Latest news with #Kushner
Mint
2 days ago
- Business
- Mint
Capital Group, Kushner's Thrive Visited China to Study AI Scene
Joshua Kushner's Thrive Capital and investment firm Capital Group have in recent months visited China to learn about its AI industry, joining a growing number of US investors rekindling interest in the country after DeepSeek's advances stunned Silicon Valley. Senior people at Thrive met with companies and funds in China to discuss AI, people familiar with their visit to the country said. Kushner didn't join the delegation, one of the people said, asking to remain anonymous discussing a private event. At the same time, Capital Group — one of the world's largest funds — dispatched senior executives to China to find out more about the AI scene, the people said. The separate visits took place around the time Uber Technologies Inc.-backer Benchmark Capital agreed to lead an investment in Butterfly Effect, creator of the up-and-coming AI service Manus that's got Chinese-born founders. The outreach underscores tentative but mounting interest in a once-overlooked Chinese AI industry that's getting re-assessed since DeepSeek proved a homegrown firm can design a platform on par with the likes of OpenAI and Anthropic. It's unclear how far those talks have gone, or if they'll result in actual investments. A representative for Thrive, controlled by the brother of US President Donald Trump's son-in-law, said in an email the firm doesn't have any investments in China and doesn't intend to invest. A Capital Group spokesperson declined to comment. Kushner has previously been critical of the US tech industry's enthusiasm for DeepSeek, and at a recent conference in DC said that he hoped the US would produce the leading AI company. 'Proficient and efficient artificial intelligence needs to be built with American democratic values,' Kushner said in April. 'And if it's not, then I think the consequences are going to be quite extraordinary for the Western world.' Any deal to finance Chinese AI startups is unlikely to sit well with hawks in Washington wary of US capital bankrolling a Chinese technological apparatus amid tightening scrutiny from Trump's administration. Benchmark itself has drawn fire from Silicon Valley figures on social media for investing in Manus, despite the startup offering its service largely outside of China. The Treasury Department is now asking questions about the Manus deal, Semafor has reported. Manus and Benchmark spokespeople declined to comment, although the startup lists its location as Singapore on its LinkedIn page. Manus, co-founded by Xiao Hong, Cheung Tao and Peak Ji Yichao, raised more than $10 million in previous financing, several China-based media outlets have reported, including from Tencent Holdings Ltd. and prominent VC firms ZhenFund and HSG, formerly Sequoia China. With assistance from Laura Benitez, Anne VanderMey and Kate Clark. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Opinion - Greed is good for Trump and the rest of his gang
Some politicians go to Washington, D.C. to do good. Some, like President Trump, make the trip to do well for themselves. Last week, Trump traveled to the Middle East to gild his fortune. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Trump's trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates a 'public corruption tour.' Much of the Middle East is a vast arid desert, but it is an oil-fueled financial oasis for Trump and his family. Hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into the Trump family coffers from the region since the patriarch became president in 2017. Trump did not resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while he was in the neighborhood, but he did pull off a sweetheart deal and received the gift of $400 million jet, which Murphy described as a 'flying palace.' It's a freebie for the president but it will cost taxpayers millions more to refit as Air Force One. The luxurious gift ride with the gold trimmings is a symbol of his fervent desire to reign in the style of a grand Middle Eastern potentate. Trump's acceptance of the plane as a gift is a clear violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which forbids foreign gifts for presidents so as to prevent undue influence by foreign officials. But even that pales in comparison to the suggestion made by his deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, that the administration could unilaterally abolish due legal process in the form of habeas corpus to make it easier for the administration to send immigrants to prison in El Salvador. Trump thinks himself king over a kingdom where greed is good. He enjoys the able assistance of a gang of royal retainers, friends and family who have aided and abetted him in his quest to make the transition from President Trump to King Midas. Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on the legality of the gift. Not so coincidentally, she worked as a foreign lobbyist for the government of Qatar to the tune of more than $100,000 a month before Trump made her the chief legal officer of the land. He promised to drain the Washington swamp in his first presidential effort, but now he is the ultimate swamp creature, himself buried neck deep in the primordial ooze. Then there's Jared Kushner, married to the president's daughter Ivanka. His father and father-in-law are convicted felons, but he has made a fortune cutting business deals in the area since Trump became president. Trump pardoned Kushner's father who was just confirmed as ambassador to France, and made Kushner the point-person for diplomacy and commerce in the Middle East. The extended family has made a mint there since 2017 but has done nothing to bring peace to the