Ivanka Trump & Jared Kushner Were Brought Together By A Matchmaking Friend (Twice)

Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner have been an item since first crossing paths at a business meeting in 2007, and they have their mutual friend Wendi Murdoch to thank. The investor, who was once married to billionaire Rupert Murdoch, is known to play Cupid among her friends. In a February 2015 chat with Vogue, Trump admitted that during the luncheon, Rupert and Wendi thought that she and Kushner would mesh well. "They very innocently set us up thinking that our only interest in one another would be transactional. Whenever we see them, we're like, 'The best deal we ever made!'" Trump explained.

In a July 2016 Vogue World Paris piece about Murdoch's life and inner circle, journalist Rob Haskell also pointed out the art collector's reputation for bringing people together, writing, "She is a legendary matchmaker." Ivanka Trump could personally attest to this, and the former fashion company owner chimed in, adding, "I can't recall the last time I had a conversation with her that didn't conclude with her connecting me to four people who might become great friends or great business opportunities." Wendi Murdoch was so invested in Trump and Kushner being together that even when they hit a rough patch, she worked her magic to get them back together.

Shortly after Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner began dating in 2007, their relationship was halted over their differing religious views. Kushner and his family were devout Jews; Trump had been raised Presbyterian, which did not sit well with his parents. "I know he loved Ivanka dearly. But the religious thing was important to him," explained Jared's friend Nitin Saigal in an August 2016 chat with the The New Yorker.

This led to the couple splitting in 2008. However, Wendi Murdoch would not let her pals' relationship go to waste. In his memoir. "Breaking History: A White House Memoir," Kushner revealed that Murdoch invited him on a weekend Mediterranean cruise. Once he arrived, he found that Ivanka was also on the boat. That weekend brought them back together. Trump eventually converted to Judaism and the couple walked down the aisle in a lavish October 2009 ceremony held at the Trump National Golf Club in Bedminster, New Jersey. The wedding, which cost a staggering amount of money, welcomed 500 guests, with their dear friend being one of them.

Having played such a pivitol role in reuniting the couple, it was only fitting that Wendi Murdoch was present when they exchanged vows. She and then-husband, Rupert, joined other famous attendees such as Barbara Walters, Rudy Giuliani, Russell Crowe and Natalie Portman. Even as Trump settled into married life, which saw the couple welcoming three kids, she and Murdoch remained close, even collaborating on several initiatives.

In 2011, the friends launched a line of friendship bracelets through the now-defunct online marketplace Ahalife. After her father became president in 2016, Trump was placed in a White House advisor role. As part of her interest in empowering women in business, she held a private dinner at Murdoch's home with several successful moguls, such as designer Tory Burch and then-IBM CEO Ginni Rometty. It's evident that Ivanka Trump and Wendi Murdoch's friendship has transcended Murdoch's initial matchmaking efforts, blossoming into a sisterhood of sorts.