Trump nominates Vincent Viola for secretary of the Army
Billionaire Brooklyn Native Tapped to Join Trump’s Cabinet
President-elect Donald Trump has selected Vincent “Vinnie” Viola to be his secretary of the Army. The Brooklyn-born Viola is a retired Army major and graduate of New York Law School and West Point. He is the owner of the NHL’s Florida Panthers and the former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange. He also founded Virtu Financial, a large trading firm, and took the company public in 2015.
According to Forbes, Viola is worth $1.8 billion and one of the 400 wealthiest Americans.
On Monday, Trump issued a statement calling Viola “a man of outstanding work ethic, integrity and strategic vision, with an exceptional ability to motivate others.” He added, “The American people, whether civilian or military, should have great confidence that Vinnie Viola has what it takes to keep America safe and oversee issues of concern to our troops in the Army.”