In business After completing his education, Boulos moved to
Nigeria and became the CEO of SCOA Nigeria PLC. SCOA is a heavy truck assembly and heavy machinery dealership company that operates as part of the Fadoul Group, a business conglomerate based in West Africa. Following Trump's announcement that he would appoint Boulos as a presidential advisor (see
§ US politics), he was subject to scrutiny by some media outlets regarding his business record and public profile. Media outlets initially described SCOA as a "multi-billion dollar conglomerate". A
New York Times article asserted discrepancies between this description and its documented business background. owned by another family of the same name. He confirmed to the NYT that he had no relationship with Boulos Enterprises, and that he did not correct public reports because he made a practice of not commenting on his businesses. Several Nigerian media outlets published an
op-ed penned by Magnus Onyibe, credited as a non-executive independent director at SCOA, echoing Leavitt's press release and describing the company's achievements in Nigeria and West Africa.
Lebanese politics Both his father and grandfather were known figures in Lebanese politics, as his great uncle, Massad, served in Parliament and his father, Fares, served as Mayor of
Kfarkaara. Boulos is acquainted with Christian politicians and parties in Lebanon from
Suleiman Frangieh of the
Marada Movement, considered aligned with Hezbollah, to the
Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) and anti-Hezbollah opposition parties like the
Lebanese Forces. However, he has mentioned in interviews that he is not affiliated with any party in Lebanon and that he is acquainted with most Lebanese Christian leaders. In a September 2025 interview with Al Jazeera, he stated that Hezbollah and all armed organizations in Lebanon should be fully disarmed. According to
Century Foundation's analyst Aron Lund, quoting a report in
As-Safir, Boulos was a supporter of
Michel Aoun's
Free Patriotic Movement and represented it in Nigeria, where his father-in-law did business and funded the party's activities. AP reported that Boulos initially stood for
parliament in Koura, but withdrew for another list involving the FPM,
Marada and the
communists.
US politics Boulos has been involved in Republican politics for decades, and worked as a volunteer during
George W. Bush's 1994 campaign for governor of Texas. During the 2024 US presidential elections, Boulos campaigned for Trump in Muslim and Arab communities with
Bishara Bahbah, who founded Arabs for Trump, and
Richard Grenell. He sought to portray Trump as supportive of "global peace", according to Bahbah. Despite that, there was criticism over his outreach during some meetings, as some attendees criticized
Trump's policies regarding Jerusalem.
Diplomacy and peace initiatives Massad Boulos has been involved in several international diplomatic efforts, particularly during the Trump administration, focusing on conflict resolution in Africa and the Middle East. In an interview, Boulos summarized the administration's Africa policy as based on "peace, partnerships and prosperity," shifting focus from aid to trade and stating that while democracy is appreciated, the U.S. policy is "not to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries." In North Africa, Boulos helped spearhead a diplomatic initiative to build global support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara. This effort culminated in a United Nations General Assembly vote in September 2025, which saw a majority of member states vote in favor of the plan, marking a significant shift in the international approach to the long-standing dispute. The plan had been officially endorsed by President Donald Trump earlier that year. Following the 2024 U.S. presidential election, Boulos was a key architect behind the Washington Accord of 2025, a peace agreement between the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Rwanda aimed at de-escalating tensions in the Great Lakes region. Analysts described his role as pivotal in driving the negotiations to a successful conclusion. Boulos has also been involved in addressing the conflict in Sudan. As the conflict falls within his diplomatic remit, he has participated in the development of a proposed three-part peace plan developed in coordination with the Quad (United States, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt), aiming to broker a ceasefire and initiate a sustainable political process.
Role as Senior Advisor Boulos was named a senior advisor to Donald Trump in 2025. In this role, Boulos has acted as an intermediary between the
Palestinian Authority and its leader,
Mahmoud Abbas and Trump. Boulos was involved in the
2024 Israel-Lebanon ceasefire agreement. While he initially said that the
Lebanese Army was fulfilling his duty in "
an acceptable manner" regarding its role in the
ceasefire, he subsequently explained during an interview for
Le Point that "there was an initial misunderstanding, particularly in Lebanon, where it was believed that the ceasefire agreement applied only to the area south of the Litani River". He further clarified his position and reaffirmed the requirement that
Hezbollah should disarm applies to the whole of Lebanon, not just areas south of the
Litani river.
The New Arab quotes Boulos as saying that "the text is very clear in implementing United Nations resolutions, whether Resolution 1701 or 1559". In an interview with
MTV News, he asserted that the question of Iranian funding for armed groups, including Hezbollah, was an integral part of the ceasefire agreement. During negotiations for the current Lebanese government, Boulos was responsible for conveying the message that Hezbollah-allied
Amal Movement, should play a less prominent role in the new government. In March 2025,
Semafor reported that Massad Boulos would be appointed Special Envoy for the
Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Great Lakes Region, reportedly due to American interest in securing a minerals deal. Despite the lack of official confirmation, the move was praised by Kenyan President
William Ruto, who said that the nomination showed a commitment to peace and stability in Africa. He was later confirmed as Senior Advisor for Africa, making him the State Department's most senior official to work in the continent. His appointment came after the White House failed three times to fill the position. His appointment was described as part of a pivot in American foreign policy, boosting relations with Africa to curb growing Chinese and Russian influence. His first diplomatic tour saw him travelling to DRC Congo, Rwanda, Kenya and Uganda, accompanied by Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Corina Sanders. Boulos subsequently announced that President
Felix Tshisekedi agreed upon a path forward to develop a minerals agreement, allowing private U.S. firms to work in the country and that the United States would use "all diplomatic and economic tools" to advance peace in the region. Three Americans who were imprisoned due to their participation in a failed coup attempt were granted presidential clemency and transferred to fulfill their sentences in the United States, in what was described as a gesture of diplomatic goodwill. Boulos also discussed peace efforts with President
Paul Kagame, reiterating the American position that Rwanda should withdraw all troops from Congo and to cease all military support for
M23 rebels. Rwandan authorities deny supporting the M23. After a Qatar-brokered truce between the DRC and M23, Boulos and Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted the Congolese and Rwandan foreign ministers in Washington D.C., where they agreed to a “declaration of principles” for ending the war. He informally met President
Bola Tinubu in Paris, and reportedly discussed bilateral relations and investments in Nigeria. Some questioned if the plan would come to fruition considering previous cuts in the U.S. Department of State's budget and the impact of increased
tariffs on Libya–U.S. bilateral trade. and President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to discuss the ongoing unrest and deterioration of the humanitary situation in Libya. According to a report on Al-Araby, the United States is pursuing a policy that includes Egypt as a regional partner in achieving stability in Africa, particularly regarding Libya and Sudan. == Personal life ==