Journalist Matthew Cole claims Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, paid warlords and hitmen. Here’s what you need to know
Updated: 25 October 2026
Jared Kushner is once again in hot water. Having indirectly sparked a revolution in Albania, maintained close ties with foreign agents and brokered questionable property deals, the son-in-law of US President Donald Trump allegedly unwittingly allowed international spy agencies access to his smartphone.
What Happened
It’s the story of the week, but is there any truth to it? According to Matthew Cole, a seasoned investigative journalist, there is. Writing in Vanity Fair, the reporter claims Dutch intelligence hacked into Jared Kushner’s phone and were able to access substantial intel, including alleged money deposits, as well as payments to hitmen and warlords.
The MIVD were able to turn a GRU agent, notifying him that British counterintelligence were on to him as he travelled to the UK on an assignment. Knowing this, he switched allegiances. He later disclosed details of operations from a remote server in Rostov, Russia, where Dutch agents discovered screenshots of Jared Kushner’s phone.
The story is taken from Cole’s upcoming book, Princes & Thieves, in which he writes that Dutch intelligence (MIVD) were inspired by a GRU operation (Russian intelligence) and were able to access Kushner’s phone by replicating the agency’s actions. They did this by compromising Kushner’s iPhone and witnessed him use his device in real time.
In one instance, agents observed Kushner access a UAE-based bank account containing approximately $750 million. The funds were allegedly then routed through Azerbaijan to the Watani Al Emarat Foundation, a UAE government-funded cultural organisation. The funds were, according to Cole, sent to people whom he describes as a warlord, a mercenary and a hitman.
Kushner vehemently denies the accusations, calling them “insane”. He later added: “We denied every claim on the record, yet the author provided not a single shred of verifiable evidence to substantiate them.”
True or False?
Matthew Cole is an experienced and go-to journalist with a track record behind him, with work appearing in The Intercept and several other news outlets. Are the reports true? No one knows for sure, though Cole’s work remains noted. At this point in time they’re simply allegations.
Until a whistleblower comes forward or the MIVD and GRU recognise these actions as their own, we can only speculate. However, as Kushner threatens to take legal action, he may well find himself in the same predicament as his father-in-law, Donald Trump, with the BBC.
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