Steven Witkoff is a real estate investor, landlord, philanthropist, and the founder of the Witkoff Group. ^{1 2} Witkoff owns property portfolios in New York and other major U.S. cities. ²

Following the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Donald Trump named Witkoff to co-chair his inaugural committee and to be the U.S. special envoy to the Middle East as of November 2024. ³

Family and Personal Life

Witkoff was born in the Bronx and raised in Long Island. He is the son of a manufacturer of women’s coats. ⁴

Witkoff graduated from Hofstra University in 1980. He graduated from Hofstra’s law school in 1983. ⁴

Witkoff married Lauren Rappoport. They had three sons: Zach, Alex and Andrew .⁴ Alex Witkoff is the co-CEO of the Witkoff Group. ⁵ Zach Witkoff is executive vice president of the company. ⁶

Steve Witkoff lost his son Andrew Witkoff to an opioid overdose in 2011 at the at the One80 Center, a rehab facility. The Witkoff family sued the center. ^{7 6} During his remarks at the 2024 Republican National Convention, he noted how former President Donald Trump had supported him during the loss of his son. ⁶

Realty Career

After graduating from Hofstra law school in 1983, Steve Witkoff worked for the New York real estate law firm Dreyer & Traub, and represented large developers and investors. ⁵ Donald Trump was a client of the firm. ⁴

In 1985, Witkoff and Laurence Gluck founded Stellar Management, which was a play on words based on their first names, Steve and Laurence. The firm bought property in Harlem, Washington Heights, and the Bronx. ⁴

In 1997, he founded and became the chairman and co-CEO of the Witkoff Group. The company is involved in financing, repositioning, and construction of more than 70 properties in major business districts in the United States and abroad. It has offices in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami. ^{5 8}

Witkoff purchased the major New York City landmark Woolworth Building for $155 million in 1998 from the Venator Group, formerly the Woolworth Corporation. It was the first time the building changed hands since it was built 85 years earlier. ^{9 10} The Witkoff Group bought several other historic properties in New York City, including the Daily News Building and the Park Lane Hotel. ⁴

The Witkoff Group teamed with Access Industries of New York and London, and PPG Development of Hallandale Beach to buy Banyan Cay Resort & Golf in West Palm Beach, Florida. They took over the property in 2024 and rebranded it as Dutchman’s Pipe Golf Club. ¹¹

In May 2024, Witkoff argued that New York and California were facing economic disaster regarding commercial real estate. He noted that many multifamily housing units were unaffordable because of interest rates and a cultural shift to hybrid work models. ¹²

Ties to Donald Trump

Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump have reportedly been friends since the 1980s, when Witkoff bought Trump a sandwich after the two worked on a real estate deal together. ¹⁰

Steve Wikoff’s son Zach had his 2022 wedding at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort. ⁴

Witkoff testified at Trump’s fraud trial brought by the New York attorney general’s office in 2024. Witkoff testified that Trump’s Doral golf course in Miami was undervalued. ⁴

During the 2024 presidential cycle, Witkoff donated more than $2 million supporting Trump’s election, but he had also contributed six figures to boost the presidential campaign of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). ⁴

On the day former President Trump was shot in the ear in Butler, Pennsylvania in July 2024, Witkoff said he called to express his concern. He expected to get a voicemail, but was surprised when Trump answered, to say, “Hi, Steve, I’m really glad you called, how are you, how are you kids?” ⁶ Witkoff was golfing with Trump in September 2024 in West Palm Peach as a gunman was hiding in the shrubs near the golf course with the alleged intent to assassinate the former President. ³

Witkoff had speaking roles during major 2024 Trump campaign events such as the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Trump’s second rally in Butler, Pennsylvania where the first assassination attempt occurred; and at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in New York City. ³

Witkoff is pro-Israel, and in July 2024, he attended Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s address to a joint session of Congress. ¹³

During the Trump presidential campaigns, Witkoff helped to raise money among Jewish donors for Trump. ³ Witkoff said he secured “six-figure and seven-figure donations” from Jewish donors after President Joe Biden announced he would pause weapons shipments to Israel. ¹³

After the 2024 presidential election, President-elect Trump named Witkoff and former Georgia Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R) to co-chair his inaugural committee for his January 2025 inauguration. ¹⁰

When he announced his intention to nominate Witkoff as his Middle East envoy in the second Trump administration, President-elect Trump wrote, “Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous. Steve will be an unrelenting Voice for PEACE, and make us all proud.” ^{1 3}

1. Rumpf-Whitten, Sarah. “Trump announces pick of real estate tycoon Steven Witkoff for Middle East envoy.” Fox News. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-announces-pick-real-estate-tycoon-steven-witkoff-middle-east-envoy
2. Bazail-Emil, Eric. “Trump appoints real estate investor, golf partner as Middle East peace envoy.” Politico. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/11/12/congress/from-trumps-golf-partner-to-middle-east-envoy-00189132
3. O’Keefe, Ross. “Who is Trump administration Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff?” Washington Examiner. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024.  https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/3227984/who-is-trump-administration-special-envoy-middle-east-steve-witkoff/
4. Markoe, Lauren and Kornbluh, Jacob. “Steve Witkoff, Trump’s golf buddy, appointed special envoy to the Middle East.” Forward. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://forward.com/fast-forward/654465/steve-witkoff-trump-jewish-golf-assassination-real-estate/
5. “People.” Witkoff. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.witkoff.com/people
6.  Hensley, JJ. “Real estate baron Steven Witkoff uses RNC speech to humanize Trump, recall son who OD’d.” USA Today. July 18, 2024. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/07/18/steve-witkoff-speech-rnc-2024/74412157007/
7. Baum, Gary. “Wrongful Death Lawsuit Hits L.A. Rehab Center Following THR Investigation.” Hollywood Reporter. August 17, 2013. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/wrongful-death-lawsuit-hits-la-608257/
8. Witkoff. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.witkoff.com/
9. Editors. “Woolworth Building.” Hitory.com. April 22, 2010. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.history.com/topics/landmarks/woolworth-building
10. Kampea, Ron. “Trump names fellow real estate mogul Steve Witkoff as Middle East envoy.” Jewish Telegraphic Agency. November 12, 2024. Accessed November 22, 2024.  https://www.jta.org/2024/11/12/politics/trump-names-fellow-real-estate-mogul-steve-witkoff-as-middle-east-envoy
11. Fins, Antonio. “Trump names real estate investor and donor Steve Witkoff to head inauguration group.” Palm Beach Post. November 19, 2024. Accessed November 22, 2024. https://www.palmbeachpost.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/11/09/steve-witkoff-real-estate-investor-to-co-lead-trump-inaugural-committee/76164591007/
12. Altus, Kristen. “Trump confidant and real estate investor says Newsom’s California, New York economies are a ‘disaster.’” Fox Business. May 9, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.foxbusiness.com/politics/trump-confidant-real-estate-investor-newsom-california-new-york-economy-disaster
13. Staff. “Trump picks Jewish real estate tycoon Steven Witkoff for Mideast envoy.” Jerusalem Post. November 13, 2024. Accessed November 21, 2024. https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-828857