Alex Witkoff, the son of envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, recently sought investments from the region for a real estate fund.

Alex Witkoff pitched Qatar, a key player in ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas, on an investment fund focused on commercial real estate projects in the United States, the New York Times reported.

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He tried to convince the Qatari investors by saying he had received “billions of dollars from government-affiliated funds in Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Kuwait,” the outlet reported.

The deal had the potential to enrich the Witkoff family, but Qatar decided not to go through with the agreement. A Witkoff spokesperson told the outlet that plans had been “preliminary,” and they ultimately decided not to move forward with them.

“They are not moving forward with that fund,” she said.

The Witkoffs own the Witkoff Group, a real-estate development firm.

The Witkoffs had other business dealings with Qatar, accepting $100 million from an investment firm partly owned by Qatar in May and another $100 million in the same month for a Palm Beach property.

The firm, Apollo, said investors like Qatar “have no role in directing or choosing the investments” the trust makes. 

The Trump administration disputed the report, and the outlet noted that there is
“no evidence that Qatar’s business relationship with the Witkoff family has affected Steve Witkoff’s diplomatic negotiations.”

“This is another bogus smear from the failing New York Times against Steve Witkoff,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said. She added that Steve Witkoff was “finalizing” divesting from his company.

David Warrington, the White House counsel, also told the outlet that Witkoff “takes seriously his compliance with the government ethics rules.”

Qatar has billions at the ready to invest in its sovereign wealth fund. The country has invested across the United States, including in the real estate market. Potentially in the process of looking for new investments, the Qatari Embassy hired Stonington Strategies.

Stonington Strategies is run by Nicolas Muzin, a Republican political strategist, and Joey Allaham, a restaurateur. Their reported mission was to “find prominent American Jews willing to vouch for Qatar with federal officials.”

A memo prepared by Allaham for Qatar said Witkoff is a “confidant” and “unofficial adviser” to President Donald Trump, and that because he was Jewish, a relationship with him would “provide credibility to others in the greater Jewish community.”

He suggested that Qatar invest in real estate.  

“Real estate has long been an entree to a higher profile and domestic engagement for foreign investors,” he wrote.

Qatar denied trying to cultivate a relationship with Witkoff to gain favor with Trump.

“Qatar’s investment decisions are kept entirely separate from diplomacy,” a Qatari government spokesperson said.

Kelly discredited Allaham, saying he’s donated to Democrats and that his restaurant business faces tax liens.

A Witkoff company spokesperson said that Steve Witkoff has “had no involvement in our company since 2024, and so despite the dishonest innuendo, the suggestion that any sort of ‘conflict of interest’ exists is categorically false.”

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Trump nominated his friend, Witkoff, to be his envoy to the Middle East about a week after he won election in November. Witkoff donated millions to Trump’s campaign.

Since taking office, Witkoff helped negotiate a Gaza ceasefire in January. A Qatari government advisor singled out Witkoff as someone who helped get the deal “across the line.”