US President-elect Donald Trump nominated his longtime friend Tom Barrack, a private equity real estate investor and the founder and executive chairman of Colony Capital, as the US ambassador to Turkey on Tuesday, Agence France-Presse reported.
Barrack, 77, faced legal scrutiny for his work on behalf of the United Arab Emirates.
He was indicted in 2021 on charges of unlawfully acting as an agent of the United Arab Emirates, but was acquitted in November 2022.
Trump said in a post on Truth Social that Barrack has successfully managed a global private equity firm for three decades while describing him as “a well respected and experienced voice of reason to a wide range of thought leaders in both political and business circles.”
Barrack was born and raised in Southern California, and earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and Doctor of Law (JD) from the University of Southern California and University of San Diego where he was a member of Law Review.
As of September 2011, Barrack was the 833rd richest person in the world, and the 375th richest in the United States, with an estimated wealth of US$1.1. billion. However, he was no longer a billionaire in 2014.
In a separate announcement Tuesday, Trump also picked Kimberly Guilfoyle, a lawyer and former Fox News host who has dated his eldest son, to serve as the US ambassador to Turkey’s neighbor and NATO ally Greece.
“For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally,” Trump said in another post on Truth Social. “Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics along with her sharp intellect make her supremely qualified to represent the United States, and safeguard its interests abroad.”
Trump has been known to tap people who are close to his family or of proven loyalty. Previously, Trump named Charles Kushner, the father of his son-in-law Jared Kushner, as his pick for the US ambassador to France.