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Tilman Fertitta,

Tilman Fertitta is an American billionaire entrepreneur, businessman, and philanthropist best known for his ownership of the Houston Rockets NBA team and his leadership of Landry’s, Inc., one of the largest restaurant and hospitality corporations in the United States. Born on June 25, 1957, in Galveston, Texas, Fertitta grew up in a family with a background in the restaurant business. He pursued his education at Texas Tech University and the University of Houston, where he studied business administration and hospitality management.

Fertitta’s business empire is vast and diverse. He is the chairman and CEO of Landry’s, Inc., which owns and operates over 600 properties, including notable restaurant brands such as Morton’s The Steakhouse, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and Rainforest Cafe. His company also includes entertainment ventures like casinos and hotels. In 2017, he made headlines by purchasing the Houston Rockets for $2.2 billion, a record price for an NBA franchise at the time. Under his leadership, the team has remained a key player in the professional basketball scene.

Philanthropically, Fertitta has contributed significantly to education, healthcare, and disaster relief efforts. He has supported the University of Houston, particularly through funding the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. His commitment to giving back to the community extends across various sectors, emphasizing his belief in making a lasting impact.

In December 2024, President-elect Donald Trump nominated Fertitta to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Italy. The nomination reflects Fertitta’s interest in fostering international business relations and cultural exchange. If confirmed, he will take on a crucial role in strengthening U.S.-Italy diplomatic ties during an important time for both nations.

Fertitta is married to Paige Fertitta, and they have four children. Based in Houston, Texas, Fertitta remains an influential figure in both the local business landscape and the broader hospitality and sports industries. With an estimated net worth of $8.1 billion in 2025, he is recognized as one of the wealthiest individuals in his field.

The U.S. Mission to Italy

The U.S. Mission to Italy conducts diplomatic relations with the Republic of Italy and coordinates the activities of all U.S. Government personnel serving in Italy. Bilateral cooperation includes political, economic, commercial, defense and security, educational, and exchange activities. The Embassy and Consulates General also provides consular services, including visas for visitors to the United States and passports and other services for United States citizens in Italy. The United States Mission in Italy comprises the American Embassy in Rome and the Consulates General in Milan, Florence, and Naples.

The many agencies of the United States Government that constitute the Mission work as a team to advance American interests and promote relations between the American and Italian government and people. They shape and carry out American relations with Italy, have an active public diplomacy program, provide consular services to American citizens and visa services to citizens of Italy and other countries who wish to visit or who qualify to immigrate to the United States, and promote trade and investment between our two countries.

They work with Italian counterparts to protect shared political, economic, and security interests through multilateral organizations including NATO, the United Nations, and a host of other important bodies.

Officials of the Department of State oversee traditional diplomacy and provide consular services in Rome, Milan, Florence, and Naples.Commerce Department representatives are available to American exporters who wish to increase their activity in the Italian market, and officials of the Department of Agriculture at the Embassy in Rome offer similar services to their clients.

United States Diplomatic Relationship

The formation of the modern Italian state began in 1861 with the unification of most of the peninsula under the House of Savoy (Piedmont-Sardinia) into the Kingdom of Italy. Italy incorporated Venetia and the former Papal States (including Rome) by 1871 following the Franco-Prussian War (1870-71). Prior to Italian unification (also known as the Risorgimento), the United States had diplomatic relations with the main entities of the Italian peninsula: the Kingdom of Sardinia, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and the Papal States.

With the exception of the World War II years when Benito Mussolini’s government declared war upon the United States (1941-43), the United States has had warm relations with the Kingdom of Italy and, after 1946, its successor, the Republic of Italy. Currently, the United States and Italy share strong bilateral relations. Italy is a member of NATO and is a founding member of the European Union.

 

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