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Steve Witkoff

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Steven Witkoff
Witkoff in 2018
United States Special Envoy to the Middle East
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 20, 2025
PresidentDonald Trump
DeputyMorgan Ortagus
Preceded byPosition established
Personal details
Born
Steven Charles Witkoff

(1957-03-15) March 15, 1957 (age 67)
New York City, U.S.
Spouse
Lauren Rappoport
​
(m. 1987)​
Children3
EducationHofstra University (BA, JD)
OccupationReal estate investor and developer

Steven Charles Witkoff (born March 15, 1957) is an American billionaire real estate investor and developer, attorney, and philanthropist, who serves as the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East. He is the founder and chairman of the Witkoff Group. He began his career as a real estate attorney, before transitioning to property investment and development. His notable acquisitions include the Daily News Building, the Woolworth Building, 33 Maiden Lane, and the Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan.

During the first presidency of Donald Trump in 2020, Witkoff was a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, which were created to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. In November 2024, then President-elect Donald Trump announced that he would appoint Witkoff to be the United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, and before Witkoff took office he played a key role in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas in January 2025.

Early life

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Witkoff is Jewish, was born in the Bronx in New York City, and was raised in Baldwin Harbor, New York and Old Westbury, New York on Long Island.[1][2][3][4] He is the son of Martin and Lois Witkoff.[5] His father was a manufacturer of ladies' coats in New York City.[6][5]

He earned a B.A. in 1980 from Hofstra University. Witkoff then graduated with a J.D. in 1983 from Hofstra Law School.[7]

Career

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Witkoff began his career as a real estate lawyer, and became a billionaire real estate investor and developer.[8][9] In November 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that: "Peers in the real-estate world invariably describe Witkoff ... as smart, personable and a talented negotiator with a common touch."[10]

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After graduating from law school in 1983, Witkoff worked for the New York City real estate law firm Dreyer & Traub, where one of his clients was Donald Trump.[1] They became friends at a New York City deli, after they had worked together on a business deal.[11]

Witkoff subsequently practiced real estate law at the New York City law firm Rosenman & Colin, through 1986.[12][13]

Real estate career

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In 1985, he co-founded Stellar Management, partnering with fellow Dreyer & Traub real estate attorney Larry Gluck; "Stellar" is a reference to Steve and Larry; switching their careers from the practice of law to owning and managing real estate.[14][13][1][15] They purchased inexpensive apartment buildings in Washington Heights, Manhattan and the Northwest Bronx; at one point they owned 85 buildings with over 3,000 apartments.[16][14][13][1][15] He accumulated a small portfolio of buildings and in 1995, he expanded into lower Manhattan, buying several inexpensive office buildings.[1] In 1996, he secured financing from Credit Suisse First Boston for the purchase of 33 Maiden Lane, a 27-story tower designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee; the following year, he leased the top 13 floors of the building to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for a 25-year term.[17][1] A close relationship with Credit Suisse First Boston soon developed, and Witkoff purchased additional properties—typically using very little of his own money—including the landmark Daily News Building in the East Midtown neighborhood of Manhattan, designed by architects Raymond Hood and John Mead Howells.[1]

In 1997, Witkoff left Stellar Management, founded and became chairman and CEO of the privately held Witkoff Group headquartered in New York City, and expanded into residential construction and rehab.[18][13][1] In 1998, he and business partner Rubin Schron purchased the Woolworth Building in Tribeca for $138 million,[6] and he expanded his portfolio to include real estate purchases in Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia.[1] By October 1998, the Witkoff Group operated 11 million square feet of commercial and retail real estate, and held an ownership interest in 7,500 apartments and a number of land and hotel development transactions.[19] In 1998, a planned $2 billion IPO of his company was canceled due to the collapse of the real estate market, and Witkoff and Gluck dissolved their partnership, with Gluck taking the residential properties and Witkoff the office buildings.[1]

In 2013, Witkoff and Harry Macklowe purchased the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan for $660 million.[20] That year, Witkoff and Fisher Brothers also purchased a parcel of land in Tribeca in Manhattan for $223 million on which they built a 792-foot high residential tower, 111 Murray Street.[21]

Witkoff with US President Donald Trump, March 1, 2018

As of 2014, he owned 30 properties in the United States and in London.[22] As of 2019, the Witkoff Group owned almost 50 properties in the United States and internationally.[23]

The Witkoff Group purchased the project to build the resort and casino Fontainebleau Las Vegas for $600 million.[24][25] The property was scheduled to open in 2020 as The Drew, named after Witkoff’s late son Andrew.[24] However, construction stopped in March 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Nevada.[24] In February 2021, Koch Real Estate Investments purchased the property.[24] The original name was reinstated, and the hotel opened in December 2023, having been developed at a cost of $3.7 billion, making it the second-most-expensive resort in Las Vegas.[26]

