Deutsche Bank launches investigation into personal banker of Trump, Kushner


Deutsche Bank has launched an internal review into Rosemary Vrablic, the longtime personal banker of President Trump and his son-in-law and senior adviser, Jared Kushner, The New York Times reports.
The bank is specifically investigating a real estate transaction involving Vrablic and a company called Bergel 715 Associates. In June 2013, Vrablic and two of her co-workers in Deutsche Bank's private banking division bought a $1.5 million Manhattan apartment from Bergel 715. At the time, Kushner held an ownership stake in Bergel 715, a person with knowledge of the matter told the Times.
On Friday, Kushner and his wife, Ivanka Trump, stated in an annual personal financial report that in 2019, they received $1 million to $5 million from Bergel 715. This was the first time the couple ever disclosed their stake in the company, the Times reports, and this income was not related to the Vrablic transaction.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In 2013, Donald Trump and Kushner were both clients of Vrablic, and they had collectively received about $190 million in loans from Deutsche Bank, with more to come later, the Times reports. Bank employees are normally not allowed to conduct personal business with clients due to the potential for conflicts of interest, and Deutsche Bank told the Times the company was not aware of the transaction before being contacted by the newspaper.
One of Bergel 715's main owners is George Gellert, a Kushner family friend and investor, and it is unclear the size of Kushner's stake in the entity. Vrablic joined Deutsche Bank's private banking division in 2006, and the Kushner family worked with her before then. Kushner introduced Vrablic to Trump in 2011, at a time when Trump was struggling to find people to lend him money due to defaults and bankruptcies, the Times reports.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
The origins of the IDF
In Depth The IDF was formed by uniting Zionist paramilitary groups, WWII veterans and Holocaust survivors
-
Deadly fungus tied to a pharaoh's tomb may help fight cancer
Under the radar A once fearsome curse could be a blessing
-
Codeword: June 27, 2025
The Week's daily codeword puzzle
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores