Jared Kushner And Ivanka Trump: 15 Facts About The Power Couple Behind The Presidency
Perhaps it’s due to the influence of this behind-the-presidency power couple that the unlikely candidate Donald Trump rose to the position. Exactly how he managed to win the electoral vote while his running mate Hillary Clinton won the popular vote and favor of the media is still a mystery that has been attempted to be explained in numerous ways. A more common opinion is that it was all thanks to perhaps his two favorite people in the world – his favorite daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband, Trump’s now senior advisor Jared Kushner.
We’ve all watched Ivanka blossom in the spotlight from her young modeling days to her appearances as a businesswoman on her father’s reality show Celebrity Apprentice. There’s no question about the fact that she is the apple of her father’s eye in personal and business life. But who is Jared Kushner and why is he the trending new name to learn about? Although he hasn’t attracted as much public spotlight in his life (mostly due to his quiet-natured personality), he is much like Ivanka in many ways. Not only has he been a successful businessperson, but he has also won the favor of the new president. If there’s anything to know about this young power couple, it’s going to be the following fifteen facts.
15. They’re Both Millennials
That’s right, while most people in their thirties are just beginning to settle into their careers, Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump have already achieved so much success and status at their young age. Jared is 36 (born January 10, 1981) and Ivanka is just 35 (born October 30, 1981). In a recent interview with ABC’s 20/20, Invaka commented on her husband’s maturity, saying “He lacks an anxiety that’s natural for someone his age handed so much responsibility.” Many have even criticized President Donald Trump for having selected Jared as his senior advisor considering his age and lack of political experience. Regardless, it’s a no-brainer that the power couple is in a league of their own when compared to the rest of the millennial population.
14. They’re Jewish
Ivanka was actually raised a Presbyterian but converted to Judaism before the two decided to tie the knot. Jared was born into an Orthodox Jewish family and was even educated via private Jewish institutions growing up. Their religious differences would not have been easily tolerated, particularly by Kushner’s very traditional family, which is why they once broke up. However, after rekindling their relationship, Ivanka converted to Judaism and the two were married. They now keep a kosher home and closely observe the rules of the Sabbath. In an interview with Vogue, Ivanka commented that her conversion was a great life decision saying, “I really find that with Judaism, it creates an amazing blueprint for family connectivity.”
13. They Have Three Kids
In case you don’t already feel incompetent enough, Ivanka and Jared also have three children together; Arabella (5), Joseph (3), and Theodore (10 months). Also, they’re both incredibly invested parents. Because the family observes the Sabbath, they actually get to spend a lot of uninterrupted quality time together. Ivanka doesn’t shy away from sharing some of the family’s most intimate moments and on social media, including a clip of baby Theodore learning to crawl inside the White House. It’s apparent that both Ivanka and Jared are very hands-on parents and it’s not difficult to find images of the couple babywearing or taking a normal family stroll.
12. They’re Successful Business People
Prior to their marriage, the two had already attained many business successes individually. Jared is a Harvard grad who eventually took over the ownership of his family’s real estate company Kushner Companies as well as the weekly New York Observer. In 2007, he was recognized for having made the most expensive purchase of a single-building property in US history. Ivanka serves as the Executive VP of Development & Acquisitions of the Trump Organization and has also launched a successful fashion line of women’s apparel, accessories, handbags, and shoes. She’s also done various modeling gigs and wrote the bestselling book, The Trump Card: Playing to Win in Work and Life.
11. They’re Incredibly Rich
Perhaps this was a factor that brought the two together in such a way that other eligible candidates may not have been able to meet the bill. Both Ivanka and Jared can relate in the fact that they were both born into incredibly wealthy families, with both families extremely prominent in the real estate sector. Separate from the multi-billion-dollar wealth of Kushner and Trump organizations, both Ivanka and Jared have an incredibly high dollar value. Ivanka’s personal net worth is estimated at $150 million. And although the Kushner name is not as famous, Jared Kushner has an even higher estimated net worth of $200 million.
10. Favorite Child Syndrome
What’s more annoying than one teacher’s pet? Two. Here’s another unique quality that both Jared and Ivanka share – within both families, they are each considered the ‘favorite child’. When his ex-con father, Charles Kushner, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, Jared stepped up to the plate as CEO of Kushner Companies. His brother Josh, on the other hand, is less involved in the family business, and you wouldn’t know that they also have two sisters. Likewise, in a 2015 20/20 interview with Barbara Walters, the Trump children all confidently agreed that Ivanka was the favorite child. Trump doesn’t shy away from this fact either, also having publicly stated that if Ivanka weren’t his daughter, he’d be dating her. Lucky her.
