Billionaire and Reality TV Host Tilman Fertitta Nominated to be Ambassador To Italy

Tilman Fertitta, the billionaire owner of the NBA’s Houston Rockets who once hosted the reality competition show “Billion Dollar Buyer” on CNBC, has been nominated as ambassador to Italy by president-elect Donald Trump.

Fertitta also owns the Landry’s restaurant group, which includes Morton’s The Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and the Chart House restaurants, among many other brands.

He also owns the Golden Nugget Hotel and Casinos chain. The Golden Nugget Atlantic City was previously called the Trump Marina. Fertitta purchased this casino from Trump Entertainment Resorts in 2011.

In the 2016-2018 CNBC show, Fertitta traveled the nation to sample new and innovative hospitality products. Small business owners competed to win the opportunity to partner with Landry’s as a supplier to Fertitta’s restaurants, hotels, and entertainment brands.

“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,” Trump wrote in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. “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.”

His nomination must undergo a Senate confirmation hearing before final approval. Fertitta would succeed Jack Markell, the former Delaware governor, who has served as U.S. ambassador to Italy since 2023.

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