Massad Boulos facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Massad Fares Boulos
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مسعد بولس
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Boulos in 2024
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| Senior Advisor to the President | |
| Assumed office January 20, 2025 Serving with Elon Musk
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Tom Perez |
| Senior Advisor for Africa at the Department of State | |
| Assumed office April 1, 2025 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Secretary of State | Marco Rubio |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1971 (age 53–54) Kfaraakka, Koura District, Lebanon |
| Citizenship |
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| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Sarah Fadoul Boulos |
| Children | 4, including Michael and Fares |
| Relatives | Tiffany Trump (daughter-in-law) |
| Education | University of Houston–Downtown (BBA) Texas Southern University (JD) |
Massad Fares Boulos (Arabic: مسعد فارس بولس; born in 1971) is a businessman from Lebanon who also holds American citizenship. He is a senior advisor to former President Donald Trump. Massad Boulos is the father of Michael Boulos, who is married to Trump's daughter, Tiffany Trump. He helped with Trump's successful campaign for president in 2024. He especially worked with Arab American communities, like those in Michigan.
Boulos was the CEO of SCOA Nigeria PLC, a company that deals with trucks and heavy machines. In 2018, his son Michael started dating Tiffany Trump. In April 2025, Boulos was named the Senior Advisor for Africa.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Massad Boulos was born in Kfaraakka, Lebanon, in 1971. His parents are Fares and Marie-Therese. He is the oldest of four children. His father, Fares Boulos, was the mayor of Kfaraakka from 1998 to 2010. His family belongs to the Lebanese Greek Orthodox Christian faith.
As a teenager, Boulos moved to Texas in the United States. In 1993, he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Houston–Downtown. He also has a law degree (Juris Doctor) from the Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University.
Business Career
After finishing his studies, Boulos moved to Nigeria. There, he became the CEO of SCOA Nigeria PLC. This company sells trucks and heavy machinery. It is part of the Fadoul Groupe, a large business group in West Africa.
Some news reports talked about SCOA being a "multi-billion dollar conglomerate." However, a New York Times article pointed out that the company's shares were worth much less. Boulos explained that when he said "multibillion dollar," he was talking about all the companies in the Fadoul Groupe together, which are worth over $1 billion.
There were also reports that confused Massad Boulos with the owner of another company called Boulos Enterprises. He confirmed that he has no connection to that company.
Political Involvement
Lebanese Politics
Massad Boulos's family has a history in Lebanese politics. His great uncle served in Parliament, and his father was a mayor. Boulos knows many Christian politicians and parties in Lebanon. He has said that he is not officially part of any political party in Lebanon.
He has been connected to the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM). This party elected Michel Aoun as president with support from Hezbollah. Boulos stated that many Lebanese Christians supported President Aoun's calls for Lebanon to be independent.
US Politics
Boulos has been involved in Republican politics for many years. He volunteered for George W. Bush's campaign for governor of Texas in 1994. During the 2024 US presidential elections, Boulos campaigned for Donald Trump. He worked with Bishara Bahbah, who started Arabs for Trump, and Richard Grenell.
Boulos tried to show Trump as someone who supports "global peace." He said that there are many Arab Americans who want their voices heard, and Trump was listening.
Role as Senior Advisor
Massad Boulos was named a senior advisor to Donald Trump in 2025. In this role, Boulos has helped connect the Palestinian Authority and its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, with Trump.
Boulos was also involved in the 2024 Israel–Lebanon ceasefire agreement. He clarified that the agreement means Hezbollah should disarm across all of Lebanon, not just in certain areas. He also said that stopping Iranian funding for armed groups, like Hezbollah, was part of the ceasefire agreement.
During talks for the Lebanese government, Boulos shared the message that the Amal Movement, which is allied with Hezbollah, should have a smaller role.
Boulos met with Yossi Dagan, an Israeli settlement activist. Boulos said that he hopes for peace in Israel, Lebanon, and the whole region. He also attended a dinner hosted by the Israeli Ambassador to the U.S.
In March 2025, it was reported that Massad Boulos would become a Special Envoy for the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region. This was likely because the U.S. is interested in getting minerals from the region. Kenyan President William Ruto praised this possible appointment.
Boulos was later confirmed as the Senior Advisor for Africa. This made him the most senior official at the State Department working on the continent. His appointment is seen as a way to improve relations with Africa and reduce the growing influence of China and Russia.
His first diplomatic trip included visits to Congo, Rwanda, Kenya, and Uganda. Boulos announced that President Félix Tshisekedi of Congo agreed to a plan for a minerals agreement. This would allow U.S. companies to work in Congo. The U.S. also said it would use all its diplomatic and economic tools to help bring peace to the region. Three Americans who were in prison in Congo were released and sent back to the U.S. This was seen as a friendly diplomatic gesture.
Boulos also talked about peace with President Paul Kagame of Rwanda. He repeated the U.S. position that Rwanda should remove its troops from Congo and stop supporting M23 rebels. After a truce between Congo and M23, Boulos and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the foreign ministers of Congo and Rwanda. They agreed on a plan to end the war.
He also met with President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria to discuss relations and investments.
As part of his work, Boulos also proposed a plan to solve the Libyan crisis. This plan aims to bring all groups to the negotiating table to end the country's political problems.
Personal Life
Massad Boulos has citizenship in Lebanon, Nigeria, France, and the United States.
He is married to Sarah Fadoul Boulos. She was born in Burkina Faso. She lived in Houston, Texas, around 1986 and graduated from Houston Baptist University in 1994. In 1996, the couple moved to Lagos, Nigeria. Sarah worked at SCOA Nigeria as the Director of Trading and Logistics.
Sarah Boulos is a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and dance coach. In 2005, she started the Society for the Performing Arts in Nigeria (SPAN). SPAN has helped more than 10,000 young people. She also oversees imports for her business, La Pointe Delicatessen.
Sarah and Massad are devoted Christians. They have four children: Michael, Fares, Oriane, and Sophie. In 2022, their son Michael married Tiffany Trump, who is Donald Trump's daughter. Their son Fares is an actor who had a small role in the TV series The Crown.
See Also
- Boulos Enterprises
