Donald Trump’s top pick for Treasury is Goldman Sachs veteran Steven Mnuchin
It looks as though President-elect Donald Trump has got an eye on an ex-Goldman Sachs banker for his Treasury secretary.
Former Goldman partner Steven Mnuchin has been recommended by Trump's transition team to serve as Treasury secretary, according to several reports.
He has long been the Republican's favoured pick for the position and had been considered a dead cert by political advisers since election night. Apparently Trump wasn't particularly concerned that most of his fundraisers considered it curious he was even picked as finance chair for the campaign, considering the Goldman Sachs history.
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Both Bloomberg and CBS said sources close to the process confirmed Mnuchin had been recommended by Trump's transition team and is awaiting the President-elect's final decision.
He worked at the investment bank for 17 years and also has deep Democratic ties. In past elections he gave more to Democratic candidates than Republicans. This did change in 2016 however: according to Opensecrets.org, Mnuchin gave almost entirely to Republicans (bar a $2,000 donation to California senator Kamala Harris).
He has the Wall Street pedigree and background at the type of elite institutions that the incoming President has spent much of his campaign ripping apart.
Ted Cruz, a Republican primary rival whose wife worked at Goldman Sachs, was a frequent target for Trump.
Was there another loan that Ted Cruz FORGOT to file. Goldman Sachs owns him, he will do anything they demand. Not much of a reformer!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 16, 2016
Mnuchin went to Yale, became a Goldman Sachs partner (as did his father), ran a hedge fund and has funded Hollywood blockbusters.
He did though, hop on board the Trump train at a time when many were keeping their distance, and so far, Trump has kept a pattern of rewarding those loyal to him.
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Mnuchin was spotted at Trump Tower on Monday and asked by reporters as to why he was there. "I'm here just helping with the transition this week," he said. "A lot of work to do."
Trump's team is also said to be considering investor Wilbur Ross Jr., Representative Jeb Hensarling of Texas and JPMorgan Chase & Co. chief executive Jamie Dimon.
Watch this space.