Trump Appoints Jewish Billionaire Philanthropist Howard Lutnick Commerce Secretary

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Cantor Fitzgerald Chairman and CEO Howard Lutnick, November 14, 2007.

President-elect Trump this week announced the nomination of Jewish billionaire and major United Hatzalah donor Howard Lutnick as the next Secretary of Commerce. Lutnick, who currently serves as Co-Chair of Trump’s transition team, is a staunch supporter of the State of Israel. He has donated millions of dollars to United Hatzalah, a volunteer emergency organization, and other Israeli and pro-Israel groups.

In announcing Howard Lutnick as his pick for Secretary of Commerce, President-elect Donald Trump highlighted the billionaire financier and transition co-chair’s integral role in shaping his administration’s economic policies. Trump noted that Lutnick would oversee the president-elect’s ambitious “Tariff and Trade agenda” and assume direct responsibility for the Office of the United States Trade Representative, positioning him as a key figure in advancing the administration’s trade priorities.

Lutnick, the chairman and chief executive of Cantor Fitzgerald and BGC Group, endured unimaginable loss on September 11, 2001, when 658 of his employees, including his brother, perished in the World Trade Center attacks. Having narrowly survived the collapse of the towers himself, Lutnick has since become a prominent figure in philanthropy. Through the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund, he has spearheaded efforts to provide aid to families affected by the attacks and those impacted by natural disasters, transforming tragedy into a mission of compassion and support.

In June 2024, Lutnick and his wife, Allison, announced a $7 million donation through the Cantor Fitzgerald Relief Fund to assist families affected by the October 7 attacks and to support United Hatzalah. This significant contribution has enabled United Hatzalah to expand its lifesaving operations, bolstering its emergency fleet with advanced ambucycles, ambulances, specialized emergency vehicles, and essential medical equipment. Further underlining their support, Howard and Allison Lutnick served as chairs of United Hatzalah’s New York Gala last June, amplifying their dedication to the organization’s mission.

Howard Lutnick, 63, was born to a Jewish family in Jericho, Long Island, to the late Solomon Lutnick, a history professor at Queens College, and Jane Lutnick, a painter and sculptor. Howard was a senior in high school when his mother passed away from lymphoma in 1978. The following year, he enrolled at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, and just days into his first week at school, he faced another profound tragedy: his father, Solomon, died after a nurse mistakenly administered a chemotherapy dose 100 times greater than what was prescribed for his colon and lung cancers.

At United Hatzalah’s recent gala in New York, Howard Lutnick shared a deeply personal reflection on the events of 9/11, drawing a parallel between the resilience of Cantor Fitzgerald and Israel’s ability to rebuild and thrive in the face of adversity.

“I was taking my son, Kyle, who’s now 28, to his first day of kindergarten on that fateful day of September 11, and that’s why I’m alive today,” Lutnick recalled. “None of my people got out.”

He continued, emphasizing hope in the darkest of times: “So, while times are dark—and they were very dark for us—we know they will be brighter and stronger. All of you are giving of your souls to help Israel now. Israel will rebuild. And it will be stronger. And when we come back in 15 years, Israel will be the shining star of the world.”