Scott Bessent and John Paulson are now front-runners for next Treasury Secretary position; with Bessent having a well-timed meet-up at Mar-a-Lago last fri (which sources say went real good)
The Treasury boss pick is super-important for wall street: this role shapes money rules trade deals and lots of big-picture stuff. Both candidates have deep-pockets and gave cash to Trumps campaign which doesnt hurt their chances. Back in early 24‚ Trump actually name-dropped Paulson as his possible pick; though its not clear if theyʼve met face-to-face yet
Here are other maybe-candidates that people talk about:
- Larry Kudlow (the tv-show guy)
- Robert Lighthizer (trade expert)
- Howard Lutnick (helping with transition)
- Jay Clayton (used to run SEC)
Some betting sites show Bessent leading the pack: hes got that Yale teaching background and likes how Trump uses tariffs to make deals. Paulson‚ whos got billions in his pocket wants less rules and lower taxes — which fits Trumps style
The whole thing is moving fast with new White House team getting ready for 2025: Susie Wiles already got picked as chief-of-staff (shes been running the campaign) and more picks are coming soon. Jamie Dimon from JP Morgan said no thanks to any job offers; showing not everyone wants in on this next round