Trump Nominates Billionaire Houston Rockets Owner Tilman Fertitta as U.S. Ambassador to Italy

Dec 22, 2024, 02:48 AM

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated billionaire Tilman Fertitta as the U.S. ambassador to Italy. Fertitta, who is 57 years old and of Sicilian origins, is the owner of the Houston Rockets and CEO of Landry's, a restaurant and entertainment company. He was praised by Trump for his business acumen and philanthropy, having founded and built a major entertainment and real estate company that employs around 50,000 Americans. Trump highlighted Fertitta's role in founding and building a major entertainment and real estate company that employs around 50,000 Americans. Fertitta's nomination was announced via Trump's social media platform, Truth Social, where he also noted Fertitta's contributions to children's charities, law enforcement, and the medical community. Fertitta, who starred in the reality show 'Billion Dollar Buyer' on CNBC and has a net worth of 8.4 billion dollars, ranking him as the 260th richest person according to Fortune, expressed his honor at the nomination and emphasized Italy's strategic importance to the United States.