Josh Kushner

Josh Kushner
Born	12 6, 1985
Birthplace	Livingston, New Jersey, U.S.
Nationality	American
Occupation	Venture capitalist, entrepreneur
Known for	Founder of Thrive Capital
Education	Harvard Business School (MBA)
Spouse(s)	Template:Marriage

Joshua Kushner (born June 12, 1985) is an American businessman, investor, and venture capitalist who founded Thrive Capital, a New York City-based venture capital firm that has become one of the most prominent technology investment firms in the United States. Kushner, who comes from a prominent New Jersey real estate family, built his reputation through early and significant investments in companies including OpenAI, Stripe, SpaceX, and Skims, among others. He also co-founded the health insurance technology company Oscar Health. In February 2026, Thrive Capital raised more than $10 billion in new funding, its largest fund to date, cementing Kushner's position as one of the most influential figures in Silicon Valley venture capital. He is married to supermodel Karlie Kloss and is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, the real estate executive and former senior advisor to President Donald Trump.

Early Life

Joshua Kushner was born on June 12, 1985, in Livingston, New Jersey, into a prominent family with deep roots in real estate and business. He is the son of Charles Kushner, a real estate developer who founded Kushner Companies, and Seryl Kushner (née Stadtmauer). Josh is the younger brother of Jared Kushner, who would later serve as a senior advisor to President Donald Trump during his first term in office and who married Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump.

The Kushner family is one of the most recognizable names in American real estate and politics. Charles Kushner built a significant real estate empire in the New York metropolitan area, and the family's involvement in both business and public life has placed the Kushners at the intersection of finance, politics, and media. Despite the family's close ties to Trump — through his brother Jared's marriage to Ivanka Trump and Jared's role in the Trump White House — Josh Kushner has generally charted a more independent course, particularly in the technology and venture capital world.

Growing up in New Jersey, Josh Kushner demonstrated an early interest in business and entrepreneurship. The family environment, steeped in real estate dealings and business negotiations, provided a formative backdrop for his later career in investing and company building. While much of the public attention on the Kushner family has centered on the political activities associated with Jared Kushner's role in the Trump administration, Josh Kushner has carved out a distinct identity as a technology investor and entrepreneur in his own right.

In June 2025, Kushner celebrated his 40th birthday with a party at Katz's Delicatessen, the famous Lower East Side restaurant in New York City. The event was attended by his brother Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, among other guests, reflecting the close family ties that persist despite their divergent professional paths.

Education

Josh Kushner attended Harvard University, where he earned his undergraduate degree. He subsequently enrolled at Harvard Business School, where he earned a Master of Business Administration (MBA). It was during his time at Harvard that Kushner began to develop the network and investment philosophy that would inform his later career in venture capital. His education at Harvard placed him among a cohort of future business leaders and entrepreneurs, and the connections he built during this period proved instrumental in his early investment career.

Career

Thrive Capital

Josh Kushner founded Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm based in New York City, which has grown to become one of the most prominent and active technology investment firms in the United States. The firm focuses on investments in internet and technology companies, and has built a portfolio that includes some of the most valuable private and public technology companies in the world.

Thrive Capital's investment portfolio has included stakes in a range of high-profile companies. Among its most notable investments are OpenAI, the artificial intelligence research company behind ChatGPT; Stripe, the payments technology company; SpaceX, Elon Musk's aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company; and Skims, the shapewear and clothing brand co-founded by Kim Kardashian. These investments span sectors from artificial intelligence and financial technology to aerospace and consumer goods, reflecting the firm's broad investment mandate.

In February 2026, Thrive Capital raised more than $10 billion in new funding, marking its largest fundraising effort to date. The raise gave the firm substantial additional capital to deploy in technology companies and further cemented its status as one of the leading venture capital firms in the industry. Bloomberg reported that Kushner described the firm's investment approach as "ride-or-die," indicating a philosophy of deep commitment to its portfolio companies rather than passive investing.

The $10 billion fundraise was also reported by Reuters, which noted the significance of the raise in the context of the broader venture capital market.

Relationship with OpenAI

One of Thrive Capital's most prominent and closely watched investments has been its stake in OpenAI, the artificial intelligence company led by Sam Altman. Kushner and Thrive Capital have been among OpenAI's largest backers, and the relationship between the firm and the AI company has attracted significant attention from media and industry observers.

In February 2026, Kushner drew on J.R.R. Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings to articulate his perspective on the dynamics of power and influence surrounding OpenAI. In remarks reported by Business Insider, Kushner compared Sam Altman and OpenAI to possessors of Tolkien's One Ring, suggesting that the immense capabilities and influence of the AI company created unique dynamics around perceived power. The analogy reflected Kushner's view that proximity to a company of OpenAI's significance and transformative potential carries its own set of challenges and lessons about how power is perceived and exercised in the technology industry.

This commentary provided a rare public window into Kushner's thinking about the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence investment. As one of OpenAI's most significant financial backers, his perspectives on the company and the broader AI industry are closely followed by other investors, entrepreneurs, and industry analysts.

