Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
25 Year Old Buys the Observer
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 31, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 31, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Not all NYU law students can say they bought a NYC newspaper over their summer break, but Jared Kushner can. The 25 year old son of NJ developer Charles Kushner has paid $10 million for majority ownership of the salmon pink colored weekly. Of course, we know Kushner's dad better as the guy who tried to get back at his sister by hiring a prostitute to seduce his sister's husband and then mailing the tape of the tryst to his sister. That's a lot of family love right there.
Kushner graduated from Harvard and is attending NYU for law school, so it's unclear how much of a presence he will have day to day. The Observer's editors put up a letter about the deal online and included this bit from a Kushner message to the staff:
We find ourselves at a crossroads in the newspaper business. The balance of printed and online content is undergoing an unprecedented adjustment and the way we deliver our product—first-rate journalism—continues to evolve. Together we will navigate this challenge with perseverance and innovation. The only promise I will make on the business front is to keep a completely open mind. At 25 and with only non-publishing related business experience, I am now equipped with two of the finest tools that a publisher could ever have; this fine staff, and the inquisitive energy needed to tackle convention.
But is this a youthful folly or a shrewd move into the more exciting world of media? Either way, it sounds like a win-win for the Observer: Owner Arthur Carter gets to keeps an interest in the paper, editor in chief Peter Kaplan gets to stay, and the Observer has the chance to work with a less intimidating boss (Bobby D. would have been scary, no doubt). And according to the NY Times, Kushner's goals for the paper are to improve its brand (think co-branding, brand extensions, salmon pink t-shirts that say "Off the Record"), improve its Internet traffic, and improve its resources for reporting overall. Somewhere it said that Kushner was also in business school - this should make a good case study.
Tagged
Charles Kushner
convention
harvard
internet
journalism
law
love
media
nj
ny times
nyc
NYU
publishing
t-shirts
the observer
traffic
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .