Joshua Kushner: The Quiet Rise of a Leading Investor
In the highly competitive world of American venture capital, Joshua Kushner has established himself as one of the most influential figures of his generation. As the founder of Thrive Capital, he built his reputation not on family legacy, but on a series of bold and early bets in technology. At 41, this New York-based investor continues to expand his reach, most recently through the agreement to acquire the Los Angeles Lakers. Here is a look at the journey of an entrepreneur who has carved his own path.
Born on June 12, 1985, in Livingston, New Jersey, Joshua Kushner is the younger son of real-estate developer Charles Kushner and the brother of Jared Kushner. A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, he began his career at Goldman Sachs before founding Thrive Capital in 2009–2010.
Under his leadership, the New York firm has become one of the most successful venture capital funds of the past decade. Thrive made early investments in companies that grew into industry giants, including Instagram (where Kushner was among the largest investors in the Series B round), Spotify, Stripe, Slack, and OpenAI. The firm now manages tens of billions of dollars in assets and has raised increasingly large funds over the years.
In parallel, Kushner co-founded Oscar Health in 2012, a digital health-insurance company that went public in 2021. In August 2026, his name made headlines in the sports world: alongside Bob Iger, the former CEO of Disney, he reached an agreement to purchase the Los Angeles Lakers from Mark Walter at a record valuation of $12.5 billion. This move continues a gradual diversification into sports, following earlier minority stakes in other franchises (including the Miami Heat). On a personal level, Joshua Kushner has been married since 2018 to model and entrepreneur Karlie Kloss. The couple, who maintain a relatively low public profile, embodies the intersection of finance, fashion, and technology.
Joshua Kushner represents a generation of investors who combine long-term vision, a focus on founders, and the ability to seize major technological turning points. Between the continued growth of Thrive Capital and his new positions in professional sports, he continues to build a portfolio that extends well beyond traditional venture capital. His journey—both discreet and remarkable—remains a case study for anyone interested in strategies for success in the modern economy