Joshua Kushner: Karlie Kloss’s Husband, Thrive Capital Founder and the $16.7 Billion Fortune

Karlie Kloss is trending in the United States after reuniting with Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium on Sunday 8 November 2026. The two sat together as the Kansas City Chiefs faced the New York Jets, with Kloss bringing her five-year-old son Levi while Swift cheered on her husband, Travis Kelce, in his 200th NFL game.

The appearance ended years of speculation about a rift between the former close friends, who had not been photographed together in public since 2018. At the centre of Kloss’s life away from the cameras is her husband of eight years, venture capitalist Joshua Kushner, the founder of Thrive Capital and, by some estimates, one of the richest men in American tech.

Joshua Kushner — Quick Reference Profile

Growing Up in Livingston: A Real-Estate Family and Harvard

Joshua Kushner was born on 12 June 1985 in Livingston, New Jersey, the youngest son of real-estate developer Charles Kushner and Seryl Kushner. He grew up in a Jewish family alongside his elder brother Jared Kushner, who later became a senior adviser in Donald Trump’s first administration and is married to Ivanka Trump.

His father has remained a public figure in his own right, becoming the United States ambassador to France in May 2025. Joshua took a different path, studying at Harvard University and graduating in 2008 before returning to Harvard Business School for an MBA, which he completed in 2011.

He began angel investing while still an undergraduate, writing small cheques into start-ups, and spent a brief period on Goldman Sachs’ private equity desk after business school. The investing habit he formed at Harvard became the foundation of his career.

Thrive Capital: The Bets on Instagram, Spotify and OpenAI

Kushner founded Thrive Capital in 2009, at the age of 24, while still a student. The New York venture capital firm went on to back some of the defining technology companies of the past fifteen years, including early investments in Instagram, Spotify, Stripe, OpenAI and SpaceX.

Thrive raised $5 billion for its ninth fund in August 2024, according to Forbes, and Bloomberg reported in August 2026 that the firm’s assets under management had passed $65 billion. Kushner also founded Thrive Holdings, an AI-focused acquisition company, in 2025, which raised $2 billion from investors including SoftBank at a valuation of $12.5 billion.

Forbes reported that Kushner owns about 66 percent of Thrive, a stake that explains why the firm’s soaring portfolio valuations have translated so directly into his personal fortune. Thrive is a private firm and does not publish audited financials, so every net-worth figure attached to him remains an estimate.

Oscar Health and the Move Into Sports

Kushner co-founded Oscar Health in 2012, a technology-led health insurance company built around the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act, where he serves as vice-chairman. The company has since reported record profits, adding a second pillar to his business profile beyond venture investing.

His most public deal arrived on 12 August 2026, when it was reported that Kushner and former Disney chief executive Bob Iger had agreed to buy the Los Angeles Lakers for $12.5 billion, a record price for a professional sports team. Kushner and Lakers owner Mark Walter agreed all remaining terms at a meeting at Walter’s Florida home on 30 October 2026.

The deal is not yet complete. The formal agreement still has to be signed, and the NBA’s Board of Governors must then approve the sale before it becomes official. Jeanie Buss is contesting the sale of the family’s remaining stake in court, with a hearing set for 8 December 2026. Podcast host Bill Simmons has claimed Kushner is still short of the funds needed to close, while Kushner has assured Walter he has raised the money required.

Thrive Capital was also identified by FIFA in 2026 as leading the proposed investor group behind the governing body’s controversial private investment plan, a reminder that Kushner’s reach now extends well beyond Silicon Valley.

Marriage to Karlie Kloss and Life Beside the Spotlight

Kushner and Kloss began dating in 2012 and married on 18 October 2018, holding a second Western-themed ceremony eight months later. They have three children: sons Levi Joseph, born 11 March 2021, and Elijah Jude, born 11 July 2023, and daughter Rae Florence, born 18 September 2025.

Rae Florence was named after Kushner’s paternal grandmother Rae, a Holocaust survivor whose name also lives on in the Rae Kushner Yeshiva High School in Livingston, New Jersey. Kloss brought five-year-old Levi with her to the Chiefs game on Sunday, and Donna Kelce, Travis Kelce’s mother, was also reported to be sitting nearby.

Kloss has built her own business profile as the founder of Kode with Klossy and the owner of i-D magazine. Days before the reunion, she returned to her home state of Missouri to campaign against Amendment 3, a measure that would have repealed abortion protections approved by voters in 2024. Voters rejected the amendment on 3 November 2026.

The couple keep their family life largely private. Kloss said in a Bloomberg interview in July 2026 that she has never met Donald Trump, despite being married to the younger brother of his son-in-law. She has also spoken about protecting the privacy of her friends’ personal lives, including Swift’s.

Kloss attended Swift and Kelce’s wedding at Madison Square Garden on 3 July 2026 alongside her husband, a moment that first signalled the friendship was back on course. Ines de Ramon, who attended the same wedding with Brad Pitt, was among the guests photographed that weekend.

The $16.7 Billion Question: What the Fortune Is Really Worth

Forbes estimated Kushner’s net worth at $16.7 billion in August 2026, a sharp rise from its $5.2 billion estimate less than a year earlier, driven by the ballooning valuations of Thrive’s stakes in OpenAI, Stripe and other late-stage companies. Bloomberg’s Billionaires Index put the figure at roughly $17.5 billion in October 2026.

Those numbers should be read with care. They are estimates built on the value of a private firm, not audited wealth, and they can move quickly when portfolio valuations change. The $12.5 billion Lakers valuation is the price of the team, not Kushner’s personal fortune, and the purchase is backed by a broader ownership group rather than a single cheque.

What is not in doubt is the scale of the transformation. Forbes first estimated his net worth at $500 million in 2016. A decade later, the investor who started with a small seed fund at 24 sits at the centre of some of the largest deals in technology and sport.

Frequently Asked Questions About Joshua Kushner

Who is Joshua Kushner?

Joshua Kushner is an American venture capitalist and the founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital. He co-founded Oscar Health, is married to supermodel Karlie Kloss, and is the younger brother of Jared Kushner.

How is Joshua Kushner related to Donald Trump?

He is not Trump’s son-in-law. His elder brother Jared Kushner is married to Ivanka Trump, which makes Joshua the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law. Karlie Kloss has said she has never met Trump.

What is Joshua Kushner’s net worth?

Forbes estimated it at $16.7 billion in August 2026, while Bloomberg put it at about $17.5 billion in October 2026. Both are estimates based largely on his stake in Thrive Capital, not verified personal wealth.

Has Joshua Kushner bought the LA Lakers?

Not yet. Terms were agreed in October 2026 at a $12.5 billion valuation alongside Bob Iger, but the agreement still has to be signed and the NBA’s Board of Governors must approve the sale before it becomes official.

How many children do Joshua Kushner and Karlie Kloss have?

Three: sons Levi Joseph, born in March 2021, and Elijah Jude, born in July 2023, and daughter Rae Florence, born in September 2025.

Myth-busting: what is not true about Joshua Kushner

One common error is calling Joshua Kushner Donald Trump’s son-in-law. That is his brother Jared. Another is treating the $12.5 billion Lakers price tag as Kushner’s personal fortune, when it is the valuation of the team and the deal is funded by a wider ownership group.

A third is the long-running claim that Karlie Kloss and Taylor Swift were locked in a feud. Neither woman ever confirmed a falling out, and Kloss told The New York Times in 2018 that the pair spoke frequently. Their appearance together at Arrowhead Stadium on 8 November 2026, months after Kloss attended Swift’s wedding, puts the rumour to rest more firmly than any denial could.