Before the war, Joseph Kushner had worked as a carpenter in modern-day Belarus. After immigrating to America, he was able to find employment as a construction worker. According to the book "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner," he pursued that career for several years, saving money and acclimating to his new life, before eventually purchasing land with several partners and building new apartments and single-family homes. Eventually, the elder Kushner amassed a portfolio of 4,000 New Jersey apartments.
In 1985, Charles Kushner, who'd previously trained as a lawyer but had recently started his own real estate business after being inspired by his father's success, partnered with Joseph. The duo dubbed their newly formed business Kushner Companies. Months later, Joseph passed away from a stroke at the age of 62.
Undeterred, Charles continued to grow the business, eventually amassing over 25,000 apartments, "as well as commercial real estate, industrial and retail space, hotels, and undeveloped land" (via "Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner"). The properties are spread out across several Northeastern states including New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. The company has also expanded into other sectors, including banking, insurance, sports, and energy.
