Albania has once again extended the deadlines for Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump’s €1.4 billion luxury resort project on Sazan Island — now affectionately (and somewhat ominously) known locally as Trump Island. This seems like the sort of venture that takes place because every era of grand pronouncements eventually requires a very private place to ride out the consequences.
For those unfamiliar, Sazan Island is the same heavily fortified Cold War military base, riddled with bunkers, tunnels, and unexploded ordnance, that was strictly off-limits to civilians for decades. Now the Kushners, through Atlantic Incubation Partners, are reimagining it as an ultra-exclusive eco-resort managed by Aman Resorts. The plans include high-end hotels and private villas, a full-service marina, restaurants and recreational facilities, plus the careful restoration and adaptive reuse of the island’s Cold War-era military structures — old bunkers that could become wine cellars, heritage spas, or “strategic” cocktail lounges. One wonders if the blueprints include a secure, off-the-grid location for the Trump’s US Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, who seems increasingly preoccupied with scenarios that would make even a hardened Cold War strategist blush.
This writer can already picture the promotional imagery: Ivanka sunbathing on a pristine beach in elegant minimalism, the turquoise Adriatic sparkling behind her, while discreet crews with metal detectors sweep the perimeter just out of frame. “History Meets Luxury,” the brochure will surely whisper. “Peace through extremely expensive real estate.” It’s a narrative that echoes the promises of Donald Trump, who once famously declared he could “destroy civilization” if he felt like it. With the news of this fantastical new resort Island offshore of one of Europe’s most corrupt countries, Trump’s boast seems less like hyperbole and more like a disturbingly accurate assessment of the current geopolitical climate.
The development spans roughly 45 hectares of formerly militarized coastline. Albanian authorities have been remarkably accommodating, repeatedly pushing back deadlines as the team navigates both bureaucracy and the literal minefield beneath their feet. The delays, some speculate, are linked to ongoing investigations into other island properties farther west, a persistent reminder that even paradise has its shadows. The whispers may also suggest a certain level of scrutiny regarding the project’s funding, given the, shall we say, complex financial dealings that have plagued the Kushner family (we told you so).