Arya News - Josh Kushner quickly pivoted to the Lakers once FIFA scrapped its private-investor plan.
Before purchasing the Los Angeles Lakers with Bob Iger, Josh Kushner and his company — Thrive — were at the center of another major purchase. Kushner was expected to be one of the main characters at the center of Gianni Infantino"s plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private investors.
That plan turned out to be a disaster. Opposition from member associations, strongly-worded statements and boycotts turned the soccer world against Infantino, who continues to face criticism and calls for his job today.
FIFA eventually announced that plan was scrapped and Kushner purchased the Lakers a few weeks later.
Until Monday, Kushner had not commented on his involvement with the FIFA proposal. He finally broke his silence, telling Axios he would not have gotten involved at all had he known how much member associations would oppose the deal .
"Money in football has historically been concentrated amongst a small group of countries. The idea behind FFE was to direct more capital and equity equally amongst all 211 member countries, providing significantly more investment to underdeveloped nations to nurture local talent, support grassroots football, enhance the fan experience, and ultimately grow the global game everywhere.
It was an idea that every Member Association would vote on, not an obligation or determination. While we stand behind the motivations of FFE, we failed to appreciate the political dynamics of global football, and the lengths some would go to. Thrive has a long track record of being a partner to all constituents. Had we known what this would devolve into, we would not have gotten involved."
Kushner, however, still defended the plan, saying, "We stand behind the motivations of [FIFA Forward Enterprise.]"
After buying the Lakers, Kushner may no longer have interest in investing in any soccer directives. And given the level of scrutiny Infantino still faces, it"s unlikely the FIFA president puts up a similar proposal any time soon. In the short term, at least, Infantino will more likely be focused on keeping his job during the 2027 FIFA presidential election.
Kushner, meanwhile, can shift his priority over to the Lakers. And while that franchise can come with its occasional drama — as the Buss family put on display — that"s probably far preferred to the hate Kushner would have received had FIFA gone along with Infantino"s private-investment plan.