Soros Rips ‘Would-Be Dictator’ Trump, Lends Money to His In-Laws, the Kushners

George Soros has been a fierce critic of President Donald Trump, denouncing him at a recent conference in Switzerland as a “would-be dictator.” But that doesn’t mean he’s above doing business with the president’s in-laws — the billionaire investor is said to have given $250 million in credit to Jared Kushner and Joshua Kushner’s real estate startup Cadre.

“Soros has had a long and productive relationship with the Kushner family,” an unnamed source told the Real Deal, which broke the story on Friday.

The brothers started the venture two years ago, as an online platform that allows institutions to invest in real estate deals located in high-priced markets like New York City. It’s unclear whether Jared Kushner, now a senior adviser in the White House, will be selling off his stake in the business in a bid to avoid conflicts of interest.

Trump, Jared Kushner’s father-in-law, demonized Soros throughout the campaign, painting him as a wealthy influence peddler in tones that struck many as anti-Semitic dog whistles. He vowed to “drain the swamp” of the Washington, D.C. elite by reducing or removing the global power of Soros and his ilk.

Contact Daniel J. Solomon at solomon@forward.com or on Twitter @DanielJSolomon