Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, who was set to be the lead investor in FIFA president Gianni Infantino's scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup, says he now regrets joining the proposal.
Venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, who was set to be the lead investor in FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s scrapped plan to sell off stakes in the World Cup, says he now regrets joining the proposal.
In his first public comments since the now-shelved FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) scheme sparked a major crisis for the governing body, Kushner said: “Had we known what this would devolve into, we would not have gotten involved”.
The brother of US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, Kushner added he had “failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football”.
However, he also defended the proposal, saying, “we stand behind the motivations of FFE”, and that its intention “was to direct more capital and equity equally” among FIFA’s 211 member associations.
Thrive Eternal, a firm founded by Kushner, had held talks with Infantino about leading a $4.2bn (£3.1bn) investment for a 20% stake in a new FIFA commercial subsidiary, before the idea was abandoned days after it was revealed in July amid a huge backlash.
Kushner’s comments come just days after UEFA asked a New York court to approve subpoenas for testimony and documents from both the American billionaire and Thrive, as it considers lodging a criminal complaint against Infantino in Switzerland.
European football’s governing body, UEFA, has led the rebellion against the FIFA president, who is facing calls to step down.
In a statement, Kushner said: “Money in football has historically been concentrated amongst a small group of countries.
“The idea behind FFE was to direct more capital and equity equally amongst all 211 member countries, providing significantly more investment to underdeveloped nations to nurture local talent, support grassroots football, enhance the fan experience, and ultimately grow the global game everywhere.
“It was an idea that every member association would vote on, not an obligation or determination.
“While we stand behind the motivations of FFE, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football, and the lengths some would go to. Thrive has a long track record of partnering with all constituents. Had we known what this would devolve into, we would not have gotten involved.”
In late July, shortly before scrapping the plan, Fifa said, “Thrive Eternal…is expected to lead the proposed investor group for FFE”, claiming it would have seen the funding distributed to each national association for the 2027-2030 cycle increase from £5.9m to £14.7m.
As well as Kushner, UEFA has asked for the disclosure of documents from two FIFA businesses in the US and American financier Greg Maffei, who was a key adviser on the deal.
While UEFA says neither Kushner nor Maffei is an anticipated defendant in any legal proceedings, it claims the pair first discussed the FFE concept in July 2025 and that Infantino had “been discussing the underlying concept with Kushner for nearly a year before the term sheet was ultimately signed.”
Its lawyers also argue the World Cup was deliberately undervalued at around £15bn, which it says is “a figure that was neither the product of an open, competitive auction, nor tested by any independent valuer”. It claims Infantino failed to consult FIFA’s hierarchy over the plan.
Kushner has recently agreed a deal to buy basketball’s Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5bn (£9.3bn).
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