Howard Lutnick: podcast appearances and interviews

Howard William Lutnick, born on July 14, 1961, is an American businessman and government official who has served as the 41st United States secretary of commerce since 2025. He joined Cantor Fitzgerald in 1983 under the mentorship of the firm's founder, B. Gerald Cantor, and became president and chief executive in 1990. After Cantor's declining health and subsequent death in 1996, Lutnick became involved in a legal dispute over succession and ultimately gained management control of the firm. As chairman, he invested heavily in technology, establishing the electronic trading platform eSpeed. Lutnick played a prominent role in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, during which Cantor Fitzgerald lost 658 employees, including his brother. His response, which included suspending salaries for the families of deceased employees, received both praise and criticism. Politically, Lutnick has participated as a fundraiser for Democratic and Republican candidates, supporting Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Donald Trump in 2020 and 2024, and has been an advocate for Trump's tariff proposals. In August 2024, he was named co-chair of Trump's presidential transition team and was nominated by President-elect Trump for the position of Secretary of Commerce in November 2024. Following Senate confirmation in February 2025, Lutnick assumed office, where he has promoted tariffs and made statements about Social Security payments. He was recognized by Time magazine as one of the world's 100 most influential people in 2025.