How a real estate mogul became Trump’s Middle East point man
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. MIAMI—The gilded reception at Mar-a-Lago was to celebrate the wedding of Zach Witkoff, a young real estate scion, and his actress wife, Sophi Knight. But that Palm Beach party, in April 2022, was also something else: an extravagant reminder of the distance that the groom’s father, Steven Witkoff, had traveled over his nearly seven decades.
From his boyhood in the Bronx, Witkoff ascended to the peak of the real-estate business in New York and Florida, and along the way secured a privileged place in Donald Trump’s court. Paying tribute that evening were the former president and first lady, who stayed late into the night to celebrate. Also on hand: Florida Gov.
Ron DeSantis, a collection of real estate royalty, including Barry Sternlicht, and the baseball star Alex Rodriguez. Elon Musk may be Trump’s most visible new “bestie" since throwing his weight and money behind the president-elect’s campaign, but Witkoff has been one of Trump’s closest and most constant friends on his climb back to power. Witkoff traveled with Trump throughout his campaign and stayed with him at Mar-a-Lago in the week leading up to election day.
Witkoff was golfing with Trump on the day of an attempted assassination in September. Now Trump has tapped his old friend for a substantial role in setting U.S. foreign policy: as Middle East Envoy, the high-profile post held by Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, during his first term.
Read more on livemint.com
