Massad Boulos: Lebanese-American Businessman Who Helped Trump Win Arab Votes

Lebanese-American billionaire and businessman Massad Boulos, who serves as the Arab relations coordinator for President-elect Donald Trump, is set to follow through on Trump’s campaign promises. Boulos, one of the key representatives of the newly elected U.S. president to Arab Americans, is fluent in Arabic, English, and French; he recently became part of the Trump family when his son Michael married Trump’s youngest daughter Tiffany in 2022.

He played a significant role in garnering support for Donald Trump among Arab Americans, appealing to their hopes for “lasting peace in the Middle East.”

Following Trump’s victory, Boulos announced plans to visit his homeland, Lebanon, which has been under Israeli attack since September 2024. He promised to address Lebanon's situation directly with the new administration, aiming to bring it to the attention of the White House.

In an interview with Lebanon’s LBC News on November 7, 2024, Boulos revealed that his first international trip would be to Beirut, underscoring the urgency of the visit. 

He outlined Trump’s Middle East policy, describing it as a pursuit of lasting peace grounded in fairness and inclusivity, accompanied by an economic strategy to ensure sustainable development—particularly in the Palestinian territories—as a cornerstone for lasting stability.

“Trump is totally against the killing of civilians, and he has pledged that he will do all in his power from his first day in office after becoming president again to end this war and bring peace back to the Middle East,” he said.

While it remains uncertain what formal role Boulos might assume after Trump enters the White House on January 20, 2025, Boulos indicated that he would personally lead negotiations with Lebanon toward a diplomatic resolution. He also suggested that Trump would appoint “an expert on Israeli relations” to address “the Lebanon-Israel issue.”

Following Trump’s win, Boulos refuted rumors in Lebanon suggesting that he would be appointed as the U.S. special envoy to Lebanon in the upcoming administration.

Who Is Massad Boulos?

Massad Boulos was born in 1960 in the northern Lebanese village of Kfaraakka. In the 1980s, he moved to Texas during his adolescence, where he attended the University of Houston and earned a law degree.

During his time at university, Boulos developed a strong affinity for the Republican Party and became an active supporter of its policies.

The Boulos family founded Boulos Enterprises, a diversified business involved in vehicles, equipment, retail, and construction. After graduation, Massad joined the family business.

Boulos also has investments in Nigeria, where he serves as the managing director and CEO of SCOA Nigeria, a company specializing in vehicle and equipment assembly and distribution, with an estimated budget of $1 billion.

He has a political background in his home country, having unsuccessfully run for a parliamentary seat in Lebanon in 2009.

Tiffany Trump and Massad’s son, Michael Boulos, were spotted together in public at a fashion show in New York City in September 2018.

Tiffany Trump is one of Donald Trump's five children and his only daughter from his second marriage to Marla Maples, an American actress and TV personality.

Her husband, Michael Boulos, was born in Lebanon, raised in Nigeria, and later became managing director and CEO of SCOA Nigeria.

‘Bridge Builder’

Boulos became part of Trump’s inner circle after his son, Michael, married Trump’s daughter Tiffany.

Boulos had supported Trump from afar since his first campaign but became more actively involved after meeting Trump at a White House Christmas party in 2019.

Known for his significant role in building “bridges of communication” between the Arab-American community and U.S. politicians, Boulos worked to foster ties between both sides.

In the lead-up to the recent elections, Boulos made efforts to persuade Arab-American voters, particularly in swing states, to support Trump.

Campaign Results

During a trip to Michigan in October 2024, Boulos attended what he described as a “special fundraising event” with U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, the Republican from Louisiana, Representative Lisa McClain, the Republican from Michigan, and around 50 Arab-Americans.

Earlier, in May 2024, Boulos, along with his son Michael, held a meeting in Michigan with Richard Grenell, former U.S. ambassador to Germany and a senior foreign policy advisor to Trump. Around 40 Arab-American activists from across the country were in attendance.

Boulos’s efforts were particularly visible in Michigan, a crucial state where Trump emerged victorious. The state is home to a large Arab-American community, with approximately 400,000 Arab-American voters and 250,000 Muslim voters, according to pre-election figures.

In Dearborn, often considered the heart of the Arab-American population, Trump received 42.5% of the vote, compared to 36% for Harris.

In interviews, Boulos stated that Trump “respects and values” the Arab-American community.

In interviews, Boulos stated that Trump “respects and admires” the Arab American community. He also rejected claims of a “Muslim ban,” a term used by many of Trump's critics to describe his immigration restrictions on several majority-Muslim countries. Instead, Boulos argued that it was simply “extreme vetting from certain parts of the world.”