Steve Witkoff

Steven Charles Witkoff (born March 15, 1957) is an American real estate investor and former attorney who is the founder of the Witkoff Group. Since 2025, Witkoff has served as the United States special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for peace missions. He has also acted as a de facto envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin.

Born in the Bronx and raised on Long Island, Witkoff earned a BA in political science and a JD from Hofstra University. After starting his career as a real estate attorney, he shifted to property development in New York and Miami. Witkoff acquired buildings in Manhattan, including the Daily News Building and the Woolworth Building. During the first Trump administration, Witkoff was a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Groups, created to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

During the second Trump administration, Witkoff has been a prominent negotiator in the Russia–Ukraine War where he was criticized for perceived pro-Russian positions in negotiations and for allegedly advising the Russian government on how to negotiate. Witkoff has also been active in negotiations in the Middle East. During his tenure in the second Trump administration, he and his family have maintained extensive business ties with Middle East governments, including through World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency firm founded by his sons and Trump family members, raising conflict of interest concerns. As of April 2026, Forbes estimated his net worth at US$2.3 billion. One year into his tenure in the second Trump administration, Witkoff had increased his wealth by 15%, primarily driven by his investments into World Liberty Financial.

Witkoff was born in the Bronx in New York City, and raised in Baldwin Harbor and Old Westbury on Long Island. He is the son of Martin Witkoff and Lois née Birnbaum; Witkoff is Jewish. His father was the president of a women's clothing manufacturer named George Simonton Inc., and his mother was an interior designer.

Witkoff began his studies at Union College in Schenectady, New York, but he chose to transfer to Hofstra University, where he earned a BA in political science in 1980. In 1983, he graduated with a JD from Hofstra Law School.

Witkoff's first job as a lawyer was with the firm, Dreyer & Traub in New York City. Donald Trump was a client, and they met through work in 1986. They later developed a business relationship which evolved into a personal friendship.

Witkoff began his career as a real estate lawyer. In November 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that "Peers in the real-estate world invariably describe Witkoff [...] as smart, personable, and a talented negotiator with a common touch."

In 1985, he co-founded Stellar Management, partnering with fellow Dreyer & Traub real estate attorney Larry Gluck—"Stellar" is derived from the names "Steve" and "Larry"—gradually switching their careers from the practice of law to owning and managing real estate. They purchased inexpensive apartment buildings in Washington Heights, Manhattan and the Northwest Bronx; at one point they owned 85 buildings with over 3,000 apartments. In 1995, he expanded into lower Manhattan, buying several inexpensive office buildings. In 1996, he secured financing from Credit Suisse First Boston for the purchase of 33 Maiden Lane, a 27-story tower designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee; the following year, he leased the top 13 floors of the building to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York for a 25-year term.

In 1997, Witkoff left Stellar Management, founded and became chairman and CEO of the privately held Witkoff Group headquartered in New York City, and expanded into residential construction and land rehabilitation. In 1996, he and business partner Rubin Schron purchased the Daily News Building for $138 million, and he expanded his portfolio to include real estate purchases in Chicago, Dallas, and Philadelphia. By October 1998, the Witkoff Group operated 11 million square feet of commercial and retail real estate, and held an ownership interest in 7,500 apartments and a number of land and hotel developments. In 1998, a planned $2 billion initial public offering (IPO) of his company was canceled due to the collapse of the real estate market, and Witkoff and Gluck dissolved their partnership, with Gluck taking the residential properties and Witkoff the office buildings.

In 2013, Witkoff and Harry Macklowe purchased the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan for $660 million. That year, Witkoff and Fisher Brothers also purchased a parcel of land in Tribeca in Manhattan for $223 million on which they built a 792-foot high residential tower, 111 Murray Street. Over time, Witkoff diversified into higher-profile properties, including landmark buildings in Manhattan such as the Woolworth Building in Tribeca.

As of 2019, the Witkoff Group owned about 50 properties in the United States and internationally.

In April 2020, during the first presidency of Donald Trump, Witkoff had a minor role as a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group, which was created by Trump to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States.

In July 2024, Witkoff gave a speech on night four of the Republican National Convention.

On September 15, 2024, Witkoff was playing golf with Trump at Trump International Golf Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, when Ryan Wesley Routh attempted to assassinate Trump. A Secret Service officer fired at the gunman, who fled in a vehicle and was later apprehended.

On November 9, 2024, Witkoff was chosen to be co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Trump's upcoming second presidency, along with former US Senator Kelly Loeffler.

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had selected Witkoff to be his Special Envoy to the Middle East. Witkoff had no diplomatic experience.

In March 2025, Witkoff expressed concern that Israel's war in Gaza could destabilize Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. He stated that the youth unemployment rate in Egypt is 45% and that the country is bankrupt, saying that a "country can't exist like that. They're largely broke. They need a lot of help."

In March 2025, Witkoff suggested that Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa may have changed since his association with Al-Qaeda.

In 2024, Witkoff criticized the Biden administration over its decision to halt the shipment of certain bombs to Israel. However, he also stated that Hamas members are "not as ideologically extreme as they are portrayed" and praised Qatar for its efforts in trying to negotiate an end to the Gaza conflict.

In March 2025, Witkoff said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, by renewing attacks on Gaza, was prioritizing the destruction of Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages.

In 2018, Witkoff opposed sanctions against Russia for its occupation of Crimea.

In 1987, Witkoff married Lauren Jill Rappoport, who was then an associate at the Manhattan law firm of Botein, Hays & Sklar. In 2011, their 22-year-old son Andrew died of an OxyContin overdose at the now-closed Sunset Plaza Drive sober living facility in California. Their son Zachary is a co-founder of World Liberty Financial, a cryptocurrency company. Their son Alex is co-CEO of the Witkoff Group.

In 2019, Witkoff relocated from New York City to Florida and settled in Miami Beach. He separated from his wife, Jill, and has been in a relationship with Lauren Olaya since 2024; she often accompanies him.