfolio. Jared's political decisions are tangled up with being a Jew, his family loyalty, and making sure they all get richer and more powerful. Ivanka - the first daughter - seems to thrive on attention, so her focus seems to be on how she is presented. She needs to be seen as being beautiful, fashionable, and adored by all. It seems she is trying to be the new Jackie O or is eyeing to become royalty - the heir to the throne.
The amount of research in the book is amazing. I didn't expect to like the book, but I did. I came away wondering if the constitution is going to hold. So far we have many laws that were ignored right from the start. Family nepotism laws were stepped over so Jared and Ivanka could become Trump's Sr. advisors. Security clearances were overwritten to allow these neophytes access to government secrets. As we know, information and secrets are power, and their power grew. Then we had expectations and even rules to require them to divest from their personal businesses, but these things were never really completed. Next we saw the growth of pay-to-play, and their business profits seem to be soaring.
Yep, this is an extraordinary story of greed, ambition, and corruption. What is even worse, however, is the story is STILL in play with no change on the horizon.

[Debra B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting ... the Kushner family appears to be as crooked and dysfunctional as the Trumps ... Jared and Ivanka are well matched..

[Melissa Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine if the Bluth family (the mawkish, entitled clan of rich sociopaths from "Arrested Development") were even dumber, more narcissistic and entitled, nay, even more greedy. Now consider what happens when they're running this country. 🤯😩🤪🤪🤪 Vicky Ward's book was juicy, impeccably researched, and makes me wanna cry and drink heavily at the implications for our country. Anyone who continues to have any counterclaims that the Trump "family" has been misunderstood is simply using it as a smokescreen for their own prejudices.
Ivanka is a turd. Worse, she's totally stupid. And the moron she married... I truly despise the both of them.

[Wendelle]

This book relies heavily on Steve Bannon, for both narration and unchecked opinion pieces, and that gets very tiring. Otherwise it reads like an extended Vanity Fair piece, that is, informative, well-researched. It illuminates the Saudi-Iran-Qatar-blockade-666 building property web well. Still...Journalists, I'm so sorry but it's terribly irresponsible to trade insider access to Steve Bannon in exchange for unqualified space in your book for him to go on and on about his opinions, propagate his ideology and make himself look good and reasonable.

[Owlseyes]

“Every point that Ms. Ward mentioned in what she calls her ‘fact-checking’ stage is entirely false,” Peter Mirijanian, spokesman for Jared’s lawyer Abbe Lowell, told me. “It seems she has written a book of fiction rather than any serious attempt to get the facts. Correcting everything wrong would take too long and be pointless.”
in: https://pagesix.com/2019/02/08/jared-...

One should read this also:
https://pagesix.com/2014/10/16/donald...

[Lorca Damon · Rating 5 out of 5]

F*ck the Kushners and their entire families. F*ck anyone who approves of them, gives them an ounce of authority and power, spends a dime on their businesses... you get the idea.

These people are sick and depraved and their selfishness and greed have literally zero limits. Sadly, the only people smart enough to read this very well-written book already know the truth about them. The ones who need to read this so we can finally be rid of the entire crotch-stain of this administration are probably illiterate.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not your routine Trump story

Ward's book amazed me --it stands out from the recent redundancy of books on Trump antics and those who enable them. This is not a repeat of the reports of events that we know about all too well. My learning curve, before this book, had become straight. Ward is thorough and detailed and adds what should be wonderment about how this mess goes unchecked.

[Mark N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars actually. If you thought the Trump family was bad, they've got nothing on the Kushners. The Trumps don't have a convicted felon at the head of the patriarchy (yet). These are the people that give 1 percenters a bad name. It's a story about ignorance, self-righteousness, stupidity, living in a bubble, un-earned privilege, being above the law, fame-whoring, thoughtlesness, and self-delusion all brought about because their Daddy's can't say no to nepotism.

[Liz Norell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having heard Ward on many a podcast episode, I was eager to read her take on Jared and Ivanka. The book was sweeping in its scope and included all sorts of gossipy details you might expect on a book about the daughter and son-in-law of the sitting president. I am glad I read this book; that said, it's probably not the most riveting of the "Trump is a disaster" books out there. And that's ok. It was good, but not great.

[Allan Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a compelling, well-reported examination of the dysfunction that defined the first Trump administration. The book lays bare the scale of nepotism at play—brazen, unprecedented, and arguably unlawful. Yet, as with so many things connected to Donald Trump, the normal guardrails of accountability never seemed to apply.

Ward’s investigative work is meticulous. What stands out is that, while virtually nothing positive is said about the Trump or Kushner families, Ward herself avoids gratuitous personal attacks. Instead, she lets her sources speak, and the portrait that emerges from their testimonies is more damning than anything she could have written on her own.

Before the Trump presidency, I knew nothing about the Kushners. Ward details a family history marked by criminal behavior, relentless ambition, and a near-messianic sense of purpose tied to their political and financial goals. Their political, ideological, and personal zeal appears fueled by a desire to position themselves as a new American dynasty—'the Jewish Kennedys,' in the words of Charles Kushner, Jared’s father.

The section on Charles Kushner is especially striking. After the book was published, Donald Trump pardoned him for tax evasion, illegal campaign contributions, and witness tampering—crimes he had already pleaded guilty to. It is a remarkable, almost surreal example of the ecosystem of privilege and impunity surrounding this circle of power.

Ivanka Trump also receives significant scrutiny. Ward portrays her as someone who leverages access and branding far more effectively than she understands governance. Her attempts at influencing policy come across as shallow and ineffective, not out of malice but out of a lack of expertise paired with an inflated sense of capability.

What ultimately makes the book fascinating is that it isn’t just a story about one family. It’s a story about the structural vulnerabilities in the American government—how unelected, unqualified individuals can wield extraordinary influence simply because of proximity to power. It feels less like a cautionary tale and more like a diagnosis of a system already compromised.

The book is deeply informative, often infuriating, and unfortunately all too believable. It shines a light on how easily government can be shaped by those who were never meant to shape it—and how difficult it may be to reverse that trend.

[Vsevolod · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re like me, and voted for Trump in 2016 in hopes of saving this country, you may have noticed that the president hasn’t accomplished any of the major promises of his campaign as of yet (Summer 2019). If you want an explanation of what or who may be steering Trump in an opposite direction from his original America First agenda, this book is a good place to start.