Steve Witkoff, the influential New York real estate developer turned US envoy to the Middle East under President Donald Trump, addressed the crowd gathered at Tel Aviv on Saturday for the anticipated return of hostages under a deal between Israel and Hamas. He was quoted in a BBC report saying, “I have been waiting for this night.” He added that he wished Trump could witness the scene in person and noted, “He would have loved it.”
The special envoy added, “First and foremost I want to honour the people of Israel. Your courage and endurance inspired the world.”
But away from the spotlight, Witkoff’s family has been steadily expanding their influence across global finance, technology, and property. Steve married Lauren Jill Rappoport, a former associate at the New York law firm Botein, Hays & Sklar, in the year 1987, and the pair had three sons.
Their son, Andrew Witkoff, died at the age of 22 after he overdosed on OxyContin smuggled into his room at the rehab center: One80 Center. He was found dead by his program companion on August 14 in 2011. Following his death, the Witkoffs, as per The Hollywood Reporter, filed a lawsuit against the center for the ‘wrongful death’ of their son.
Also read: Ian Watkins, the Lostprophets singer, died at 48 after being attacked in prison
His older son, Alex Witkoff, followed closely in his father’s footsteps in real estate. Groomed to take over the family business, he now runs The Witkoff Group, which Steve founded in 1997. The firm is known for high-end property developments such as The Brook in Brooklyn and The Belgrove in Palm Beach.
However, Alex has been at the center of recent controversy after a New York Times report revealed he approached Middle Eastern investors, including Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund, to raise billions for a new US real estate fund. The proposed Special Situations Real Estate Credit Fund was expected to generate hundreds of millions in fees.
Although the company later shelved the plan, the move raised questions about the family’s business dealings while Steve Witkoff was engaged in sensitive peace negotiations as Washington’s Middle East envoy, the report added.
Also read: Black Phone 2: Release date, cast, and everything to know about chilling sequel
Steve’s younger son, Zach, has taken the family name into the arena of digital finance. As co-founder of World Liberty Financial, launched with the Trump family in 2024, Zach has worked closely with Donald Trump Jr, to blend cryptocurrency and real estate investment, Bloomberg reported. He also serves as chairman of ALT5 Sigma, a publicly listed treasury company linked to World Liberty Financial’s digital tokens, WLFI and USD1.
Steve Witkoff has kept his wife out of public attention, and little is known about her personal or professional life.
He has two sons, Alex and Zach Witkoff, both of whom play key roles in the family’s business ventures.
Alex leads The Witkoff Group, managing luxury real estate projects across the United States.