Public service

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In April 2020 during the first presidency of Donald Trump, Witkoff was a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group, which was created by Trump to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[27][28][29]

In July 2024, Witkoff gave a speech on night four of the Republican National Convention.[30]

On September 15, 2024, Witkoff was playing golf with Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when Ryan Wesley Routh allegedly attempted to assassinate Trump. A Secret Service officer fired at the gunman, who fled in a vehicle and was later apprehended.[31]

On November 9, 2024, Witkoff was chosen to be co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Trump's upcoming second presidency, along with former US Senator Kelly Loeffler.[32]

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had selected Witkoff to be his Special Envoy to the Middle East.[33][34][35]

Witkoff played a key role in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas in January 2025, along with Brett McGurk, President Biden’s lead negotiator who invited Witkoff to join the negotiations, and Qatari prime minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, who it was agreed would be the one who would speak to Hamas.[36][37][38] His blunt, direct and aggressive negotiation style was instrumental in forging a six-week ceasefire agreement, during which there would be a swap of 33 Hamas-held hostages taken in the October 7 Hamas-led attack on Israel for approximately 1,000 Palestinian prisoners (some of whom were serving life sentences for murder),[39] and steps toward further exchanges and ending a prolonged 15-month war.[36][38] Witkoff's approach differed from traditional diplomatic methods, as he, joined by McGurk on speakerphone from Qatar, applied pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to finalize the deal, stressing that Trump wanted the deal done, achieving in the final weeks what had been in negotiation for nearly a year.[40][41] The New York Times wrote: "It was a vivid example of cooperation between two men representing bitter political rivals. Rarely if ever have teams of current and new presidents of different parties worked together at such a high-stakes moment, with the fate of American lives and the future of a devastating war hanging in the balance."[36]

Personal life

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Witkoff has lived on the Upper East Side in Manhattan.[6] In 1987, he married Lauren Jill Rappoport, who was then an associate at the Manhattan law firm of Botein, Hays & Sklar.[5] In 2019, Witkoff relocated from New York City to Florida, and settled in Miami Beach.[42]

They have had three sons.[6] In 2011, their 22-year-old son Andrew died of an OxyContin overdose at the now-closed Sunset Plaza Drive sober living facility in California.[43] Their son Zach is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company.[11][44] Their son Alexander is co-CEO of the Witkoff Group.[45]

