Mark Walker and the Buss family aren’t the only Los Angeles Lakers owners that could be heading to court in the coming weeks. Newly-minted co-owner Josh Kushner could be on his way to a deposition if the European soccer powers get their way.
According to the New York Post, Kushner is being sought for subpoenas by the Europeans soccer confederation (UEFA) as the various nations seek evidence from him for a long-sought criminal case against FIFA President Gianni Infantino. Per the report, UEFA has asked a Manhattan federal judge to compel Kushner and his Thrive Capital company to turn over documents and even sit for depositions regarding Infantino’s failed effort to sell off $20 billion in FIFA commercial assets.
“The filing alleges Kushner and Infantino discussed the underlying concept for nearly a year before the terms sheet was signed,” the Post’s Ariel Zilber wrote.
“It claims the roots of the proposal stretch back to July 2025, when Kushner approached former Liberty Media boss Greg Maffei at the Allen & Company conference in Sun Valley, Idaho.”
Kushner is the brother of Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and longtime political adviser. He has a net worth of $16.7 billion and partnered with former Disney CEO Bob Iger to buy the Lakers from Walter for a record $12.5 billion.
Though unlike his brother Jared, Josh has largely stayed out of politics.
The FIFA Scandal
In late July, Infantino proposed creating a new entity that would hold the commercial rights to major competitions, including the World Cup. FIFA planned to sell roughly 20-percent of the new company to private investors, potentially raising as much as $4.2 billion and valuing the enterprise at around $20 billion. The proposal immediately sparked outrage because FIFA’s regional confederations said they had been blindsided by the plan and had not been adequately consulted.
Critics argued that effectively selling part of the World Cup’s future commercial revenues represented a dangerous privatization of soccer and raised serious questions about transparency, governance and who would ultimately profit. The involvement of Thrive Capital, founded by Kushner, also intensified scrutiny because of the company’s connections to the Trump family.
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The backlash became a major leadership crisis for Infantino. UEFA, CONCACAF and the Asian Football Confederation strongly opposed the proposal, while UEFA threatened to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan proceeded. FIFA officials also rebelled internally, with senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro resigning in protest and other executives distancing themselves from the initiative.
Infantino ultimately abandoned the proposal on August 1, but the fallout has continued: UEFA has called for greater oversight and some have withdrawn support for his leadership.