troubled region. The smell of corruption is so rank that conservative Republicans like Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have criticized his acceptance of freebie joy jet ride. Even the New York Post owned by Rupert Murdock, the father of Fox News complained about the optics of the lavish gift while Trump pushes for Medicaid cuts to poor Americans. Trump has the dubious distinction of being the first convicted felon to become president of the U.S. A jury of his peers found him guilty of 34 counts of felony fraud. But his victory in the presidential campaign in November 2024 punched his get out of jail free card. So, it's hardly surprising that he has ruled the way he has. Trump has perfected the art of the steal. His take on the golden rule is that the president who makes the rules, gets the gold along with his family and friends. His rich family and friends certainly benefit from his economic policies which will permit the wealthy big tax breaks funded by the blood, sweat and tears of financially pressed working families. Trump policies will help bankers and billionaires and will threaten the health and wellbeing of Medicaid recipients and children who depend on school lunches. Trump's concern for his lifestyle and the lifestyles of his rich and famous friends present Democrats with so many lines of attack that it's hard to choose among them. He's ruined a thriving economy as the latest consumer confidence index just sunk to its lowest level in 13 years. He helps sycophants like Kushner and Elon Musk make fortunes from foreign favors and federal contracts. His draconian campaign against immigrants entering the land of opportunity seeking refuge from political and economic oppression reflects his contempt for the Constitution. The appropriate Democratic response is to remind voters that Americans want a level economic and small 'd' democratic playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper and where royalism is ancient history and democracy is the featured future. Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
21-05-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Greed is good for Trump and the rest of his gang
Some politicians go to Washington, D.C. to do good. Some, like President Trump, make the trip to do well for themselves. Last week, Trump traveled to the Middle East to gild his fortune. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) called Trump's trip to Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates a 'public corruption tour.' Much of the Middle East is a vast arid desert, but it is an oil-fueled financial oasis for Trump and his family. Hundreds of millions of dollars have poured into the Trump family coffers from the region since the patriarch became president in 2017. Trump did not resolve the humanitarian crisis in Gaza while he was in the neighborhood, but he did pull off a sweetheart deal and received the gift of $400 million jet, which Murphy described as a 'flying palace.' It's a freebie for the president but it will cost taxpayers millions more to refit as Air Force One. The luxurious gift ride with the gold trimmings is a symbol of his fervent desire to reign in the style of a grand Middle Eastern potentate. Trump's acceptance of the plane as a gift is a clear violation of the Constitution's Emoluments Clause, which forbids foreign gifts for presidents so as to prevent undue influence by foreign officials. But even that pales in comparison to the suggestion made by his deputy chief of staff, Stephen Miller, that the administration could unilaterally abolish due legal process in the form of habeas corpus to make it easier for the administration to send immigrants to prison in El Salvador. Trump thinks himself king over a kingdom where greed is good. He enjoys the able assistance of a gang of royal retainers, friends and family who have aided and abetted him in his quest to make the transition from President Trump to King Midas. Attorney General Pam Bondi signed off on the legality of the gift. Not so coincidentally, she worked as a foreign lobbyist for the government of Qatar to the tune of more than $100,000 a month before Trump made her the chief legal officer of the land. He promised to drain the Washington swamp in his first presidential effort, but now he is the ultimate swamp creature, himself buried neck deep in the primordial ooze. Then there's Jared Kushner, married to the president's daughter Ivanka. His father and father-in-law are convicted felons, but he has made a fortune cutting business deals in the area since Trump became president. Trump pardoned Kushner's father who was just confirmed as ambassador to France, and made Kushner the point-person for diplomacy and commerce in the Middle East. The extended family has made a mint there since 2017 but has done nothing to bring peace to the troubled region. The smell of corruption is so rank that conservative Republicans like Trump's former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) have criticized his acceptance of freebie joy jet ride. Even the New York Post owned by Rupert Murdock, the father of Fox News complained about the optics of the lavish gift while Trump pushes for Medicaid cuts to poor Americans. Trump has the dubious distinction of being the first convicted felon to become president of the U.S. A jury of his peers found him guilty of 34 counts of felony fraud. But his victory in the presidential campaign in November 2024 punched his get out of jail free card. So, it's hardly surprising that he has ruled the way he has. Trump has perfected the art of the steal. His take on the golden rule is that the president who makes the rules, gets the gold along with his family and friends. His rich family and friends