Alex Bruesewitz. Ted Shaffrey/AP
Further details were provided on the morning of 12 November by Daniel Edelsohn, a correspondent for the Israeli news portal Ynet based in New York.
When Donald Trump wants to get a message across to millions of his supporters on social media, one of the people responsible for its dissemination is Alex Bruzevitz, a 29-year-old political adviser who has become one of the US President’s closest digital technology specialists in recent years. Now his name has cropped up in a particularly awkward story: a former business partner of Bruzewicz claims that he received around half a million dollars from individuals linked to Qatar as part of an undisclosed agreement, and also enjoyed a luxury holiday with his wife, former Miss Nevada Carolina Urrea, at the expense of businessmen from the Middle East. The allegations are contained in documents filed with a federal court in Florida.
Brusevica is regarded as one of the architects of the communications strategy that helped Trump return to the White House in 2024. Rather than limiting himself to interviews with traditional media, he promoted appearances on popular podcasts, including those hosted by Joe Rogan, Logan Paul and the anti-Israel conspiracy theorist Theo Vaughn, in an attempt to reach millions of young people who do not regularly consume political news. Time magazine included Bruzevits in its list of 100 promising young leaders in 2025. Trump himself recently called him “the most powerful person I know”.
What is Bruzevits accused of?
Now the connections that made him a sought-after figure in Washington have found themselves at the centre of a business dispute. Derek Atlee, who co-founded X Strategies with Bruzevits in 2017 and left the firm this year, claims in a lawsuit that his former partner forged links with representatives of foreign governments, wealthy businesspeople and international investors, and offered political consultancy services and access to figures within the US administration.
According to him, Bruzevitz received around $500,000 from “individuals linked to Qatar” in exchange for a business agreement or consultancy services, the details of which were not disclosed. The documents do not specify who transferred the sum, when it was paid, or exactly what was provided in return.
Atli claims that the connections in question also included representatives from the UAE and Syria. He alleges that in February, Bruzevitz set up a separate company through which he attempted to offer a Danish investment fund a consultancy agreement worth one million dollars a year. According to the statement of claim, the services offered included, amongst other things, “providing access to US government officials, federal agencies and financial institutions”.
One of the most intriguing allegations concerns the young adviser’s honeymoon. According to Atli, Bruzevitz told him that two Syrian billionaires from the al-Hayat family, who live in Qatar, had paid for his stay at the luxury Waldorf Astoria hotel in the Maldives in February this year. They booked him a suite, the usual price of which is around $15,000 per night. Bruzewicz posted photos from his honeymoon on social media, including pictures of the Maldivian beaches and a romantic dinner, and even publicly thanked the hotel for its hospitality.
Brusevitz denies everything
Bryuzevich’s links to Qatar are not limited to his partner’s allegations. Over the past year, he has visited the country at least twice. On one occasion, he returned on a private jet paid for by local bigwigs.
In an interview with Tucker Carlson last June, Bruzevits stated that removing foreign money from the sphere of political influence on social media was one of his most important priorities. “I don’t take any foreign money,” he said, emphasising that he does not receive funds from the Gulf states, India, Russia or China. Last week, a few days before the lawsuit was filed, he again denied receiving money from Qatar.
In September, X Strategies filed a lawsuit against Derek Atlee, alleging that he had embezzled millions of dollars from the company’s funds and used them for gambling. He denies the allegations and claims that he was unlawfully dismissed after requesting sick leave. It was a counterclaim filed by him as part of the dispute that led to the publication of allegations regarding his foreign connections.
Brusevitz, in any case, categorically rejects the allegations, whilst his lawyer, Bradford Cohen, has described them as false and defamatory, stating that they are exaggerated or entirely fabricated.
This week, Bruzevits threatened to take legal action against anyone who publicly claims that he received money from Qatar. The Qatari Embassy in Washington has also issued an official statement stating that Bruzevits did not receive any money from the State of Qatar or at its behest.
This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.
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