Oscar Health

In addition to his work with Thrive Capital, Kushner co-founded Oscar Health, a health insurance technology company. Oscar Health was founded with the goal of using technology to simplify and improve the health insurance experience for consumers. The company leveraged data, design, and technology to create a more user-friendly approach to health insurance, offering plans through the Affordable Care Act marketplaces and other channels. Oscar Health went public and has been one of the notable attempts to disrupt the traditional health insurance industry through technology.

Investment Philosophy

Kushner's approach to venture capital has been characterized by concentrated bets on companies he believes have the potential for outsized impact. The "ride-or-die" characterization he applied to Thrive Capital's investment strategy suggests a model built on deep partnerships with founders and long-term commitment to portfolio companies, rather than a more diversified, passive approach. This philosophy has led Thrive Capital to maintain significant positions in companies like OpenAI, Stripe, and SpaceX over extended periods.

The Profile, a newsletter that features profiles of notable business figures, included Kushner in an October 2025 edition examining influential figures in Silicon Valley and the broader business world, describing his role within the technology investment ecosystem.

Personal Life

Josh Kushner is married to Karlie Kloss, an American supermodel and entrepreneur. The couple married in 2018 after several years of dating. Their relationship has attracted considerable media attention, in part because of the unusual nexus of connections it creates — Kloss is a close friend of singer Taylor Swift, while Kushner's brother Jared is married to Ivanka Trump, making the Kushner-Kloss union a bridge between the worlds of fashion, entertainment, technology, and politics.

Yahoo described the couple as a "power couple with unconventional ties to Trump," noting the distinctive position they occupy at the intersection of multiple high-profile social and professional circles. Despite the extensive public interest in their family connections, Kushner and Kloss have generally maintained a relatively private personal life, limiting their public commentary on political matters and focusing their public personas on their respective professional endeavors.

In June 2025, Kushner's 40th birthday celebration at Katz's Delicatessen in New York City offered a glimpse into his social world. Page Six reported that the party was attended by a range of notable guests, including his brother Jared Kushner and sister-in-law Ivanka Trump. The choice of Katz's Deli, a storied New York institution, for the milestone birthday reflected the family's New York roots.

The couple's relationship has been subject to public curiosity particularly regarding how they navigate the political complexities arising from the Kushner family's association with the Trump administration. However, both Josh Kushner and Karlie Kloss have largely kept their political views private, preferring to direct public attention toward their business and philanthropic activities.

Recognition

Josh Kushner has been recognized as one of the most influential venture capitalists in the United States. The scale of Thrive Capital's investments — particularly the $10 billion fundraise announced in February 2026 — has placed him among the most prominent figures in the global technology investment landscape.

His investments in companies that have reshaped their respective industries, including OpenAI in artificial intelligence, Stripe in financial technology, and SpaceX in aerospace, have drawn attention from both financial media and the broader business press. Bloomberg, Business Insider, Reuters, and other major news organizations have covered his investment activities and public remarks extensively.

Kushner has also been featured in profiles and roundups of notable business figures. The Profile newsletter included him among a group of influential Silicon Valley and business personalities in October 2025, recognizing his role within the technology investment community.

The combination of his family's prominence in real estate and politics, his marriage to Karlie Kloss, and his own track record in venture capital has made Kushner a frequently profiled figure in both business and lifestyle media. Yahoo, Page Six, and other outlets have covered his personal and professional life, reflecting the broad public interest in his activities across multiple domains.

Legacy

While Josh Kushner remains in the active phase of his career, his impact on the venture capital industry is already discernible. Through Thrive Capital, he has helped establish New York City as a significant center for technology venture capital, challenging the historical dominance of Silicon Valley-based firms. The firm's ability to raise $10 billion in a single fundraise — and its portfolio of investments in some of the most consequential technology companies of the 2020s — reflects the scale and influence Kushner has achieved in the investment world.

His investment in OpenAI, in particular, has positioned Thrive Capital at the center of one of the most transformative technological shifts of the era. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape industries and economies, the decisions made by OpenAI's major backers — including Kushner and Thrive Capital — will have far-reaching implications. Kushner's public reflections on the dynamics of power and influence surrounding OpenAI, including his Lord of the Rings analogy, suggest an investor who is grappling with the broader societal implications of the technologies his firm supports, not merely the financial returns.

Kushner's co-founding of Oscar Health represented an early and notable attempt to apply technology-driven approaches to the health insurance industry, a sector long characterized by complexity and consumer frustration. Regardless of Oscar Health's ultimate market trajectory, the company contributed to a broader movement of technology companies seeking to improve healthcare delivery and access.

His career also illustrates the evolving nature of the American business landscape, where family dynasties rooted in traditional industries like real estate can produce individuals who go on to shape entirely different sectors. Josh Kushner's path from a New Jersey real estate family to the upper echelons of technology venture capital represents a generational shift in how wealth and influence are built and deployed in the United States.