The Trump Tower planned for Tbilisi, Georgia, is set to be built on land that is partly owned by Uta Ivanishvili, the eldest son of Bidzina Ivanishvili. Bidzina Ivanishvili is a billionaire politician and the honorary chair of Georgia’s ruling party, Georgian Dream, and has a history of US sanctions.
According to The Guardian, official records show that the land is currently registered under the International Charity Fund Cartu, which is solely owned by Cartu Group JSC. That group is 35% owned by Uta Ivanishvili, with the remaining 65% ownership being anonymous. The sale of the plot to Central Park Avenue LLC is still ongoing, and only a small portion of the land has been transferred so far.
The Trump Organization, which is managed by Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, is working on the project alongside local Georgian firms and the US-based Sapir Organization. The company has previously partnered with other controversial entities, including Saudi-based real estate firm Dar Al Arkan, which has close ties to the Saudi government.
The Trump Tower Tbilisi project raises serious conflict of interest concerns that go beyond a simple business deal
Sandro Kevkhishvili, anti-corruption program manager at Transparency International Georgia, has raised concerns that this project may not be a straightforward private business venture. “The involvement of at least one businessman with affiliations to the Georgian Dream party was the first cause of concern,” he said.
“Second is that to this day the land plot on which the project is planned belongs to Cartu Fund – a charity organisation linked to the family of Bidzina Ivanishvili, the honorary chair of the Georgian Dream ruling party, and a person exercising effective control over Georgia.”
Eric Trump, executive vice-president of the Trump Organization, has spoken positively about the project, saying the company is “especially pleased to collaborate with such respected and professional developers on this project.” However, critics continue to raise concerns about the involvement of Georgian firms with ties to the ruling party.
This is not the first time a Trump Tower deal has drawn controversy, as seen when an Australian developer’s troubled Trump Tower pursuit made headlines earlier this year. This is not the first time the Trump Organization has faced questions over potential conflicts of interest.
The company has signed franchise agreements with various developers around the world, including a luxury hotel and golf course complex in Oman. When asked about these deals, the White House has said that “neither the president nor his family” have “ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest.”
The White House declined to comment on the Tbilisi project specifically, directing questions to the Trump Organization instead. The Trump Organization has not responded to requests for comment. Separately, the administration has also faced scrutiny over reports of a potential IRS audit deal benefiting Trump, adding to a broader pattern of ethical questions surrounding the president’s finances.
The land tied to the Ivanishvili family remains at the center of the controversy, as the full transfer to the project’s developers has not yet been completed. Whether this development will lead to further scrutiny of the Trump Organization’s international dealings remains to be seen.
Published: May 27, 2026 09:15 am