Report: Jared Kushner acquired Observer as part of graduation gift from father

Prior to becoming a top adviser to President Trump, Jared Kushner served as the publisher of the New York Observer, a weekly paper (at the time) he bought for $10 million in 2006.

According to a one-time associate of Kushner who spoke with Time magazine, the media outlet was part of a graduation gift given by his father, Charles.

Charles Kushner, who had been serving time for multiple felonies, was released from prison that same year, according to Business Insider.

Time notes that the conviction of his father was a motivating factor in Kushner's decision to acquire the paper and calls the move a, "purchase that had everything to do with social status. The New York Observer was a weekly newspaper on salmon newsprint with a tiny circulation. But it was read by a Manhattan elite that liked its blend of gossip and intrigue."

Kushner himself has become a subject of intrigue and speculation as of late.

While, for some time, he operated largely without significant public attention, those days appear to have passed.

The tipping point came just before Memorial Day weekend when the Washington Post reported that "Kushner and Russia's ambassador to Washington discussed the possibility of setting up a secret and secure communications channel between Trump's transition team and the Kremlin, using Russian diplomatic facilities in an apparent move to shield their pre-inauguration discussions from monitoring, according to U.S. officials briefed on intelligence reports."