Who is Steve Witkoff? Meet Trump's envoy who secured release of Marc Fogel from Russia

A well-known real estate investor who maintains close ties to President Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff has become a global statesman as Trump’s Middle East envoy. Originally appointed to lead negotiations in the Israel-Palestine issues, Witkoff has now been involved in bringing home the American school teacher Marc Fogel from a Russian prison.

An excerpt from the official statement released by the White House reads:

"Today, President Donald J. Trump and his Special Envoy Steve Witkoff are able to announce that Mr. Witkoff is leaving Russian airspace with Marc Fogel, an American who was detained by Russia."

Steve Witkoff, 67, a Jewish-American billionaire and the founder of a real estate company called the Witkoff Group, has his name on a vast portfolio that stretches from New York to Florida and Los Angeles.

According to Middle East Eye, Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump met for the first time in the 1980s when the former was a real estate attorney. Inspired by Trump’s success, Witkoff entered the property investment business. Known for sharp-elbowed prowess while striking deals, he built a business empire over the years.

Witkoff has remained close to Trump personally and professionally over the years, with the President eventually giving him the important diplomatic role. According to Newsweek, Trump had this to say about Witkoff:

"Steve is a Highly Respected Leader in Business and Philanthropy, who has made every project and community he has been involved with stronger and more prosperous."

An article by the Foreign Policy describes Steve Witkoff as a "non-expert outsider," whom Trump has appointed

to settle the Israel-Hamas war and push for an end to the devastating conflict.

Steve Witkoff’s role in Marc Fogel's release from Russia

Marc Fogel, a 66-year-old American teacher, had been held in Russia since August 2021 for bringing medically prescribed marijuana into the country, according to Al Arabiya News. Fogel served over three years in prison on drug-smuggling charges. His case had attracted international scrutiny.

By February 2025, Witkoff traveled to Moscow without notice to talk with the Russian leaders and was able to make rapid progress in the matter.

On his flight back to the United States, Witkoff was photographed with Fogel. According to Al Arabiya, the Fogel family released a statement upon Marc Fogel's release. The statement said:

“We are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention, our father, husband, and son, Marc Fogel, is finally coming home.”

The statement added:

“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal.”

Steve Witkoff’s unlikely success in the Fogel case might be the sign of a larger role in Trump’s foreign policy strategy. For, as the White House Statement said:

"President Trump, Steve Witkoff and the President’s advisors negotiated an exchange that serves as a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine."