Steven Mnuchin
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Life In Brief earned him a spot in the President’s cabinet; focuses on deregulation and tax reform Current Title: Secretary of Treasury Son of a partner at Goldman Sachs who became a partner himself and led the bank’s Political Party: Republican Party powerful fixed income, currency, and commodities division; pioneer of block trading Born: December 21, 1962 Left investment banking to become a hedge Birthplace: New York, NY fund manager and Hollywood financer Invested in failing regional lender IndyMac, now Religion: Jewish OneWest, during the financial crisis Ethnicity: White/Caucasian Long history of donating to political campaigns, including many Democratic candidates, but Marital Status: Married joined Donald Trump’s campaign early-on and launched campaign’s fundraising efforts with no Education: prior experience Yale University (CT), BA, 1985 Pushes for economic growth and job creation through tax cuts and rolling back Dodd-Frank Family: Has supported Trump’s protectionist trade policy, including emphasis on bilateral deals 3 children (3 from previous marriage) and imposition of steel and aluminum tariffs Work History: Understated personal style; avoids the spotlight Secretary of the Treasury, 2017-present National Finance Chair, Donald J. Trump for Approach and Motivations President, 2016 Pro-growth approach informed by private sector Chairman/Co-Chief Executive Officer, OneWest experience Bank, 2009-15 At Goldman, saw firsthand how regulations can CEO, SFM Capital Management LP, 2003-04 inhibit lending by financial institutions, resulting Vice Chairman, ESL Investments, 2003 in a lack of access to capital for small Goldman Sachs, 1985-2002 businesses and entrepreneurs o Executive Vice President & Chief Information Experience with the inflexibility of regulators, Officer, 2001-02 through the purchasing and rebuilding of o Partner, 1994-2002 IndyMac, solidified belief that burdensome policies have real outcomes for everyday o Consultant, 1985-94 Americans, including home foreclosures Quick Summary Chief liaison between Trump Administration and Congress on economic issues Hedge fund executive and Wall Street insider whose early investment in the Trump campaign 1 Has been one of the most effective members of Trade & Foreign Policy: Has supported economic the Trump Administration negotiating across the protectionism and campaign of maximum aisle, including with Nancy Pelosi economic pressure on adversaries Described as bringing pragmatic, result-driven Favors bilateral trade agreements over regional attitude to negotiations deals; opponent of provisions to prevent competitive currency devaluation in trade deals Policy Position and Areas of Defended Trump’s steel and aluminum tariffs Focus Under his leadership, Treasury has announced sanctions against North Korea and groups including the Syrian Scientific Studies and Proponent of tax cuts and deregulation for Wall Research Center and Chinese Bank of Street; aligns closely with Trump on foreign policy Dandong initiatives, including trade and sanctions Taxes: Frames policies around effect on the Core Communities middle class Pledged that the wealthy would not benefit from Wall Street connections have been crucial to the Republican tax plan, which became dubbed success in business and in political rise the “Mnuchin rule,” but has since distanced himself from that promise, citing mathematical Investment Bankers: Long tenure at Goldman and challenges involves former colleagues in business ventures; elevates bankers to leadership Vocal advocate of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, praising the impact on the middle class Worked for Goldman Sachs for 17 years, rising Proponent of eliminating the estate tax as a to position of EVP and Chief Information Officer; matter of fairness served alongside CEO Henry Paulson who went on to become Treasury Secretary under George Deregulation: Rolling back and streamlining W. Bush Dodd-Frank era requirements Bought IndyMac with support of investment Wants to clarify the definition of proprietary group that included former executive J. trading under the Volcker Rule and has Christopher Flowers; founded hedge fund Dune attributed volatility in the equity market to the Capital Management with two Goldman effect of the law partners Authorized reinstatement of Primary Dealer Named former Morgan Stanley bankers Justin Credit Facility, which would provide overnight Muzinich and Craig Phillips to Deputy Treasury loans to Wall Street firms Secretary and Counselor to the Treasury Proposed revisions to the Comprehensive Hedge Funds: Deep network of elite investors Capital Analysis and Review (CCAR) framework, to limit CCAR process to once every After he left Goldman