Donald Trump Jr.’s decision to release screenshots of emails before meeting with a Russian lawyer in 2016 have thrown Washington into uproar. But, the man who he was emailing with has seen the focus shift on to him as well, unveiling details about his bizarre life.
Rob Goldstone is the man who arranged the meeting for Trump, Jr., campaign adviser Jared Kushner and campaign manager Paul Manafort. He was the recipient of the now-infamous email from the eldest Trump son stating “if it’s what you say, I love it” when told the Russian government had incriminating information on Hillary Clinton.
Goldstone is a 57-year-old former tabloid journalist and publicist originally from Manchester, England. He lives in New York City but has previously lived in Sydney and has traveled around the world through his work in the music industry.
According to Oui 2, Michael Jackson hired him to accompany the “Bad Tour” for five shows during its Oceania leg in the fall of 1987. In 1991, Goldstone moved to the U.S. after he was hired as head of international marketing by HMV, an entertainment retailer.
After seven years in that position, Goldstone co-founded Oui 2 Public Relations with David Wilson. The outfit has done business with numerous musicians and major corporations like EMI, Best Buy, and the Friars Club.
Oui 2 organized several A-list events in recent years, including the Lifetime Achievement Award Gala honoring Martin Scorsese and the Friars Club Roasts of Quentin Tarantino and Betty White.
On Nov. 9, 2013, Oui 2 coordinated its most consequential event in the entertainment world: the Miss Universe pageant.
The show, then-owned by Donald Trump, was held in Moscow and hosted by Emin Agalarov, a Russian pop star represented by Goldstone. Emin’s father is Russian oligarch and business developer Aras Agalarov, who first met Trump in Jan. 2013, according to the New York Times.
The same month as the pageant, Aras was awarded the Order of Honour by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
While the pageant garnered new record ratings lows, the event served as a basis for how Goldstone became involved in the Trump campaign three years later. Trump held a press conference with both Agalarovs, cameoed in a music video for Emin that would be released two weeks later and was even spotted fist-pumping by Goldstone.
Days after the event, Trump praised Emin and Aras in a pair of tweets. Goldstone openly praised Trump throughout the years, supporting his presidential campaign from his initial announcement in June 2015 through his victory in November 2016. In April, Goldstone posted a picture of Emin golfing with Trump captioned, “Throw back Sunday when we played PGA tournament at Trump Doral in Florida with Emin Agalarov and Donald Trump.”
Since the New York Times story broke, many businesses and people connected to Goldstone have gone silent on social media. Oui 2’s Twitter account is protected and currently has only 495 followers, while his personal Instagram account is private.
However, Goldstone’s personal Facebook page has remained active and publicly accessible, documenting his travels over the years until just before the scandal broke. Goldstone’s last Facebook activity was on July 9 when he checked into Athens, Greece and posted a picture of him with the title “The Emperor Muppettus Maximus.”
Goldstone’s profile provides some insight into the person who first approached Trump Jr. with “official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton]” all as “part of Russia and its government’s support for Mr. Trump.”
Over the years, Goldstone had 88 Facebook check-ins in Moscow, including a week before and after his meeting at Trump Tower. On the day of the meeting, Goldstone checked in on Facebook with the caption “Preparing for meeting.”
His profile displays an eclectic taste, highlighted by his one “liked” athlete: Nacho Figueras, an Argentinian known as the “David Beckham of polo.” He “likes” three movies: “Me Before You,” “Batman v. Superman” and “Winnie the Pooh.” He has reviewed two restaurants: issuing a one-star review for a restaurant in Sao Paolo that served an “awful Vietnamese stir fry” and a five-star review for a gastropub in Harrisburg, Penn.
Goldstone also likes hats and selfies, taking pictures of his unique style interests, including a shared fashion sense with Ivanka Trump.
Goldstone’s future remains unclear but he has generated international media coverage for his unexpected involvement with the Trumps. His friends, many surprised with the level of interest, have written on his wall, with one adding: “You’re going to need a publicist bro…”