Witkoff has served on the Executive Committee for the Real Estate Board of New York, as a Trustee for the Intrepid Foundation, and on the Board of Trustees of Hofstra University (since 2015).[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Leonard, Devin (December 6, 1999). "Steve Witkoff's Nine Lives: Tough Guys Don't Fold-They Crawl Back From the Abyss". The New York Observer.
  2. ^ Elkies, Lauren. "Steve Witkoff". The Real Deal. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
  3. ^ Kassel, Matthew (November 21, 2024). "Real estate mogul Witkoff is Trump's unorthodox choice to serve as his Middle East envoy". Jewish Insider. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  4. ^ Markoe, Lauren (November 13, 2024). "Steve Witkoff, Trump's golf buddy, appointed special envoy to the Middle East". The Forward. Retrieved January 18, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c "Lauren and Susan Rappoport to Wed". The New York Times. January 4, 1987.
  6. ^ a b c d Piore, Adam (December 1, 2012). "The modest mogul - Investor Ruby Schron could quietly become the city's next billionaire landlord, despite eschewing glamour and a place in the spotlight". The Real Deal.
  7. ^ "Steven Witkoff, BA, ’80; JD, ’83," Hofstra.edu.
  8. ^ Theodore Schleifer (December 3, 2024). "Trump Donors Who Give at Least $1 Million or Raise $2 Million Get Inaugural Access," The New York Times.
  9. ^ June Kim, Karen Yourish, and Jasmine C. Lee (December 26, 2024). "Tracking Trump’s Cabinet and Staff Nominations," The New York Times.
  10. ^ Joshua Chaffin and Deborah Acosta (November 17, 2024). "How a Real Estate Mogul Became Trump’s Middle East Point Man," The Wall Street Journal.
  11. ^ a b Jacob Kornbluh (December 15, 2024). "Newborn grandson of Trump’s Mideast envoy named after Trump," The Forward.
  12. ^ Phil Hall (November 12, 2024). "Trump Names Real Estate Developer Steve Witkoff as Special Middle East Envoy," WRE News.
  13. ^ a b c d e "Ashner/Witkoff Stockholder Group Comments On New York REIT's Termination Of JBG Combination," WW Investors LLC, August 3, 2016.
  14. ^ a b Alan S. Oser (September 15, 1996). "New Hands Take Reins at Big Manhattan Properties," The New York Times.
  15. ^ a b Ghigliotty, Damian (May 1, 2013). "With 150 Charles Street and Now 10 Madison Square West, Steve Witkoff May Be the King of Condo Financing". Commercial Observer. Observer Media.
  16. ^ Betsy Kim (February 7, 2019). "Steve Witkoff: NY, If You Can “Make It” Here…," Globest.com.
  17. ^ David W. Dunlap (August 27, 1997). "Reserve Bank to Make Building Fit Its Name," The New York Times.
  18. ^ Eddie Small (November 17, 2024). "Stellar Management founder Larry Gluck dead at 71," Crain's New York.
  19. ^ Mary McAleer Vizard (October 18, 1998). "In the Region / Westchester; Office Vacancy Rate Is Continuing to Inch Up," The New York Times.
  20. ^ Matt A.V. Chaban (April 6, 2015). "A Dental Hub With Central Park Views May Go on the Market," The New York Times.
  21. ^ Michelle Higgins (June 19, 2015). "TriBeCa Tower Inspired by a Glass Vase," The New York Times.
  22. ^ "An Opportunistic Company," Leaders Magazine, October 4, 2014.
  23. ^ "A Purposeful Life," Leaders Magazine, October 4, 2019.
  24. ^ a b c d Michael Bartlett (February 12, 2021). "Las Vegas Strip resort formerly known as Fontainebleau may finally see completion," Gaming America.
  25. ^ Devin O'Connor (December 23, 2022). "Fontainebleau Las Vegas Secures $2.2B in Financing to Complete Long-Delayed Casino," Casino.org.
  26. ^ "Rooms & Suites". Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Retrieved January 6, 2025.
  27. ^ Tanzeel Akhtar (April 15, 2020). "Every Member Of Trump's 'Great American Economic Revival' Industry Groups," Yahoo.
  28. ^ Karen Yourish, Lazaro Gamio, and Ashley Wu (December 3, 2024). "Project 2025, Mar-a-Lago and Fox News: What Connects Trump’s New Staff Picks," The New York Times.
  29. ^ "President Donald J. Trump Announces Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups". whitehouse.gov. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved February 28, 2021 – via National Archives.
  30. ^ Hensley, J. J. (July 18, 2024). "Real estate baron Steven Witkoff uses RNC speech to humanize Trump, recall son who OD'd". USA Today. Retrieved August 11, 2024.
  31. ^ "Trump was the subject of an apparent assassination attempt at his Florida golf club, the FBI says". apnews.com. Associated Press. September 15, 2024.
  32. ^ Zolan Kanno-Youngs (November 11, 2024). "The Trump Insiders Who Have Outsize Influence as He Chooses His Cabinet," The New York Times.
  33. ^ "Trump appoints Steven Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East". Israel National News. November 13, 2024. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
  34. ^ Zeke Miller, Michelle L. Price, and Jill Colvin (November 12, 2024). "Trump picks ex-DNI John Ratfcliffe to lead CIA, ex-Arkansas Gov. Huckabee to be ambassador to Israel". Prince George Citizen. Retrieved November 12, 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  35. ^ Donald J. Trump (November 12, 2024). "Statement by President-elect Donald J. Trump Announcing the Appointment of Steven C. Witkoff as Special Envoy to the Middle East," The American Presidency Project.
  36. ^ a b c David E. Sanger and Michael D. Shear (January 15, 2025). "How the Cease-Fire Push Brought Together Biden and Trump’s Teams," The New York Times.
  37. ^ Patrick Kingsley (January 15, 2025). "Gaza Cease-Fire Deal Brings Joy, but Is Shadowed With Uncertainty," The New York Times.
  38. ^ a b Patrick KingsleyAdam Rasgon, and Michael D. Shear (January 17, 2025). "The Sheikh, the Mogul and the Diplomat: The Trio Who Sealed the Gaza Truce; The Qatari prime minister, working with both President Biden’s envoy and President-elect Donald J. Trump’s representative, formed an unlikely partnership," The New York Times.
  39. ^ Boxerman, Aaron (January 18, 2025). "Here Are Some Prominent Palestinian Prisoners Set to Be Released". The New York Times. Retrieved January 28, 2025.
  40. ^ "The inside story of how an unlikely alliance of Trump and Biden led to historic Gaza ceasefire deal". The Guardian. January 18, 2025.
  41. ^ The Times (January 16, 2025). "Who Gets Credit for Gaza Ceasefire, Biden or Trump?". The Times. Retrieved January 20, 2025.
  42. ^ Rebecca San Juan (January 15, 2020). "The New York-based real estate development firm Witkoff is expanding to Miami," Miami Herald.
  43. ^ Baum, Gary (August 17, 2013). "Wrongful Death Lawsuit Hits L.A. Rehab Center Following THR Investigation". The Hollywood Reporter.
  44. ^ Eric Lipton, Ben Protess, and David Yaffe-Bellany (December 5, 2024). "Trump Organization Plans an Ethics Policy Without Banning Foreign Deals," The New York Times.
  45. ^ John Otis (February 16, 2024). "A Cowboy and a Leopard Walked Into a Bar," The New York Times.
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