Sachs, Mnuchin worked few years and prohibit the Fed from objecting to as vice-chairman of hedge fund ESL a firm’s capital plan when it fails the qualitative Investments, which is owned by his Yale portion of CCAR roommate Edward Lampert; Lampert is former CEO of Sears, where Mnuchin sat on the Board 2 Established the company SFM Capital Upon entering office, divested stake in financial Management together with financier George firm CIT group worth $105 million; also Soros; Soros also invested in IndyMac eliminated shares in OneWest, Berkshire Has made investments alongside hedge-fund Hathaway, Microsoft, Verizon, and Goldman manager John Paulson; Paulson served as an Sachs to avoid potential conflict of interest economic adviser to Trump during the Vast real estate portfolio, owning at least six campaign homes worth tens of millions of dollars Expensive art collection, including $15 million oil Trump Administration: Working relationships with painting by Willem de Kooning Trump appointees Long-standing ties to President Trump from Political Donations investment in Trump International Hotel and Between 1995 and 2014, donated over Tower in Honolulu and Chicago; served as his $120,000 to political organizations, PACs, campaign Finance Chair in 2016 politicians, and political parties, including high- Worked with counterpart Lewis Eisenberg on dollar contributions to many Democratic Republican National Committee during Trump candidates such as Hillary Clinton, John campaign; he is now U.S. Ambassador to Italy Kerry, and Barack Obama Comptroller of the Currency Joseph Otting Between June and September 2016, donated previously served as CEO of OneWest, a bank over $400,000 to the Republican Party, formed by Mnuchin; OneWest vice chairman including donations to Paul Ryan and Donald and chief legal officer Brian Brooks was Trump recruited to join the Office of the Comptroller Publications, Media and Speaking Political History National Finance Chairman, Donald J. Trump Speaks in cable news channels, at banking for President, Inc., 2016-2016 conferences, and before foreign affairs groups on taxes, trade, and international affairs National Finance Chairman, Pres. Donald J. Trump (R), Candidate for Executive Office of the Media: Appears in national cable news outlets to President, Office of the President, 2017 discuss foreign policy and tax reform Favorite Subjects: U.S. foreign relations, trade, Relevant Financial Information Trump tax plan, economic growth Preferred Outlets: National cable news outlets High-dollar donor to Democratic and Republican including FOX Business and CNBC campaigns with heavy emphasis on Trump and allies in recent years Social Media Habits: Active on Twitter Estimated net worth of $400 million Speaking: Speaks with bankers’ groups and foreign policy organizations on fiscal policy and He and group of investors sold OneWest bank trade in 2015 for $3.4 billion Favorite Subjects: Taxes, tariffs, free trade agreements 3 Preferred Audience: Banking conferences Founder of Dune Entertainment, which was the including Delivering Alpha and the U.S.-Gulf financier of a number of notable films, Public Private Banking Dialogue; and foreign including the X-Men film franchise and Avatar policy groups including the American Swiss Wife Louise Linton is an actress Foundation and Jordan Growth & Prosperity Conference Criticisms and Controversies Professional Affiliations Has come under scrutiny for involvement in member , Sears Holdings' IndyMac foreclosures and role in Sears Holdings bankruptcy; has also received ethics complaints Family and Personal Background for using government position for personal benefit Comes from affluent family and was able to attend Criticized by Democrats and national media over an elite university; also launched movie financing profiting off IndyMac foreclosures career Took over California’s IndyMac bank, which was Family background in business and investing; shut down by the FDIC amid the 2008 attended Yale foreclosure crisis Born and raised in New York, NY During Mnuchin’s tenure, IndyMac carried out over 36,000 foreclosures; progressive attack Great grandfather Aaron Mnuchin was Russian- ads labeled Mnuchin the “foreclosure king” born diamond dealer who emigrated to the U.S. in 1916 and built glass blowing company Renamed the bank as OneWest Bank and after Midland Glass running it for six years, sold for a profit estimated at $1.5 billion Father Robert Mnuchin was a partner at Goldman Sachs in charge of equity trading Named as defendant in lawsuit by Sears Holdings and a member of the management committee; Father is also the founder of an art gallery in After Sears went bankrupt, company that New York City, the Mnuchin Gallery formerly owned it sued Mnuchin and ex- CEO Edward Lampert for "asset stripping"