Felix Sater

Felix Sater
Born	Felix Mikhailovich Sheferovsky (1966-03-02) March 2, 1966 Moscow, Soviet Union
Occupation(s)	Real estate developer, former managing director at Bayrock Group LLC
Known for	Consultancy to The Trump Organization, involvement in Trump SoHo development, FBI informant on organized crime

Felix Henry Sater (originally named Felix Mikhailovich Sheferovsky; born March 2, 1966) is a convicted felon, real estate developer, and former managing director at Bayrock Group LLC, a real estate firm based in New York City. He has provided consultancy services to organizations such as The Trump Organization and the Mirax Group.

In 1998, Sater admitted guilt in a $40 million stock fraud scheme connected to the Russian Mafia and subsequently became an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), aiding investigations into organized crime. By 2017, he had agreed to assist authorities probing international money laundering operations.

During Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, Sater worked alongside Michael Cohen, Trump’s then-attorney, to negotiate a potential Trump Tower Moscow deal, asserting that his Russian contacts could improve Trump's chances in the election. On June 21, 2019, after declining to testify voluntarily, Sater was subpoenaed by the House Intelligence Committee. He appeared on July 9, 2019, but refrained from providing testimony or documents related to a disputed joint defense agreement and continues to be under subpoena.

Early life and family

Born in Moscow into a Russian Jewish household, Sater is the son of Mikhail Sheferovsky and Rachel Sheferovskaya and has a sister named Regina. The family relocated to Israel when Felix was eight years old to escape religious persecution in the Soviet Union before eventually moving to the United States. Initially settling in Baltimore, Maryland, they later moved to Brighton Beach, New York in 1974. Both Felix and his sister adopted the surname Sater; at one point, the family name was reportedly Saterov. According to the FBI, Mikhail Sheferovsky served as an underboss for the Russian Mafia leader Semion Mogilevich and was convicted of extorting local businesses.

Felix Sater is said to have been childhood friends with Michael Cohen.

Business and advisory career

Sater enrolled at Pace University but left at age 18 to pursue a career on Wall Street, beginning as a cold-caller at Bear Stearns. His subsequent employment included positions at brokerages such as Ladenburg Thalmann, Broadchild Securities, Rooney Pace, Shearson, Moseley Securities, Gruntal & Co., and Lehman Brothers. In 1991, he assaulted a commodities broker by stabbing him with a margarita glass, inflicting serious injuries. Convicted of first-degree assault in 1993, Sater served fifteen months in prison and was prohibited by the National Association of Securities Dealers from holding brokerage roles. In 2022, Sater contended that although the victim wished to drop charges, federal prosecutors proceeded with the case to exert pressure on his father for cooperation.

In 2008, he joined the board of the Russian real estate firm Mirax Group, owned by developer Sergei Polonsky.

Work with the Bayrock Group

In 2003, Sater became a senior advisor at Bayrock Group LLC after being invited by founder Tevfik Arif. He played a role in several initiatives, including executive involvement in the development of Trump SoHo. Sater departed from Bayrock in 2008 following public revelations regarding his pending criminal case.

Trump SoHo

In his capacity as managing director of Bayrock Group and senior advisor to both Donald Trump and The Trump Organization, Sater played a pivotal role in the Trump SoHo development from its inception in 2006 until its completion in 2010. This $450 million project consisted of a 46-story hotel condominium with 391 units, located at 246 Spring Street in SoHo, New York City. It was a collaborative effort involving The Trump Organization, Bayrock Group LLC, and Tamir Sapir. In December 2017, the property underwent rebranding and became known as The Dominick.

Other projects

Sater has been involved as an advisor, investor, or developer in several prominent real estate initiatives. These include the Trump International Hotel & Residence in Phoenix, Arizona; the Conrad Fort Lauderdale and Midtown Miami developments in Florida; as well as London-based projects such as Cornwall Terrace and 1 Blackfriars.

Outside of real estate, Sater has established enterprises within the investment, retail, and energy industries.

In January 2017, Sater engaged in discussions with Ukrainian politician Andrey Artemenko and Donald Trump's personal attorney, Michael Cohen, regarding a proposal intended to lift sanctions imposed on Russia. The plan featured a withdrawal of Russian military forces from eastern Ukraine coupled with a referendum to "lease" Crimea to Russia for durations of either 50 or 100 years. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov rejected this proposal in February 2017, stating that Russia could not "rent from ourselves."

