Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Steve Witkoff

How Steve Witkoff built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Steven Charles Witkoff is an American real estate developer, investor, and the founder of the Witkoff Group. Since 2025, he has served as the United States special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for peace missions. Witkoff has also acted as a de facto envoy to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

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Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements

1985: Co-founded Stellar Management

In 1985, Steve Witkoff co-founded Stellar Management with Larry Gluck. They began purchasing inexpensive apartment buildings in Washington Heights, Manhattan and the Northwest Bronx.

1986: Met Donald Trump

In 1986, Steve Witkoff met Donald Trump while working as a lawyer at Dreyer & Traub, where Trump was a client. This later led to a business relationship and personal friendship.

1995: Expanded into Lower Manhattan

In 1995, Steve Witkoff expanded his real estate ventures into lower Manhattan, buying several inexpensive office buildings.

1996: Purchased Daily News Building

In 1996, Steve Witkoff and business partner Rubin Schron purchased the Daily News Building for $138 million.

1996: Secured Financing for 33 Maiden Lane

In 1996, Steve Witkoff secured financing from Credit Suisse First Boston for the purchase of 33 Maiden Lane, a 27-story tower designed by Philip Johnson and John Burgee.

1997: Founded Witkoff Group

In 1997, Steve Witkoff left Stellar Management and founded the Witkoff Group, becoming its chairman and CEO. The group expanded into residential construction and land rehabilitation. In 1997, Steve Witkoff and Rubin Schron purchased the Daily News Building for $138 million.

October 1998: IPO Cancelled and Partnership Dissolved

In October 1998, the planned $2 billion initial public offering (IPO) of Steve Witkoff's company was canceled due to the collapse of the real estate market. Witkoff and Gluck also dissolved their partnership.

2011: Son's Opioid Overdose

After the death of his son, Andrew, from an opioid overdose in 2011, Steve Witkoff has become an advocate for addiction awareness and recovery efforts.

2013: Purchased Park Lane Hotel

In 2013, Steve Witkoff and Harry Macklowe purchased the Park Lane Hotel on Central Park South in Manhattan for $660 million. In that year, Witkoff and Fisher Brothers also purchased a parcel of land in Tribeca in Manhattan for $223 million.

2015: Appointment to Hofstra University Board of Trustees

Since 2015, Steve Witkoff has been on the board of trustees of Hofstra University.

2019: Witkoff Group Holdings

As of 2019, the Witkoff Group owned about 50 properties in the United States and internationally.

April 2020: Member of Economic Revival Group

In April 2020, during Donald Trump's first presidency, Steve Witkoff served as a member of the Great American Economic Revival Industry Group, created to combat the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

February 2021: Koch Real Estate Investments purchased Fontainebleau Las Vegas

In February 2021, Koch Real Estate Investments purchased the property. The original name was reinstated.

December 2023: Fontainebleau Las Vegas Hotel Opened

The Fontainebleau Las Vegas Hotel opened in December 2023.

2023: Involvement in One High Line and Shore Club

In 2023, Steve Witkoff helped revive the troubled One High Line condominium project in Manhattan. In that year, the Witkoff Group and Monroe Capital closed on a loan for the redevelopment of the Shore Club Private Collection in Miami Beach.

July 2024: Spoke at Republican National Convention

In July 2024, Steve Witkoff gave a speech on night four of the Republican National Convention.

November 9, 2024: Co-Chair of Inaugural Committee

On November 9, 2024, Steve Witkoff was chosen to be co-chair of the Presidential Inaugural Committee for Trump's upcoming second presidency, along with Kelly Loeffler.

November 12, 2024: Selected as Special Envoy

On November 12, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump announced that he had selected Steve Witkoff to be his Special Envoy to the Middle East, despite Witkoff having limited formal diplomatic experience.

November 2024: Reputation in Real Estate

In November 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that peers in the real-estate world described Steve Witkoff as smart, personable, and a talented negotiator with a common touch.

December 2024: Negotiations Leading to Ceasefire

In December 2024, before Trump formally took office, Steve Witkoff worked to help push negotiations that led to a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.

2024: Addiction Awareness Speech at Republican National Convention

In 2024, Steve Witkoff addressed addiction awareness and recovery efforts in his speech at the Republican National Convention.

January 2025: Negotiated Ceasefire and Hostage Exchange

In January 2025, Steve Witkoff played a key role in negotiating a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas, along with Brett McGurk and Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.

January 29, 2025: Entered Gaza to Oversee Ceasefire

On January 29, 2025, Steve Witkoff arrived in Israel and made a rare entry by an American official into Gaza to personally oversee the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

February 11, 2025: Met with President Putin in Moscow

On February 11, 2025, Steve Witkoff met with President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, where he negotiated a prisoner swap and the release of U.S. citizen Marc Fogel from a Russian prison, in exchange for Russian citizen Alexander Vinnik.

February 16, 2025: Rejection of Concerns about Ukraine Peace Negotiations

On February 16, 2025, Steve Witkoff rejected concerns that Ukraine and Europe would be excluded from future peace negotiations regarding the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

March 2025: De Facto Envoy to Vladimir Putin

By March 2025, Steve Witkoff had become the main channel of communication between the Trump administration and Russian President Vladimir Putin, acting as Trump's de facto envoy. His lack of diplomatic training led to breached protocols.

