Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are facing intense criticism after outlining plans for a luxury resort on an uninhabited island in the Adriatic Sea.
During a recent appearance on the Founders podcast, Ivanka Trump spoke about the scope of the development, describing it as a major undertaking and explaining what she and Kushner hope the project will deliver.
“I’m working on an incredible project with my husband in the Mediterranean,” she told host David Senra. “It’s massive in scale.”
“I think that’s an understatement,” Senra replied.
“Yes,” Ivanka responded, laughing. “It is.”
The proposal advanced in late 2024, shortly before Donald Trump’s second inauguration, when Albania’s government issued preliminary approval for a $1.4 billion high-end complex on Sazan Island, a former Cold War-era military site. The arrangement with Kushner-linked Atlantic Incubation Partners LLC also stated that Albanian authorities reserved the right to revoke the approval.
Ivanka said the island first caught their attention years ago during a sailing trip with a friend. She described swimming to shore and hiking barefoot to the top, calling the moment “captivating.”
The development is being pursued through Kushner’s private equity firm, Affinity Partners, which has described the concept as an ‘eco-resort community.’
Early design images indicate a plan combining luxury villas, hotel accommodations, and upscale facilities intended to sit within the island’s existing terrain.
Ivanka also stressed an intention to approach construction carefully, arguing that any buildings should blend into the landscape rather than overwhelm it.
“We developed the opportunity to help realize its potential and transform it,” Ivanka said of the island on Sunday.
“But with a lot of restraint and care, because the land is so beautiful that, really, the architecture has to be fully integrated into it, almost rise from it.”
Separately, the couple is also preparing a second project on the Zvërnec Peninsula, a coastal wetland area on Albania’s southwestern shoreline known for its ecological sensitivity.
Although Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has voiced support for the scheme—framing it as a chance to bring in more tourism revenue—opponents say the costs could be severe.
Environmental campaigners and local critics warn that the construction could damage fragile habitats that support protected plant and animal species.
Anger over the plans has already spilled into the streets. Last month, thousands marched in Tirana to protest, with many holding placards decorated with cardboard pink flamingos, highlighting one of the protected migratory birds found along the Adriatic coastline.
More demonstrations were held on Wednesday, June 3, outside Rama’s office, where protesters displayed signs reading: “Albania is not for sale.”
Discontent has also reached the south, where excavators arrived to clear land near the coast. Since then, workers have reportedly put up barbed wire along the beach, cutting off local residents’ access to the shoreline.