Criminal convictions and federal cooperation

Felix Sater has often been labeled a lifelong criminal due to his associations with organized crime. In 1991, he was involved in an incident where he stabbed a commodities broker in Midtown Manhattan, inflicting serious wounds that required 110 stitches. Convicted of first degree assault, Sater served 15 months in a minimum-security prison before being granted parole. Later, in 1998, he pleaded guilty to fraud connected to a $40 million penny stock pump and dump scheme linked to the Russian Mafia through his firm White Rock Partners. As part of his plea agreement, Sater collaborated with the FBI and federal prosecutors by acting as an informant targeting organized crime networks. He was fined $25,000 in 2009 but did not serve additional prison time nor pay restitution to victims. His records were sealed by Loretta Lynch, then U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, recognizing his assistance that contributed to convictions of more than 20 individuals involved in financial fraud and organized crime.

In 2006, a legal claim surfaced accusing Sater of intimidating a Bayrock investor after the investor uncovered his criminal history and ties to organized crime.

The Financial Times disclosed that Sater cooperated with authorities investigating an international money laundering operation connected to Viktor Khrapunov, a former Kazakh government official accused of embezzling millions and sought by Interpol. Additionally, Sater received subpoenas related to the case against Mukhtar Ablyazov, who stands accused of defrauding BTA Bank out of up to $5 billion—one of the largest financial frauds recorded.

In 2020, Sater and his associate Daniel Ridloff were named in a lawsuit alleging that they utilized Trump-affiliated properties such as those owned by Bayrock to launder millions derived from stolen funds. Sater denied these accusations and pursued settlement negotiations which ultimately did not succeed.

Contribution to the search for Osama bin Laden

In December 2017, Sater provided testimony to a congressional panel investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S. elections. During this session, he identified himself as a confidential informant for the U.S. Government who significantly contributed to intelligence efforts involving the Northern Alliance, the Taliban, and operations aimed at undermining Al-Qaeda activities in Afghanistan, including pinpointing Osama bin Laden prior to the September 11 attacks. Sater also revealed that he had an opportunity to eliminate bin Laden during a 1998 assault on a terrorist training facility but chose not to act—a statement later corroborated by investigative journalists through sources within U.S. intelligence.

In 2019, while discussing his collaboration with the FBI, CIA, and Defense Intelligence Agency before the House Intelligence Committee, Sater officially testified that he assisted U.S. authorities in locating bin Laden. Judge I. Leo Glasser affirmed that Sater had supplied the government with bin Laden’s phone number. This information was accessible to Sater due to his involvement in a telecommunications enterprise linked to the GRU during the mid-1990s, which operated across former Soviet states and provided transmission data to AT&T.

Engagement with Trump Organization amid presidential campaign

During Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, The Trump Organization explored a high-end hotel and condominium development in Moscow known as Trump Tower Moscow. This initiative was facilitated by Michael Cohen, who served as both Trump Organization attorney and Trump’s personal lawyer from January 2016 until May 2017. On October 13, 2015, Trump signed a nonbinding "letter of intent" to advance the project, which was also signed by Russian investor Andrei Rozov. Felix Sater forwarded this letter to Cohen, asserting close ties to Vladimir Putin and claiming that financing would be secured through Russia’s state-owned VTB Bank, despite existing U.S. sanctions.

In 2018, BuzzFeed News reported that investigators working under Robert Mueller questioned Sater and uncovered that a former Russian intelligence agent had assisted in securing funding for the endeavor. In 2010, Sater carried business cards identifying him as "Senior Advisor to Donald Trump," including a TrumpOrg.com email address. Despite multiple photographs and private meetings linking Trump and Sater, Trump has publicly minimized his acquaintance with him.

Sater’s planned testimony before the House Intelligence Committee in March 2019 was postponed pending publication of the Mueller Report. He was later scheduled for a closed-door session on June 21, 2019; however, after failing to appear voluntarily, the committee issued a subpoena. Subsequently, on July 9, 2019, Sater testified for eight hours. Although he professed cooperation regarding the Trump Tower project, committee officials indicated his compliance was incomplete—he withheld requested testimony and documents concerning a misrepresented joint defense agreement between Trump and Russia as well as relevant phone records. Sater remains subject to subpoena until full cooperation is provided.

Personal life

Felix Sater's spouse, Viktoria, established and currently operates a company specializing in granola health products. He was affiliated with the Chabad community in Port Washington and received the distinction of Man of the Year from them in both 2010 and 2014.

See also

• Business projects of Donald Trump in Russia
• Links between Trump associates and Russian officials and spies
• Mueller Report
• Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections