Ostentatious Diplomacy: Trump's Ambassador Who Is Driving Italy Crazy

With an estimated fortune of 11.1 billion dollars, Tilman Fertitta — a great-grandson of Sicilian immigrants — is considered one of the wealthiest people ever to serve as a United States ambassador. Currently, the 69-year-old owner of the NBA team Houston Rockets, the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant chain, and the Golden Nugget casino hotels is becoming the prominent face of ostentatious diplomacy in the Donald Trump era.

As part of a "coastal diplomatic tour" lasting two and a half months, Fertitta's mega-yacht, the "Boardwalk," hosts CEOs, sports figures, governors, mayors, and senior government officials. The glamorous guests crowd into the various bars on deck and feast their eyes on the two helipads, two pools, four hot tubs, a James Bond-style diving room, and the well-equipped spa and gyms.

An interesting detail in all this celebration: the entire event is funded out of the American ambassador's private pocket, except for state security expenses. According to the Forbes index, Fertitta is the 312th wealthiest person in the world, so this is a small expense for him.

Appointing wealthy donors to ambassadorial positions, particularly in Western Europe, is not a new phenomenon in American diplomacy. However, in the second Trump administration, a record was set as about 90 percent of ambassadorial appointments are political rather than professional diplomats. This trend has brought a parade of billionaires and politically connected individuals to the American foreign service, including Charles Kushner (whose son Jared is married to Trump's daughter, Ivanka), banker Warren Stephens, and hair product icon Leandro Rizzotto Jr. But even among these billionaires, Fertitta stands out particularly.

Fertitta himself does not apologize for the opulence, and he is convinced that the Italians appreciate the display: "They love that there is an ambassador with prestige, that they are important enough to us that you would come to their city on your big boat, host them in your home, and show them respect. That is what I hear from people."

On the other hand, critics argue that his "Love Boat" diplomacy blurs the lines between private wealth and official duty. Barbara Bodine, a diplomacy researcher at Georgetown University and former US ambassador to Yemen, notes that while political ambassadors tend to upgrade the ambassador's residence at their own expense, eye-catching displays of this scale are simply inappropriate. Fertitta replies that his connections, status, and direct access to Trump are assets that no ordinary diplomat could have brought with them.

For Fertitta, the role is the fulfillment of the Italian-American dream. According to him, serving as ambassador to Italy and owning a local sports team were the two greatest ambitions of his life. Already upon his arrival in Rome last year, he invested 2 million dollars of his own money in renovating "Villa Taverna," the official ambassador's residence, and for three weeks he commuted to work by helicopter from a previous superyacht. Now, as the new and upgraded "Boardwalk" arrived in May, he estimates that the coastal journey is costing him another 1 million dollars out of his own pocket — an expense that also helped him avoid additional renovations taking place at the residence in Rome.

Fertitta's diplomatic journey is taking place against a backdrop of political tension. Although Italy is considered friendly to Americans, Trump's attacks led to an open rift with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Relations between the two cooled following Italy's refusal to assist in the war in Iran, which Meloni defined as exceeding international law. As the two began to exchange public barbs, Fertitta tried to calm the waters and told the Italians: "You don't want to get into a verbal volleyball game with Trump. He is inexhaustible and he will win." According to him, Trump has no personal anger toward Meloni and is just venting frustration about NATO.

In the upper echelons of the Italian government, there are those who have embraced the ambassador warmly. Defense Minister Guido Crosetto noted that Fertitta's great advantage is his deep connection to Italy and the fact that Trump respects him: "He is one of the few who can pick up the phone to him and talk for half an hour about anything."

However, not everyone in Italy was impressed by the billionaire's magic dust. Ignazio La Russa, the Italian Senate President, refrained from coming to the yacht this summer so as not to create political embarrassment. On the Italian street, the reactions are even sharper: when the "Boardwalk" docked in Venice, it was met by hundreds of protesters with chants of "No room for billionaires" and "Venice is not the United States."

Politicians from the left and the Green Party demanded to know what price the Italian taxpayer is paying for the security of the chain, ships, and helicopters accompanying the yacht. Member of Parliament Angelo Bonelli estimates the cost to Italy at 3 to 4 million euros and called the trip "an outrageous display of wealth that does not work in Europe."

Despite the criticism, Fertitta manages to generate constant media buzz. In the town of Cefalù in Sicily, the city of his ancestors, the local bishop gave him documents documenting his family history back to 1566. In the city of Bibione, the local media even waxed poetic about his "deep and sincere connection" to the area when he visited an amusement park with his daughter.

When John Whitmire, the Democratic mayor of Houston for whom Fertitta previously served as campaign finance manager, was asked why such a wealthy man would leave his assets to serve as an ambassador, he replied with a smile: "That's an excellent question. I was surprised, but he is a proud Italian and a proud American. He knew it was a great honor and understood that he might not have another opportunity."