9. They’re Strikingly Good Looking
Run a Google image search and you’ll find that it’s nearly impossible to find a bad photo of either of them. They always look like they’re getting ready to shoot a Ralph Lauren ad and they’re both incredibly tall. Jared is 6’ 3” while Ivanka is 5’ 11”. Jared has dimples and a baby face that makes him look ten years younger than he actually is. And Ivanka looks like she’s aging in all of the right places, possibly thanks to the help of plastic surgery done well. It’s no wonder that their three children have also inherited their parents’ good looks.
8. They Met at a Business Meeting
It was actually a meeting arranged by mutual friends who thought they should connect solely for business purposes. In a 2015 Vogue interview, Ivanka revealed, “They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional.” However, Jared and Ivanka started dating pretty quickly after that initial meeting. Now, whenever those friends see the two together they refer to them as “the best deal we ever made.” In an interview with Us Weekly, Ivanka revealed that their first date was to a speakeasy in downtown NYC behind a Japanese restaurant and that it was weird.
7. Big Families
Both Jared and Ivanka come from pretty large families by traditional American standards. Jared has a brother (Josh) and two sisters (Nicole and Dara), all with the same mom and dad. Ivanka’s family tree is a bit more complicated considering her father, Donald Trump, has been married three times. She has two brothers (Donald Jr. and Eric), one step-sister (Tiffany), and one step-brother (Barron). Apparently, both sets of siblings are pretty close despite their differences. Their large families may have contributed to the fact that the two are rapidly expanding their little family as well. They already have three children under five.
6. Differing Personalities
While Ivanka exerts more of a strong Type A personality, Jared is actually a quieter, soft-spoken leader. Jared has even once referred to Ivanka as the ‘CEO’ of the house. This doesn’t take away from the fact that they both make an equally powerful impression. Ivanka is more confident and open to the public from her social media activity to interviews with the press. Jared, on the other hand, is camera-shy and more reluctant to take the spotlight. He’s conservative and traditional without question and is apparently hard to please as he has already gone through six editors at the Observer.
5. They Almost Didn’t Happen
As previously mentioned, the two had differing religions, a factor that led to their initial break-up in 2008. However, not long after their split, mutual friend Wendi Deng (former wife of Ruper Murdoch) invited both parties to attend a weekend yacht trip together and the relationship was rekindled. Perhaps it was thanks to Deng that the power couple eventually married after Ivanka converted to Judaism, a move that sealed the deal with respects to Jared’s extremely orthodox family. Although Deng is no longer with Murdoch (a key advisor to Jared), she and Ivanka still have a close relationship and were even seen vacationing together in Croatia.
4. They’re New Yorkers at Heart
Jared was born in Livingston, New Jersey, but attended NYU for his graduate studies and also later purchased the famous New York Observer. His family’s real estate business is also known to have a prominent presence in the New York City real estate market. Ivanka was born right in Manhattan, New York City, and was raised and educated at the city’s finest schools. Both Jared and Ivanka have a huge presence within NYC’s most elite circles. They began raising their young family in a beautifully decorated Upper East Side apartment prior to relocating to DC. In a recent interview with Us Weekly, Ivanka commented on her love for New York and the fact that she’d want to retire there some day.
3. Key Players in the Trump Presidency
Despite the fact that they both lack any political experience, they have both played major influential roles in the Trump campaign and presidency. It is said that both Ivanka and Jared contributed to Trump’s election, being that they both worked hard to ‘fix’ their father’s misdoings and public image. Also, both being favored for their level-headedness and likeability, they’ve both earned a hot seat in the presidential administration. Kushner was officially selected by President Trump to be his senior advisor, and Ivanka has already taken on several first lady duties while Melania remains in NYC with her son Barron. Regardless of public scrutiny, President Trump has praised them both for having done very well in his opinion.
2. Obama Neighbors
In order fulfill their Trump presidency obligations, the small family has relocated to the exclusive Kalorama community of Washington D.C., just two miles away from the White House. The couple purchased the newly renovated six-bedroom, 6,870 square-foot home in December 2016 for 5.5 million dollars. It will be quite a transition coming from the NYC culture to suburban D.C. but they will fit right in with the rich and famous socialites within their proximities. Former president and first lady Barack and Michelle Obama are actually just right around the corner from their new home along with other famous Democrats as well as Republicans.
1. Shaped by their Fathers
This is another trait that uniquely shapes both Ivanka and Jared. In a published New Yorker column, Jared described his father Charles’ arrest as “the defining event of his life.” It was that very public scandal that led to Jared stepping up as CEO of Kushner Companies. Likewise, in her book The Trump Card, Ivanka commented that her relationship with dad had an effect that was different from that of her siblings. She was always personally close with her dad and the two have helped “make each other.” Now, in her father’s presidency and with her husband as a leading adviser, Ivanka is reciprocating the influence.