President-elect Donald Trump announced Saturday night his nomination of billionaire and Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta for U.S. ambassador to Italy.
In a statement posted on Truth Social, Trump pointed to Fertitta’s background in business, including his work as CEO of Landry’s, a Texas-based restaurant and entertainment company.
“I am pleased to announce that Tilman J. Fertitta has been nominated to serve as the United States Ambassador to Italy. Tilman is an accomplished businessman, who has founded and built one of our Country’s premier entertainment and real estate companies, employing approximately 50,000 Americans,” he said.
“Tilman has a long history of giving back to the community through numerous philanthropic initiatives, which include children’s charities, Law Enforcement, and the medical community. Additionally, Tilman is the longest serving Chairman of the Board of Regents for the University of Houston. He also owns the Houston Rockets Basketball Team,” Trump added.
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Fertitta’s other business ventures include his ownership of Golden Nugget Casinos and various restaurant chains. He became the owner of the Rockets in 2017 after he bought the team for $2.2 billion.
The announcement follows a spate of picks from Trump earlier Saturday, including for chief of staff for the Department of Justice, the DOJ Office of Legal Policy, the administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, and special envoy to the United Kingdom.
