laurent morali

When Morali became CEO of Kushner Companies in 2017, questions arose. The first was about how much power the French-born Wall Street veteran really had. 

Morali was not part of the Kushner family, which had started the firm in 1985 and has run it since, leading the firm through major deals like the acquisition of 666 Fifth Avenue for a record-breaking $1.8 billion. 

But there was a sense that Morali was something of a foil to the excesses of the Kushner family, who were better known for tabloid escapades, family relationships with Trump and felony convictions than for real estate. Morali had become known while at the firm for being a good negotiator and a charming person. While many in real estate are “screamers,” one source told TRD in 2017, Morali, like Jared Kushner, had a different demeanor. 

He brought a credit and institutional background to the firm, which he joined in 2008, when the company had a headcount hovering around 25. 

Any doubts about Morali’s leadership have likely been quieted. Forbes in 2024 estimated Kushner Companies to be worth $2.9 billion, up from $1 billion in 2016. The firm has sold some of its risky office assets and returned to multifamily development. Kushner now controls 22,000 apartments in 14 states with a fully integrated property manager and lending arm. As of April 2025, the firm had a pipeline of 10,000 apartments planned in Florida and New Jersey.