President-elect Donald Trump announced Monday that he would nominate billionaire Vincent Viola to be Secretary of the Army.
Viola, the owner of the Florida Panthers hockey team, made his fortune as an investor and founder of the high-speed electronic trading firm Virtu Financial, where he is still executive chairman. He is the former chairman of the New York Mercantile Exchange, where he got his start as a commodities trader.
“Viola’s business experience makes him well positioned to help guide a Fortune 10-sized company, the U.S. Army,” a statement from Trump’s transition team announcing Viola’s nomination reads.
A 1977 graduate of West Point, Viola contributed millions to the academy after September 11th to establish its Combating Terrorism Center, according to the Wall Street Journal. He also helped develop a digital textbook about battle strategy.
