Dutch intelligence agencies managed to compromise Jared Kushner's iPhone X in late 2017 after capturing and turning a Russian hacker operating for the GRU, according to details from Matthew Cole's new book, Princes and Thieves: Jared Kushner and Mohamed bin Zayed’s Secret Plot to Remake the Middle East, published in Vanity Fair. By gaining access to a GRU server containing screenshots of Kushner's device, Dutch spies reverse-engineered the security exploit to maintain a continuous image feed of his phone screen. This surveillance period coincided with reports that Kushner was utilizing personal mobile devices and unsecure private email accounts to conduct official government business while handling Top Secret intelligence without a permanent security clearance.
During their monitoring in early 2018, Dutch operatives observed Kushner logging into a Dubai-based bank account holding roughly $750 million. Identified as the Alpha account, the funds were held at First Abu Dhabi Bank and tied to the UAE-based Watani Al Emarat Foundation. Sources indicated that Kushner and UAE leader Mohamed bin Zayed utilized the account as a shared financial pool for off-the-books diplomatic objectives, with contributions originating from regional royals. Additional reporting highlighted a separate Israeli Central Bank account, dubbed Beta, allegedly containing about $1 billion allocated for Kushner's personal benefit. According to the book, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recommended the use of the Israeli Central Bank and required Kushner to provide advance notice of transactions through the U.S. ambassador to Israel, David M. Friedman.
The intricate financial dealings reportedly involved convoluted pathways through Azerbaijani banks known for unadvertised large-scale money transfers. Legal and investigative experts noted that failing to disclose these accounts could potentially violate federal ethics, tax regulations, federal bribery laws, and the Foreign Agents Registration Act. Several former national security officials, chiefs of staff, and a former CIA director confirmed they were unaware of any presidential authorization granting Kushner access to foreign bank accounts. Counsel for Kushner strongly denied all allegations, characterizing the reports as outrageous fabrications, complete fantasy, and false claims, while threatening legal action. Representatives for Friedman likewise denied any involvement or knowledge of the transactions.
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