# Josh Kushner

Josh Kushner is an American businessman and venture capitalist, founder of Thrive Capital and co-founder of Oscar Health. He is a major AI investor, notably an early backer of OpenAI, and in 2026 purchased the Los Angeles Lakers with Bob Iger.

Joshua Kushner (born June 12, 1985) is an American businessman and venture capitalist. He is the founder and managing partner of Thrive Capital, a venture capital firm known for early investments in technology companies, including [OpenAI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/openai). He also co-founded the health insurance company Oscar Health and is the younger brother of Jared Kushner. As of August 2026, Forbes estimates his net worth at $16.7 billion.

Kushner has been described as a lifelong Democrat, and his investment activities have spanned media, real estate, and sports. In August 2026, he and Bob Iger purchased the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion.

## Early life and education

Kushner was born in Livingston, New Jersey, to Charles and Seryl Kushner, and grew up in a Jewish family. He graduated from Harvard College in 2008 and from Harvard Business School in 2011. During his second year at Harvard, he served as founding executive editor of Scene, a pop culture student publication that received poor reviews. In his junior year, he worked with two graduate students to pool $10,000 and found Vostu, a social network aimed at Latin America. Vostu later laid off most employees in 2013 after a copyright lawsuit. After graduation, he co-founded Unithrive, a nonprofit inspired by Kiva that matched alumni lenders with students seeking interest-free loans of up to $2,000. He also worked for a year in the private equity arm of Goldman Sachs on distressed debt.

## Thrive Capital and AI investments

Kushner founded Thrive Capital in 2009, focusing on media and internet investments. The firm has raised over $7.3 billion from institutional investors, including Princeton University. Thrive's funds include Thrive II ($40 million in 2011), Thrive III ($150 million in 2012), Thrive IV ($400 million in 2014), Thrive V ($700 million in 2016), Thrive VI ($1 billion in 2018), Thrive VII ($2 billion in 2021), Thrive VIII ($3 billion in 2022), and Thrive IX ($5 billion in 2024).

Kushner was the second-largest investor in Instagram's Series B round, and Thrive doubled its money when Instagram was sold to Facebook. In 2021, Goldman Sachs invested in Thrive at a $3.6 billion valuation, and Kushner sold a 3.3% stake to investors including Bob Iger and Henry Kravis, valuing Thrive at $5.3 billion. As of November 2025, Forbes estimated his net worth at $5.2 billion, primarily from Thrive. Fortune magazine listed him in its inaugural 100 Most Powerful People in Business in 2024, citing Thrive's early investment in [OpenAI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/openai), a leader in [artificial intelligence](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/artificial-intelligence) and [generative AI](https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/generative-ai). Thrive has also invested in other AI companies, though specific details are not widely publicized.

## Oscar Health and other ventures

Kushner co-founded Oscar Health in 2012, a health insurance startup that went public in 2021. Thrive Capital owned a stake worth $1.21 billion at the time of the IPO. Oscar reported an $87 million loss in its first quarter as a public company. In 2020, The Atlantic revealed that Jared Kushner had contracted Oscar Health to develop a coronavirus testing website that was later scrapped, despite public statements that Google was developing it.

In 2015, Kushner founded Cadre with his brother Jared and Ryan Williams, a real estate technology platform for family offices and endowments. He also co-owns JK2 (Westminster Management) with his brother, a real estate management company. In April 2021, a judge ruled that JK2 committed widespread violations of Maryland consumer protection laws, and during the COVID-19 pandemic, it filed numerous eviction lawsuits despite a moratorium. JK2 was featured in a Netflix Dirty Money episode titled "Slumlord Millionaire" based on a ProPublica exposé.

## Other activities and Lakers purchase

Kushner became a minority owner of the Memphis Grizzlies in 2019 with a 2.5% stake, but sold it in 2024 after purchasing a small stake in the Miami Heat. In 2024, his media company Bedford Media, with wife Karlie Kloss, announced plans to revive Life magazine with Dotdash Meredith, and he joined the board of A24 Films.

On August 12, 2026, Kushner and Bob Iger purchased the Los Angeles Lakers from Mark Walter for $12.5 billion, the highest price ever for a professional sports team. In a statement, they expressed honor at becoming stewards of the franchise and commitment to building on the Buss family's legacy.

## Personal life

Kushner married model Karlie Kloss in 2018. They have two sons (born March 2021 and July 2023) and a daughter (born September 2025). In December 2020, they purchased a home in Miami Beach, Florida, for $23.5 million.

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Source: https://www.wikiprompt.org/wiki/josh-kushner
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)
Last updated: 2026-09-12T16:25:56.348761+00:00