Where this was said
The Kushner Deal: What's Being Built and Where
At 4:12 · chapter starts 2:06
The interview begins with Jakob Weissmann — a Politico sustainability reporter who spent nearly a decade in the Western Balkans — setting out the sequence of events [1] — Jakob Weissmann "Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is behind a $1.6 billion luxury resort development on Albania's protected southern coast, including Sazan…" 02:20 . In 2024, Albania passed controversial amendments to its protected areas law, which critics say specifically opened the door for Kushner's investment. Affinity Partners then moved toward a $1.6 billion development of Sazan Island and a vast stretch of adjacent wetlands. Earlier in 2025, construction began — and the appearance of excavators, diggers, and new fencing on protected land was the spark that lit the fire. Weissmann describes visiting the site himself and seeing a road already built and fence foundations in place, giving his account a rare firsthand credibility.
Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is involved in a potential $1.6 billion development of Sazan Island and nearby wetlands into a luxury resort.
Jared Kushner's Affinity Partners is behind a $1.6 billion luxury resort development on Albania's protected southern coast, including Sazan Island and vital wildlife wetlands. Construction equipment arrived, fences went up, and Albanians took to the streets — hundreds of thousands of them.
The land Kushner wants to develop is a rare, untouched wildlife sanctuary — home to endangered monk seals, flamingos, sea turtles, and migratory birds. It's also one of the few places ordinary Albanians can access nature, and now even that is under threat.
