When Ivanka Trump announced plans to build a resort on an uninhabited island in Albania, people joked about Jeffrey Epstein’s private island that was, once upon a time, kind of a big deal. Of course, now it’s a big deal for different reasons, and the connection between Donald Trump and Epstein is not lost on anyone. But Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner’s island would be different, and across the world from the Caribbean, where Little Saint James is.
But locals in Albania began to protest Ivanka and Kushner’s plans, according to Radar. Does that mean the couple will totally nix their plans? That seems unlikely. However, it does put a pause on the plans for the couple to move forward in developing the island into a place where they can stay with their friends and family in complete privacy.
Locals are not happy about Ivanka Trump’s private island plans.
🇦🇱🇺🇸 | ALBANIA IS ON FIRE!
— Mr. Whale (@CryptoWhale) June 4, 2026
Thousands are protesting in Tirana: “Ivanka, go home!”
Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump want to destroy protected Sazan island and Narta lagoon with a $1.4 billion luxury resort for the ultra-rich. pic.twitter.com/ibyz3kvMfx
Ivanka and Kushner reportedly acquired the island, which they plan to spend tons of money on to transform it into something for themselves and their family. It’s being referred to as a resort project, with five miles of beach to go with it, but the resort would remain a private getaway for Ivanka, Kushner, and their inner circle.
Maybe that’s one reason why protest groups, including one with a focus on the environment, are not happy with the plans and progress that the couple has talked about so far. Some protestors have used cut-outs of flamingos to drive home the concern of the bird facing danger if the island, which is home to plenty of wildlife, is taken over.
Prime Minister Edi Rama of Albania said, per Radar, that no one is, as of now, or in the near future, stopping Ivanka and her husband’s plans.
“Albania should not be a country that fears an extraordinary project like this one, where exceptional partners have come together to invest 4 billion euros [$4.6 billion],” he said, He also added, “There is no chance for this investment to stop as long as I am here.”
The idea would cost billions for Ivanka Trump and her husband.
Ivanka Trump announces that she and her husband, Jared Kushner, are building a massive off-the-grid private island in the middle of the Mediterranean.
— Shadow of Ezra (@ShadowofEzra) June 2, 2026
The island spans 1,400 hectares and currently has no power.
They will be working with some of the world's greatest living… pic.twitter.com/0yJqr3nHSw
According to the Associated Press, in late May 2026, locals began to see excavators and other machinery taken to the island to work on digging through the sand, putting up fencing, and preparing for construction. It’s possible because of this that locals felt ready to protest Ivanka’s plans. There are reportedly plans for a larger location in the Narta Lagoon. However, the plans for Sazan Island involve the smaller resort.
And, including the cost to acquire the island, the bill will run Ivanka, Kushner, and their investors more than $4 billion total. But can you really put a price on Americans coming in to take over an island where native wildlife might be at stake? Yes, yes you can.
Under a post on X about the protest of the island plans, users shared their frustration with the plans for the island.
One user commented, “Unfortunately, protests and outrage hardly ever change anything. Let’s hope it’s going to be different this time.”
Another wrote, “Everything about this, Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, should be investigated.”
There are other private islands they could choose instead.
Ivanka has said that she wants this island because she discovered it by chance while out on a friend’s boat. But there are plenty of other private islands that she and Kushner could go for, if they decide to back out of the plans for Sazan Island. Most listed online are for millions of dollars, including islands in the British Virgin Islands, the Caribbean, and Central America. But apparently, this is the one Ivanka is intent on getting.