certainly benefit from his economic policies which will permit the wealthy big tax breaks funded by the blood, sweat and tears of financially pressed working families. Trump policies will help bankers and billionaires and will threaten the health and wellbeing of Medicaid recipients and children who depend on school lunches. Trump's concern for his lifestyle and the lifestyles of his rich and famous friends present Democrats with so many lines of attack that it's hard to choose among them. He's ruined a thriving economy as the latest consumer confidence index just sunk to its lowest level in 13 years. He helps sycophants like Kushner and Elon Musk make fortunes from foreign favors and federal contracts. His draconian campaign against immigrants entering the land of opportunity seeking refuge from political and economic oppression reflects his contempt for the Constitution. The appropriate Democratic response is to remind voters that Americans want a level economic and small 'd' democratic playing field where everyone has an equal opportunity to prosper and where royalism is ancient history and democracy is the featured future. Brad Bannon is a national Democratic strategist and CEO of Bannon Communications Research which polls for Democrats, labor unions and progressive issue groups. He hosts the popular progressive podcast on power, politics and policy, Deadline D.C. with Brad Bannon.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lone Dem Scrambles to Defend Confirming Ivanka's Father-in-Law
New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker has defended breaking with Democrats by voting to confirm Charles Kushner, a convicted felon and father-in-law to Ivanka Trump, as the new U.S. ambassador to France. Kushner, father to Jared Kushner, who is married to President Donald Trump's eldest daughter, was confirmed in a 51-45 Senate vote Monday to the top diplomatic role. Booker was the sole Democrat who voted to confirm the Trump-backed nominee. Booker received criticism online for supporting the man whom Trump pardoned in 2020 for tax crimes, especially as the senator was recently viewed as a potential Democratic 2028 presidential candidate having delivered a record-breaking 25-hour speech attacking the president. In a statement to the Daily Beast, Booker explained that while he has many disagreements with Kushner, a fellow New Jerseyan, he voted to confirm him largely because of his role in helping pass the bipartisan First Step Act. The landmark bill, signed by Trump in 2018, aimed to reform the federal prison system by giving nonviolent drug offenders the opportunity to reduce their sentences through rehabilitation programs, and by reducing penalties for other drug-related crimes. 'The First Step Act was the result of a broad coalition of advocates—from a bipartisan group of Senators to civil rights leaders, law enforcement, and other groups,' Booker told the Daily Beast. 'One of the most important was Charlie Kushner, whose experience in prison profoundly affected him and led him to become an advocate for needed reforms. Without his efforts, the bill wouldn't have become law. 'I have passionate differences and disagreements with Charlie Kushner, but I supported his confirmation because he has been unrelenting in reforming our criminal justice system and has substantively helped achieve the liberation of thousands of people from unjust incarceration,' Booker added. Kushner was sentenced to two years in prison in 2005 after pleading guilty to 16 counts of tax fraud, witness retaliation, and making false statements to the Federal Election Commission. During his plea hearing, Kushner admitted that the witness he sought to retaliate against was his own sister. He had plotted a scheme to have a prostitute seduce her husband and then secretly record them together. Kushner intended to send the videotape to his sister in an apparent blackmail attempt. Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, who helped prosecute Kushner as an attorney, described the case in 2019 as one of the most 'loathsome, disgusting crimes' he had ever worked on. During his confirmation hearing for the ambassadorship to France role, Kushner admitted he was 'not a perfect person.' 'I made a very, very, very serious mistake, and I paid a very heavy price for that mistake. I think that my past mistakes actually make me better with my judgment, better in my view of life, better in my values, to really make me more qualified to do this job,' he said. Booker and Kushner's relationship dates back years before they worked together on the First Step Act. The former New Jersey real estate titan helped fund Booker's unsuccessful run for mayor of Newark in 2002. Trump pardoned Kushner for his felony crimes in December 2020, weeks before the Republican's first term in office came to an end.
Daily Tribune
21-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Tribune
Trump in-law Charles Kushner confirmed as US ambassador to France
The US Senate on Monday approved the nomination of Charles Kushner, the father of President Donald Trump's son-in-law, as the next US ambassador to France. The vote was 51 to 45. Kushner, a real estate executive and former attorney who spent time in federal prison after pleading guilty in 2004 to tax evasion, among other crimes, was pardoned by Trump in 2020 near the end of his first term. Kushner's son Jared Kushner, who married Trump's eldest daughter Ivanka in 2009, also served as the president's advisor during his first term, notably on conflict in the Middle East. The elder Kushner, 71, heads to Paris at an interesting time in US-France relations, as the historic allies -- and Europe in general -- are strained by the US president's trade policies.
