Josh Kushner: Thrive would have stayed away from World Cup deal if it had known what was coming

Key Points:

• Jared Kushner acknowledged that his firm, Thrive, underestimated the complex political dynamics in global football related to the failed FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) proposal and stated they would not have participated had they known the fallout.
• The FFE plan aimed to create a commercial subsidiary holding rights to FIFA competitions, with Thrive as lead investor alongside others, valuing the business at around $20 billion and promising increased funding for member associations, but faced strong criticism over privatization concerns and governance issues.
• UEFA is preparing a criminal complaint in Switzerland against FIFA President Gianni Infantino and others for allegedly developing the FFE plan without proper notification to FIFA’s governing bodies, while FIFA accuses UEFA of attempting to block financial reforms and conducting a smear campaign.
• Legal battles are underway in U.S. federal courts as UEFA seeks documents and testimony to support its complaint, with FIFA opposing these discovery requests, arguing UEFA lacks authority and the criminal proceeding does not yet exist.
• Infantino faces a crisis of confidence ahead of his 2027 reelection bid, losing support from several European associations but retaining backing from African and South American confederations, while Kushner emphasized that FIFA members would have ultimately voted on the FFE proposal.