“The Dealmaker at the Center of Trump's Global Diplomacy”

Chosen for his extraordinary influence over some of the world's most consequential conflicts: Steve Witkoff entered government with virtually no traditional diplomatic experience. Yet the billionaire real estate developer and longtime confidant of President Donald Trump has rapidly become one of the administration's most powerful international negotiators, entrusted with missions stretching from Gaza and Iran to Moscow and Kyiv.

We have achieved a peace deal in Gaza. We have brought the hostages home.

Steve Witkoff, January 2026

For Israel, Witkoff's impact has been particularly significant. He became one of the central American figures negotiating between Israel, Hamas and regional mediators, helping advance the Gaza ceasefire and hostage agreement. By January 2026, the agreement had secured the return of all living Israeli hostages, followed later that month by the remains of the final deceased hostage.

Witkoff then helped lead the transition toward the second phase of President Trump's Gaza plan, focused on Hamas's disarmament, postwar governance and reconstruction.

But his reach now extends far beyond Israel. Witkoff has become one of Trump's most trusted personal emissaries, participating in negotiations over Iran's nuclear program and regional security and repeatedly engaging Russian President Vladimir Putin over the war in Ukraine.

In September, Witkoff and Jared Kushner traveled from Moscow, where they met Putin, directly to Kyiv for talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, an extraordinary diplomatic portfolio for someone who only recently entered government.

From helping bring Israel's hostages home to negotiating with Iran, Russia and Ukraine, Witkoff has transformed himself from a New York dealmaker into one of the most influential figures shaping American foreign policy.

That is why Steve Witkoff is No. 5 on The 36.