On same weekend as record-breaking arms deal, Saudis announced $100 million donation to Ivanka fund
Over the weekend, Jared Kushner was credited with
negotiating a $110 billion arms deal to the Saudis, the largest arms deal in U.S. history:
The deal was finalized in part thanks to the direct involvement of Jared Kushner, the President's son-in-law and senior adviser. He shocked a high-level Saudi delegation earlier this month when he personally called Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson and asked if she would cut the price of a sophisticated missile detection system, according to a source with knowledge of the call.
Pressured to finalize a massive $100-plus billion arms deal in the two weeks leading up to Trump's trip to Saudi Arabia, Kushner hoped to maneuver a discount on Lockheed's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system during the Saudis' visit to the White House on May 1 -- a request that Hewson said she would look into at the time.
Coincidentally, the Saudis have also agreed to donate a whopping $100 million to the recently announced
women's fund inspired by Jared Kushner’s wife, Ivanka Trump:
The World Bank plans to announce Sunday at an event with Ivanka Trump, the U.S. president’s daughter and senior White House adviser, that Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates have pledged $100 million collectively toward a fund for women who own or want to start businesses, according to people familiar with the announcement.