March 2025: Witkoff's Concern on Middle East Stability

In March 2025, Steve Witkoff expressed concern that Israel's war in Gaza could destabilize Middle Eastern countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia, highlighting Egypt's high youth unemployment rate and financial struggles.

March 2025: Witkoff on Netanyahu's Priorities

In March 2025, Steve Witkoff said that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was prioritizing the destruction of Hamas over the release of Israeli hostages by renewing attacks on Gaza.

March 2025: Witkoff's Suggestion on Syria's Leader

In March 2025, Steve Witkoff suggested that Syria's new leader Ahmed al-Sharaa may have changed since his association with Al-Qaeda.

March 21, 2025: Witkoff's Podcast Interview on Ukrainian regions

On March 21, 2025, Steve Witkoff stated in a podcast interview with Tucker Carlson that the main problem in negotiations are the four regions: Donbas, Crimea, Lugansk, and two others. He also said the populations in those provinces were Russian-speaking and wanted to be under Russian rule.

April 12, 2025: Led High-Level Meetings in Oman

On April 12, 2025, Steve Witkoff led the first round of high level-meetings in Oman with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi regarding nuclear energy.

April 2025: Meeting with Israeli Officials in Paris

In April 2025, Steve Witkoff had an unannounced meeting in Paris with two Israeli officials ahead of the US-led nuclear talks with Iran, representing the Trump administration's push for a diplomatic resolution.

April 2025: Witkoff meets with Putin in Moscow

In April 2025, Steve Witkoff met with Vladimir Putin in Moscow and relied on Kremlin-provided translators. This decision was criticized as a departure from standard diplomatic protocol.

May 2025: Estimated Net Worth by Forbes

As of May 2025, Forbes estimated Steve Witkoff's net worth to be US$2 billion.

May 2025: Witkoff's Role as Chief Negotiator with Iran

In May 2025, Steve Witkoff served as the chief negotiator with Iran during talks and advocated for Iran to abandon its nuclear enrichment program as part of an agreement.

July 3, 2025: Appointed Special Envoy for Peace Missions

On July 3, 2025, Steve Witkoff was appointed Special Envoy for Peace Missions while in office, having played a role in key geopolitical negotiations.

July 2025: Sold Miami Beach Waterfront Property

In July 2025, Steve Witkoff sold a property on the Miami Beach waterfront for more than double its purchase price.

August 15, 2025: Alaska Summit

On August 15, 2025, the Alaska summit took place. The summit was characterized by symbolic gestures rather than substantive progress and raised concerns about using a real estate executive instead of trained diplomats for critical foreign policy negotiations.

August 2025: Witkoff's Moscow Talks and Misinterpretation of Putin's Remarks

In early August 2025, Steve Witkoff traveled to Moscow for talks with Putin and misinterpreted Putin’s remarks about a "peaceful withdrawal" as an offer for Russian forces to withdraw from regions such as Kherson and Zaporizhzhia. This misinterpretation influenced President Trump to pause sanctions and invite Putin to a summit in Alaska.

August 17, 2025: Witkoff's Claim on Russia's Constitution

On August 17, 2025, Steve Witkoff claimed that during the Alaska summit, Putin promised to enshrine a non-aggression pledge in Russia’s constitution. However, his statements were dismissed as misguided.

October 14, 2025: Witkoff advises Ushakov

On October 14, 2025, Steve Witkoff gave advice to Yuri Ushakov on negotiating with President Trump.

October 2025: Hostage Exchange

In October 2025, Steve Witkoff worked to help push negotiations that led to a ceasefire and hostage exchange between Israel and Hamas.

November 19, 2025: Witkoff's U.S. Peace Plan

On November 19, 2025, Axios reported that Steve Witkoff had drafted a 28-point U.S. peace plan with Russian envoy Kirill Dmitriev that included significant Ukrainian concessions. The plan was controversial and raised concerns about unauthorized diplomacy.

November 25, 2025: Publication of Witkoff's Phone Call with Yuri Ushakov

On November 25, 2025, Bloomberg published a transcript of an October 14, 2025, phone call between Steve Witkoff and Yuri Ushakov, where Witkoff gave Ushakov advice on negotiating with President Trump. The leak led to condemnation of Witkoff by members of Congress.

2025: Meeting with Reza Pahlavi

In 2025, Steve Witkoff held a high-level secret meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, to discuss the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. This was the first such contact between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since the protests escalated.

2025: Appointed Special Envoy

In 2025, Steven Witkoff was appointed as the United States special envoy to the Middle East and special envoy for peace missions. He also acted as a de facto envoy to Russian president Vladimir Putin in 2025.

January 2026: Message from Iranian Foreign Minister

In mid-January 2026, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi sent a personal message to Steve Witkoff stating that Iran had canceled the planned execution of 800 anti-regime protesters, reportedly dissuading President Trump from ordering military strikes.

2026: Meeting with Reza Pahlavi

In 2026, Steve Witkoff held a high-level secret meeting with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled crown prince of Iran, to discuss the 2025–2026 Iranian protests. This was the first such contact between the Trump administration and the Iranian opposition since the protests escalated.